As educators, we are bestowed with the responsibility of shaping young minds, cultivating curiosity, and fostering a lifelong love of learning. Yet, teaching is more than a full-time job; it’s a passion and a commitment that often extends far beyond the walls of the classroom.
This commitment, however, doesn’t always translate into financial stability or satisfaction. Many teachers, myself included, have found themselves searching for ways to supplement their income while utilizing the skills and knowledge we’ve acquired in our field.
Over the years, balancing a chalkboard in one hand and a laptop in the other, I’ve delved into numerous side jobs. From offering online tutoring and test prep coaching to freelance writing and even voiceover work, I’ve explored various avenues that not only offered financial benefits but also complemented my skills as an educator. These experiences were enriching, rewarding, and provided a refreshing break from my usual teaching routine.
The journey through these side jobs, coupled with my passion for teaching, ultimately led me down an unexpected path – becoming a full-time educational blogger. This transition allowed me to fuse my love for teaching with the power of digital communication, creating a platform where I could connect with and inspire other educators around the world.
In this post, I will share with you some of the best side jobs for teachers that I’ve discovered and experienced along my journey. These jobs offer flexibility, align with our educational skills, and provide opportunities for income beyond the traditional classroom setting.
Whether you’re seeking a creative outlet, aiming to supplement your income, or dreaming about embarking on a new professional path, I believe you’ll find these ideas both inspiring and practical. So let’s explore out list of the best side hustles for teachers.
Table of Contents
1. Online Tutoring
One of the best side jobs you can do as a teacher is to engage in online tutoring. Online tutoring involves offering educational instruction or information to students in a virtual environment. Besides offering a great deal of flexibility, online tutoring also enables you to tap into your teaching skills and hone in your instructional competencies.
The great thing about online tutoring is you can do it anywhere in the world provided you have an Internet-enabled computer. This allows you to easily fit this work around your regular teaching schedule.
You can choose to work with students in their local area or even tutor students from around the world. As an online tutor, you can provide tutoring in your own specialty subject(s), assist with homework, or help students prepare for tests and exams.
Online tutoring can be carried out via video call using platforms like Zoom or Skype, or through specialized online tutoring platforms that have built-in tools like virtual whiteboards.
Here are some reputable platforms where teachers can offer online tutoring services:
1. Chegg Tutors
Chegg is a popular platform that connects students to tutors in a wide range of subjects. Tutors can work from anywhere in the world, and they have the flexibility to set their own schedule.
2. Tutor.com
This is another well-known online tutoring platform. It offers tutoring in over 200 academic subjects and test prep areas.
3. Wyzant
On Wyzant, tutors can set their own rate and choose to tutor students either in-person or online.
4. VipKid
This platform is designed for teaching English online to students in other countries, particularly China. VIPKid provides the lesson plans and communicates with the parents, freeing up the teacher to focus on instruction.
E. TutorMe
TutorMe offers online tutoring in over 300 subjects, with tutors being able to work from anywhere, at any time.
F. Skooli
Skooli offers online tutoring primarily focused on K-12 education, but also has resources for college and university-level subjects.
2. Freelance Writing or Editing
Freelance writing or editing is another excellent side job for teachers as they already possess strong communication and writing skills due to the nature of their profession. The scope of freelance writing and editing is quite broad, and it offers a high degree of flexibility, as the work can be done from anywhere at any time.
Here are some examples of the types of freelance writing and editing work a teacher might do:
A. Educational Content Writing
Use your own teaching expertise to create various types of educational content including curriculum guides, lesson plans, educational articles, study guides, test prep materials, and more.
B. Academic Writing and proofreading
You can provide assistance in writing or editing academic papers, essays, dissertations, research papers, and many more. Also, teachers are known for their attention to detail making them excellent proofreaders. They could proofread a variety of texts, from academic papers to website content.
4. Book Editing
If you have any experience editing books then book editing is another cool side hustle to consider. You might even specialize in certain types of books, such as educational books or children’s books.
5. Content Creation for Educational Websites or Apps
Many educational websites or apps need regularly updated content. Teachers can write or edit this content, drawing on their firsthand knowledge of teaching and learning. For instance, here in Educators Technology, I am always on the look for new teachers to help with content writing and sharing. If you are interested in sharing your teaching expertise with fellow teachers and educators and make some money doing so, please get in touch with me.
Here are some platforms where teachers can find freelance writing or editing work:
1. Upwork: This is a popular platform for all kinds of freelance work, including writing and editing. Freelancers can browse jobs posted by clients and submit proposals for them.
2. Freelancer: Similar to Upwork, Freelancer is a platform that connects freelancers with clients who need their services.
3. Fiverr: On Fiverr, freelancers can post gigs offering their services, which can include writing or editing.
4. FlexJobs: This site lists remote and flexible jobs, including freelance writing and editing work.
6. Teachers Pay Teachers: Teachers can write educational materials and sell them on this platform.
3. Consulting
Consulting involves providing expert advice to individuals or organizations in a particular field. For teachers, this can be an excellent side job because of their deep understanding of the educational system and classroom management skills. They can provide consulting services to schools, educational institutions, ed-tech startups, parents, or even other teachers.
Here are a few examples of consulting work that a teacher might engage in:
1. Educational Consultancy
Teachers can provide expert advice to schools and educational institutions on curriculum development, school management, teaching methodologies, classroom strategies, etc.
2. Parent Consultancy
Teachers can help parents understand their child’s educational needs, help them navigate the educational system, and provide advice on how to support their child’s learning at home.
3. Ed-Tech Consultancy
With the rise of educational technology, teachers can consult for ed-tech startups, helping them design educational products that align with school curriculums and effective teaching strategies.
4. Professional Development Consultancy
Teachers can help other teachers with their professional development, providing advice on classroom management, teaching strategies, or how to navigate their teaching career.
5. Special Education Consultancy
If a teacher has experience or training in special education, they could consult with schools or families on supporting students with special needs.
6. College Admission Consultancy
Teachers, especially those with experience in high schools, can provide advice to students and parents on college applications, writing essays, and the college admission process in general.
To find consulting work, teachers can start by networking with their professional contacts to let them know about their consulting services. They could also reach out directly to schools, educational organizations, or ed-tech companies to offer their services. Joining professional organizations and attending education conferences can also be a good way to make connections and find potential clients.
There are also several online platforms that connect consultants with clients. These include:
1. Upwork: This platform connects freelancers, including consultants, with clients.
2. Clarity.fm: This platform allows experts in various fields to offer consulting services over the phone.
3. Zintro: This platform connects consultants and experts with businesses seeking their advice.
4. LinkedIn: Teachers can use this professional networking site to advertise their consulting services and connect with potential clients.
3. Creating and Selling Teaching Resources
Teachers often create their own educational resources for their classrooms, including lesson plans, worksheets, games, activities, presentations, and more. Turning this into a side job by selling these resources online can be a profitable venture, and it also gives teachers the opportunity to share their best resources with other educators.
Here are some of the types of resources a teacher might create and sell:
1. Lesson Plans
Detailed plans that outline objectives, materials, procedures, and assessments for a particular lesson.
2. Worksheets and Printables
These could include practice problems, writing prompts, coloring pages, cut-out models, and more.
3. Educational Games and Activities
These could be physical games that need to be shipped or digital games that can be downloaded.
4. Digital Interactive Resources
With online learning becoming more popular, digital resources that can be used on platforms like Google Classroom are in high demand.
There are several platforms where teachers can sell their teaching resources:
1. Teachers Pay Teachers: This is one of the most popular platforms for buying and selling educational resources. Teachers can set up their own shop and set their own prices.
4. Etsy: While not specifically for teachers, Etsy can be a good platform for selling physical educational resources like games or activities.
4. Voiceover Work
Voiceover work involves providing the voice for characters in animations, video games, commercials, promotional videos, audiobooks, and more. For teachers, this can be a great side job as it leverages their strong verbal communication skills and their ability to explain complex ideas clearly and engagingly.
Teachers often have excellent diction and clarity in their speech, which are crucial skills for voiceover work. Moreover, they are used to varying their tone and pace to keep students engaged, which can also be beneficial in voiceover roles.
Here are a few ways teachers can get involved in voiceover work:
1. Audiobook Narration
There are many platforms, like ACX (Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange), where teachers can find work narrating audiobooks.
2. Educational Videos
Teachers can lend their voices to educational videos for apps, websites, or YouTube channels.
3. Animation and Video Games
Teachers could voice characters in animations or video games. This often involves creating different voices for different characters.
4. Commercials and Promotions
Lastly, you can provide voice-overs to use in commercials and promotions. Companies often need voiceover artists for their commercials or promotional videos.
Here are some platforms where teachers can find voiceover work:
1. Voices.com: This is one of the most popular platforms for voiceover jobs. It covers a wide range of voiceover work, from commercials to video games.
2. Voice123: This platform also offers a wide range of voiceover job listings.
3. ACX: This platform is specifically for audiobook narration. It connects narrators with authors and publishers who need their books narrated.
4. Fiverr: : On this platform, teachers can create a gig offering their voiceover services.
5. Upwork: This is another platform where you can find freelance voiceover work on this platform. Use the search box to search for relevant gigs.
To get started in voice-over work, teachers may want to invest in some basic equipment, like a good microphone and headphones, and potentially soundproofing for the room where they’ll be recording. They might also consider taking some voiceover training courses to learn more about the industry and hone their skills.
5.Transcription Services
Transcription, converting audio or video content into written text, is another area where teachers can leverage their teaching expertise and land some decent side jobs as they often have strong language skills, attention to detail, and typing skills.
In transcription, the work is often flexible and can be done remotely, allowing teachers to work around their teaching schedules. AI transcription tools have facilitated the whole process and can use them to streamline and enhance your productivity.
There are various types of transcription services a teacher can provide, such as:
1. General Transcription
This involves transcribing a wide variety of audio or video content, from podcasts and interviews to webinars and YouTube videos.
2. Legal Transcription
Legal transcription involves transcribing legal proceedings, such as court hearings, depositions, or attorney’s dictation. This typically requires some knowledge of legal terminology.
3. Medical Transcription
This involves transcribing medical reports, patient notes, or dictations from healthcare professionals. Like legal transcription, medical transcription requires knowledge of specific terminology.
4. Educational Transcription
Teachers might particularly excel at transcribing educational content, such as lectures or online courses.
Here are some platforms where teachers can find transcription work:
1. Rev: This platform offers a wide range of remote transcription jobs. They provide an interface for transcribing, and pay varies based on the complexity and length of the audio or video file.
2. TranscribeMe: This platform also offers a variety of transcription jobs. Transcribers can work as much or as little as they want.
3. Scribie: On Scribie, transcribers can choose which files they want to transcribe, and they have the flexibility to work whenever they want.
4.Upwork: And of course, Upwork! This platform connects freelancers with clients who need their services, including transcription.
6.Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)
Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) can be a rewarding and fruitful side job for teachers, especially those with a background in language arts or linguistics. As an ESL teacher, your role involves teaching English online to students whose first language isn’t English. The demand for learning English globally is high, and online platforms have made it easier for teachers to reach students worldwide.
There are many ways you can teach ESL:
1. Online Tutoring
You can offer one-on-one tutoring sessions to ESL students online, tailoring your lessons to their individual needs. There are tons of tutoring jobs to choose from.
2. Group Classes
You can teach ESL to small or large groups online. These can be conversational classes, business English classes, or specific skill-focused classes (reading, writing, listening, speaking).
3. Creating ESL Teaching Materials
You can develop and sell your own ESL teaching resources, such as lesson plans, worksheets, activities, games, etc.
4. ESL Blogging or Vlogging
You can start a blog or a vlog focusing on ESL teaching tips, resources, and strategies, which can earn revenue through ads, sponsorships, or paid subscriptions.
5. Working for an Online ESL Company
There are numerous companies that hire ESL teachers to provide online lessons to students worldwide.
Here are a few platforms where you can teach English online:
1. VIPKid: This platform connects teachers with students in China for one-on-one English lessons.
2. Qkids: Similar to VIPKid, Qkids hires teachers to provide English lessons to Chinese students aged 4-12.
3. Cambly: On Cambly, teachers chat with students from around the world to help them practice their English conversation skills.
4. italki: This platform connects language teachers with students looking for one-on-one lessons.
5. Preply: Similar to italki, Preply is a platform where teachers can offer their language teaching services.
Keep in mind that in order to teach ESL, you may need to acquire a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification, especially if you plan to work for an ESL company. These certifications can be acquired through various online and in-person programs.
7. Summer Camp Instructor
Becoming a summer camp instructor is an excellent seasonal side job for teachers, especially for those who have the summers off. In this role, teachers can use their skills in classroom management, instruction, and child development in a more relaxed and outdoorsy environment.
Teachers can work at different types of camps based on their interests and skills:
1. Academic Camps
These camps focus on academic subjects like math, science, writing, or computer programming. Teachers can lead lessons, plan activities, or supervise academic projects.
2. Sports Camps
If a teacher has skills in a particular sport, they could coach at a sports camp, teaching kids the basics of the sport, leading drills, and organizing games.
3. Arts Camps
Teachers with skills in visual or performing arts could work at an arts camp, leading art projects, teaching drama classes, or even directing a camp play or musical.
4. Adventure Camps
These camps focus on outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing, or canoeing. Teachers can supervise and lead these activities, ensuring campers’ safety.
5. Special Interest Camps
These camps focus on a particular interest or theme, like chess, robotics, horseback riding, or foreign languages. Teachers can lead activities related to the camp’s theme.
Many camps hire seasonal staff for the summer months. Teachers can look for summer camp jobs on general job search websites, or they can check the websites of specific camps or camp organizations. They can also check with local community centers, schools, or parks and recreation departments, which often run summer camps.
Working at a summer camp can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. It’s an opportunity to spend time outdoors, engage with kids in a more informal setting, and participate in fun activities.
While it can be a lot of work, it’s also a chance to make a real impact on kids’ lives and create lifelong memories. Plus, it’s a great way to earn extra income during the summer months when school is out.
8.Educational Blogging or Vlogging
Educational blogging or vlogging is a great side job for teachers who enjoy sharing their knowledge, experiences, and teaching strategies with others. It’s an opportunity to build a following, connect with other educators, and potentially earn income through ads, sponsored content, or paid products and services.
However, unlike other side jobs for teachers, educational blogging requires much more time (and patience) to build an audience and start making a revenue out of your blogging work.
Here’s how teachers can get started with educational blogging or vlogging:
1. Choosing a Niche
Teachers can choose to blog or vlog about a specific subject they teach, grade level, or educational topic they’re passionate about, such as classroom management, special education, educational technology, or creative teaching methods.
2. Creating Content
Teachers can share lesson ideas, teaching strategies, classroom stories, book reviews, educational research, or personal reflections on teaching. The content should be informative, engaging, and valuable to other educators or anyone interested in education.
3. Building a Following:
Teachers can promote their blog or vlog on social media, connect with other educators through online forums or networking events, and collaborate with other educational bloggers or vloggers.
4. Monetizing the Blog or Vlog
Once a substantial following is built, teachers can monetize their blog or vlog through various methods, such as displaying ads, partnering with educational companies for sponsored content, selling their own teaching resources, offering paid webinars or online courses, or soliciting donations from supporters.
Here are some platforms where teachers can start a blog or vlog:
1. WordPress: This is one of the most popular platforms for starting a blog. It’s flexible, customizable, and has many features useful for bloggers.
2. Blogger: This is another popular blogging platform. It’s free and easy to use, which is great for beginners.
3. YouTube: This is the go-to platform for starting a vlog. It has a large user base, and it’s possible to earn ad revenue once a channel reaches a certain size.
Conclusion
From my personal journey, I’ve learned that each side job carries its own set of challenges and rewards. Whether it’s the one-on-one connection fostered through online tutoring, the creativity invoked in freelance writing, or the satisfaction of helping students achieve their academic goals as a test prep coach, every venture will certainly enrich your teaching experience in unique ways.
I hope this guide has sparked some ideas for potential side jobs that align with your skills and passions. Remember, each of these opportunities can serve as a way to further develop your skills, expand your professional network, and even potentially uncover a new career path.
No matter what side job you choose, the most important thing is that it complements your lifestyle, aligns with your personal and professional goals, and provides an avenue for continued growth and satisfaction.
