Teaching is the noblest of professions.  Indeed, it takes a tremendous amount of patience and commitment to survive in this career.  However, more than being an idealist, teachers should also be realists.  We also have to dream for ourselves and for our families.  We have to plan for our future and build financial security.  With the dawning of a global financial crisis, the more that we should start scouting for other means to supplement our incomes.

There are several opportunities available.  However, we should be fastidious enough to discern which income-earning scheme is dignified and fitting in relation to our current profession.  Also, it is important that we give due respect to the educational institution that we are apart of.  Second jobs should not interfere with the fulfillment of our daily obligations as teachers.  Most importantly, do not keep it a secret.  It’s better to avoid skeletons in the closet.  Inform management and ask for permission.

For starters, here are some ideas that I have thought of…

1.  Go into blogging.  Earning via blogging does not guarantee a stable monthly income.  I for one have been blogging for several months now and I have not yet earned as much as my one month salary as a teacher. The profitability of blogging lies in the appropriateness and appeal of your site’s content.  Also, the would-be blogger should be committed enough to write on a regular basis.

2.  Design and produce instructional materials. Some teachers have the talent for producing unique teaching aids.  Usually, years in the teaching field hones the educator’s creativity.  You can come up with unique materials and probably produce them yourselves or have them made elsewhere.  I was able to meet a teacher who was in this line of business.  Now, they are one of the suppliers of a well-known brand in the US.

3.  Write children’s books.  Someday, I would also love to come up with my own series of books that can be used to supplement a school’s reading program.  Teachers can start with a few lines, find illustrators, then source out a publisher for your material.  With enough marketing savvy, you may just be successful in encouraging day care or pres-elementary schools to make use of your books.

4.  Blogging to the next level.  Teachers all around the globe are constantly on the look out for resources that would help them in their careers.  For example, if you are talented in lesson planning, you can make extra income by writing lesson plans for other teachers.  You can sell your ideas over the net or through your blog sites.  Another alternative is for you to come up with an e-book that may contain a compilation of interesting lesson plans that you have done over the years.

5.  Go into buy and sell.  Some teachers discretely sell all sorts of items to their co-teachers after office hours.  Though this may seem to be a promising endeavor, some schools may not allow this.

6.  Get a second teaching job.  Some universities accept part-time college instructors who teach on Saturdays or in night classes.  Besides giving yourself the extra money, you will also benefit as far as teaching experience is concerned.

7.  With the influx of foreigners in our country, tutorials are really in demand.  I have friends who opted to be full time tutors as this seems more profitable and hassle-free.  Offering tutorial classes can be a full-time or a part-time endeavor.  Just make sure that your employer allows it.

Regardless of what money-making scheme you are in, it is imperative that we maintain our dignity as teachers… Goodluck and hail to all the noble educators of the world!

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at 2:42 pm and is filed under Teacher Talk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.