For some teachers, summer break is a time for maximum rest and a total hiatus from work. And the break is well deserved! After a few weeks of R&R, you might be wanting to find ways to keep your creative edge, hone in on your educational focus, or find new ways to help the next generation of leaders advance their skills. If you see summer break as a time to earn grow professionally and an opportunity to earn a little extra income, then you’ll want to review our list of 10 ways teachers can earn extra income over the summer (or in your spare time).
- Tutor. This may be the easiest summertime income source for teachers. Leverage your network of parents, students, former students, and other teachers to help the youth in your area to continue advancing their education.
- Share Your Lesson Plans. Online sources such as Teacher Lingo help teachers source creative and impactful lessons plans for a wide variety of ages and subjects, and compensate teachers for sharing their best practices. Just ensure your district will allow you to share any content that is not proprietary.
- Work at a Summer Camp. Find a local summer camp in need of professional expertise like yours. You may find an opportunity to help with continued education, or a camp that will help you to lead activities outside of your normal curriculum—like hiking, photography, team building skills, 3D printing, earth science and nature, or sports.
- Be a Seasonal Tour Guide. Teachers tend to be strong public speakers who love people and learning. If you live near a historic city or frequent tourist destination, consider becoming a summer tour guide and sharing your hometown knowledge with new friends.
- Get Crafty. If being a teacher has taught you to be good with your hands, turn your crafting hobby into a part-time job. Sell handmade jewelry, pottery, refurbished woodwork or furniture, or art at your local farmer’s market, or in an online boutique like Etsy.
- Work in a Daycare. With schools out for the summer, many parents with young children will be looking for reputable daycare providers, which means such businesses need an influx of seasonal staff.
- Sell Your Lightly Used Belongings. Use your time off to clean your house and earn money by sorting through you clothes, jewelry, and furniture and selling items you no longer need. Online tools like Craigslist, Letgo, and Poshmark modernize and digitize the old school garage sale and make it easy to earn passive income.
- Drive for a Ridesharing Service. Uber and Lyft are redefining modern transportation. They allow you to use your own vehicle and set flexible hours. You also benefit from meeting new, interesting people, all while driving around your hometown.
- Rent Your Home. Why not enjoy a vacation while earning extra income? Take an extended vacation and rent out your home on a site such as Airbnb while you’re gone. You get to travel, your home doesn’t go empty, and you make money. Everyone wins.
- Pet or House Sit. Many families prefer an in-home pet sitter to kennels and boarding solutions. Offer to pet sit, or even walk dogs for neighbors, friends, and your extended network. When surrounded by new furry friends, could it really feel like work?
Bonus Tip!
Become a PLS Instructor.
PLS Classes is looking for talented, educated, experienced, and passionate people to join our team of on-site instructors who are certified to teach one or more of our PLS graduate courses. Recognized as one of the driving forces behind the success of our classes, approximately 90 percent of our instructors are full-time classroom teachers. We are currently looking for on-site instructors who live within a 30-mile radius of the following universities: Indiana Wesleyan University, Mercyhurst University, and Wilkes University. Learn more about becoming a PLS instructor.
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