If you’re planning on this spring being your last semester in the classroom, first:
- Go you! (I know it’s not easy to leave this love/hate career)
- Come up with a strategy for a smooth exit that includes side hustles
I really don’t intend to be a cheerleader for leaving such a vital and helpful profession, but it’s no secret that teachers are quitting en masse. I was one of the quitters, and I have my reasons. In fact, a Gallup poll lists K-12 workers as the profession with the highest burnout rate in the U.S.
I’ve been telling my story here– this site is covered with tips and tidbits for smoothly transitioning out of the field professionally. The articles cover a host of important considerations I learned firsthand from my teaching farewell.
But the other side to leaving the classroom involves setting oneself up for financial stability. A break in paychecks doesn’t have to be abrupt and catastrophic. There are ways to monetarily pad a teaching exit that skip the financial ruin part altogether.
My foremost suggestion when planning to cut ties with classroom teaching is to pursue a side hustle for at least a few months before the resignation. That way, depending on the side gig, that job can gain steam and open up to full-time opportunities or it can simply provide a monetary cushion to fund a job search.
Either way, side hustling the last months of teaching is a definite step I recommend to resigning teachers. But not all of these jobs on the side are equal.
I assume you’re looking for an additional income stream, not trickle.
As a former teacher who’s tried a variety of side hustles on her way out of the classroom, I can vouch for what’s worked and what’s produced lackluster results. So find your seat in this classroom of life, don’t sit with the goofball, and take detailed notes. I’ll let you know the reality behind each little side hustle door.
Sixth place: Selling digital products online
You may have been influenced to think that selling your lesson plans or teaching resources or printables online can be a lucrative opportunity.
What better way to collect that sweet passive income than to put out quality, handcrafted lesson materials into the online realm and just wait for the sales to rake in?
I’ve detailed my journey selling teaching materials on TPT (formerly known as Teachers Pay Teachers) and I’ll sum it up here. Even though I’ve had a shop for over eight years, I haven’t made all that much money when I consider all of the work I put in.
After subtracting some of the costs involved, like paying for a Premium Seller membership for a couple of years, I still ended up with a profit of less that $300. And that’s not including paying for my time.
I’ve had even worse results with Etsy. Granted, I only have one product in my shop right now, compared to the dozens of offerings on my TPT shop, but the sales haven’t amounted to much.
I don’t think it’s impossible to make good money off of digital products sales on common websites like Etsy or TPT, but I do think it’s too hard to make it worthwhile.
What few people considering this gig factor in are the resources for marketing the products. It takes time and sometimes money to market the products so others can be aware of them.
For those reasons, selling digital products on popular websites pulls in at dead last for me.
Fifth place: Working a regular part-time job
I would be remiss to mention more common part-time jobs in this list.
Part-time jobs like restaurant serving, administrative work, and more can work wonders in padding a classroom exit.
Let’s say you quit teaching but had a few months of bartending under your belt. You could potentially have amassed a few thousand dollars to support yourself, in addition to the last of your teaching paychecks, while searching for another job.
The downside to common, entry-level part-time jobs is that the schedule may not be flexible (and you’ll definitely need a flexible schedule while continuing to work in the classroom), and the pay may not be enticing enough to be worth the extra effort.
I’ve detailed and listed the pros and cons of side hustles like babysitting, house cleaning, and even a home baking business, but I do think teachers have skills and expertise they can leverage in side hustles that go beyond entry-level positions.
Because of this, even though “normal” non-teaching part-time jobs can effectively pad a teacher exit, they’re not ideal. Let’s move onto some gigs that leverage the talents of teachers:
Fourth place: Scoring standardized tests remotely
After the buzz of activity in the classroom, many teachers may be yearning for a job with less excitement– maybe even something they can work on at home from their sofa.
Cue a remote job teachers are well-suited to perform: online grading.
The upsides to this can be flexible hours and location, and relative ease of the job.
But the downsides include pay. I couldn’t find positions that were particularly impressive pay-wise. One remote scoring position I found promised $15 an hour with a potential for bonuses.
For those reasons, you’ll have to decide for yourself if remote test scoring is something worth pursuing.
Still, this side hustle makes it possible to start collecting a paycheck for scoring while still a classroom teacher. While it’s not perfect, it could be a good option for a transitioning teacher needing a backup source of income for a temporary amount of time.
Third place: Summer school teaching and substitute teaching
These side hustles get a mention even though it’s not always possible to do them while classroom teaching.
As a side note: I did substitute while regular teaching one year, by becoming a sub in a nearby but different district than I taught in. I brought in an extra $700 for subbing in that district while I had off for spring break because they happened to have school in session. So it’s possible, but also: I’m crazy.
Teaching summer school or substitute teaching might be one of the last things you feel like doing after resigning from teaching. I get it– you left for a reason, and these gigs probably hit you in the face with those reasons.
But the advantage to these side hustles is the low barrier to entry. Chances are, you’ll have no trouble getting these jobs as a teacher. There won’t be as many hoops to jump through as there’d be for other jobs. There are little to no startup costs or trainings.
You can start earning right away and build up a fund for your next move.
While they’re not on my list of ideal jobs, don’t completely dismiss teaching summer school and substitute teaching as teacher transition side hustles. They fit the bill for that quite well.
Second place: Online tutoring with a company
If you’re looking for an easy-start side hustle while finishing off your last few months of teaching, you may want to consider online tutoring via a company like VIP Kid.
I haven’t tried any online tutoring personally, so I can’t actually give firsthand experience on this. And the accounts I read on Reddit and other forums seem to throw around a range of opinions on the job.
Regardless, if all you need is something simple to start and earn money from for a short period of time while figuring out your next career move, I don’t think it’s a bad option at all.
First place side hustle: Starting your own tutoring business
The income potential for starting your own tutoring business is higher than any fixed rate from the other side hustles I’ve listed (barring the online products hustle, but you already know my opinion on the earning potential of that).
It’s more work to set up and secure business, but the results can be well worth it.
I have an article detailing how to start and maintain a tutoring business to cushion a teaching exit as well as what kind of tutoring is currently in demand. You’ll also find a helpful guide over at the Teacher Career Coach site.
I’ve personally tried this out while classroom teaching, and even though it’s hard work squeezing in tutoring sessions after a long day of teaching, it was an effort that wasn’t wasted. Plus, the pile of extra income I had amassed by the end of the year was crucial for helping me transition out of teaching.
Private tutoring earns the #1 spot in teacher side hustles for this reason. You can’t beat setting your own schedule and rates, all while helping a student or two improve their skills.
Hustlin’ to leave it all behind
I hope this ranking has given you something to think about. Granted, it all stems from my personal experience and opinions. You’ll have to do the work of deciding for yourself.
But if you view a side hustle as a short job for a season that can tide you over until the next career, perfection becomes a bygone goal.
Side hustles don’t have to be a perfect fit– they just have to earn you money. Side hustles, no matter how temporary, shine in their ability to bring in extra funds that can help propel you to the next job– the job you actually want.
Imagine beginning a job search with a few extra thousand dollars in your pocket. That would cut through a lot of the uncertainty and serve as a safety net while searching.
In any case, I recommend side hustling to make that next move. Best of luck, teachers! I’m rooting for you.
