Side Hustles for Teachers: On Summer, Holiday, and Spring Breaks
- Shannon Guardiola
- Dec 1, 2023
- 5 min read
Teachers work hard. You know the saying, “Overworked and underpaid.” Yeah. That’s teachers.
How do I know this?? Well, I was formerly a teacher.
Erin here, from Lake Country Sleep. I’m the guest writer for this blog post because, well, who better than a former teacher to write about side hustles for teachers?! Trust me, I’ve tried a few things to compliment my teacher’s salary over the years.
I taught in early childhood classrooms for a decade before finally leaving the classroom for good, and for most of those years in the classroom, I taught full-time.
And then I had babies.
I did NOT want to be away from them for 10 hours per day. Yes, let’s be totally honest here. Teachers work way more than just an 8-hour day. And, that’s not including the work I was doing on the weekends. Does anyone else have the Sunday Scaries as a teacher? If you know, you know.
So, in the last few years of my classroom teaching - after a year-long battle with my administration - I was able to go part-time and team teach with another teacher at my school.
During this time, I worked to build two businesses. I had two side hustles going on, and I was obsessed with the work I was doing in the online parenting space.
It felt great to be working and helping families who actually appreciated what I was doing for them AND paid me what I was worth!
The best part was I could work from home AND raise my babies.
Want to learn how can you do this too? Keep reading, because today, we’re going to dive into some side hustles and part-time jobs for teachers.
If working during the school year isn’t your idea of fun, I’ve started by compiling a list of seasonal jobs. My brother-in-law is also a teacher and he works at a golf course every summer. He had an in, and now it’s just his summer gig. Below are some ideas for you.
Summer Jobs:
Work at a golf course
Work at a boat rental/marina
Work at a summer library program
Lawn mowing
Work for a landscaping company
Tutoring
Babysitting or Nanny-ing
Work at the State Fair
Holiday and Spring Break Jobs:
Seasonal hours at a retail store
Seasonal hours for delivery services (UPS, Amazon, etc.)
House sitting for people who are traveling
Pet sitting for people who are traveling
Snow plowing/shoveling
Year-Round Part-Time Jobs or Side Hustles for Teachers
Year-Round Part-Time Jobs that Work with a Teacher’s Schedule:
Teaching English with VIPKid or another similar company
Bartending
Waitressing
Doordash, Uber Eats, etc.
Uber, Lyft, etc.
Tutoring
Year-Round Side Hustles:
Virtual Assistant
Social Media management
TeachersPayTeachers or something similar
Etsy Shop (if you’re crafty)
Tutoring
Would a Teacher Make a Good Sleep Consultant?
I like to think I’m a pretty humble person, but dang, I am good at this sleep consulting thing! Since my background is in early childhood development and education, working with families of young children is something I’ve always done. I also love the work I do, so that’s a plus.
I also know of other teachers (special education and high school teachers) who also became sleep consultants, and they, too, are very good at this gig.
I think, if you have a passion for working with kids and families, you’re going to be good at it.
Here are a few reasons teachers make good sleep consultants:
Understanding child development: Teachers are well-versed in child development and are able to understand the importance of sleep at different stages of a child's growth. They can apply this knowledge to create appropriate sleep solutions for children of different ages.
Patience and empathy: Teachers are trained to be patient and empathetic, which are important qualities when working with families and children who may be struggling with sleep issues. They can provide emotional support and guidance to parents during the sleep consultation process.
Communication skills: Teachers are experienced in communicating with both children and parents. They can effectively communicate sleep strategies and recommendations to parents in a clear and understandable manner, ensuring that the information is easily applicable at home.
Problem-solving abilities: Teachers are skilled problem solvers. They can analyze sleep issues, identify root causes, and develop customized solutions to address them. They have experience adapting strategies and techniques to suit the needs of individual children.
Knowledge of routines and structure: Teachers understand the importance of routines and structure in a child's day-to-day life. They can help parents establish consistent bedtime routines and create structured environments that promote healthy sleep habits.
Organization and time management: Teachers are used to managing multiple responsibilities and tasks simultaneously. They can help parents establish effective schedules and routines that optimize sleep while considering other aspects of a child's daily activities, such as school, extracurricular activities, and family time.
Is Sleep Consulting the Right Fit for You?
There are so many ways you can work as a sleep consultant!
Here’s a quick list:
Provide virtual consultations
Provide in-person services
Offer Group programs
Provide overnight services
Offer night nannying
Provide postpartum doula services
Offer group speaking for corporate functions (daycares, pediatricians, office functions, etc.)
Provide services under another consultant or company
Offer online courses
An online membership
House digital products in a shop
Participate in affiliate marketing
Read more in-depth about each of these ways here.
You can work for someone else as a contractor or employee OR you can start your own business, like I did!
Sleep consulting is also a great work-from-home option for moms. You likely became a teacher because you loved working with children, and if you’ve got your own, you’re quickly finding out that you barely get to spend time with them. And when you do, you’re utterly exhausted from being with other peoples’ children all day.
Here are my last thoughts on this - if you like the idea of going to the bathroom whenever you feel like it and NOT tying wet shoelaces, sleep consulting may be a great fit for you!
Become a Certified Sleep Consultant with The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness
If this post has got you thinking about becoming a certified sleep consultant, I’d encourage you to spend a little more time on this website to learn more.
Ashley and Katelyn, the founders of The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness, are amazing leaders in the industry and have leveled up the field of sleep consulting. I’ve been doing this for almost five years now, and it’s safe to say there is no program on the market that is as solid as theirs.
A few things you can do to help you decide if this is the right option for you are:
Take their quiz - What Kind of Sleep Consultant Would You Be?
Watch their webinar to learn all about the Sleep Consultant Academy.
Get FREE access to a module from the course - test drive it to see if it fits your learning style (I know you’re all about that!)
Okay, the COOLEST thing I think you can do is ask any of the graduates of the program what they think about the training. Seriously, I’m certain that if you email any one of them and ask for feedback, they would all say the same thing about The Collective. The private Facebook group for students and graduates is nothing but support and evidence-based. And, if you are like, “I’m in, how do I get started?!” Well, my friend, here is my affiliate link. I hope you found this article helpful, and if you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to reach out - my email address is erin@lakecountrysleep.com.
See you in the group - make sure you tag me and say hi when you’re in!
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