Teachers Turn Your Skills and Hobbies Into Extra Income!

I am not going to start out by telling you that it’s difficult being a teacher. I won’t tell you that teachers often work 2 and even 3 jobs just to get by. I won’t tell you about the exodus from the profession and the down tick in enrollment in teacher training programs and the gathering storm threating classrooms nationwide. If you are a teacher, you already know all that and if you are a follower of TeacherCents you have likely read one of our many posts on these subjects. Ok, enough of the doom and gloom. It’s officially summer after all! Yes, this post is about extra work of sorts, but hopefully you will find that the “work” is something you already do as a hobby or is a skillset that has become second nature. So why not turn one of your hobbies or skills into extra income?

The following 5 hobbies/skills were selected based on my knowledge of teachers and from my own experience. If you have other hobbies/skills and have figured out how to generate income from them, please share them with us in the comments below.

1. Lesson Plan Creator: I know lesson planning isn’t really a hobby, it’s a job requirement. That said, some of you reading this are really great at creating lesson plans. You might even have your own laminator at home…Your lesson plans are so good that other teachers often ask you for help planning theirs or they might even ask to “borrow “ your creations.  Does this sound familiar? Well in case you haven’t already heard of TeachersPayTeachers, here you go. You can become a millionaire doing this.
2. Blogger and Social Media Content Generator: You are already good at documenting your students’ experiences and sharing them with parents and colleagues. Chances are you have also mastered the hippest social media platforms to keep up with your students. So why not turn your skill set into creating a blog of your own? Start for fun. Let it be a place to share your thoughts, talents, or whatever you are passionate about.  If you are devoted to your blog and sharing your content through the various platforms you will develop a following. Get enough followers and you become interesting to advertisers and to affiliates. In time you might create a side hustle that generates good income and a world of unexpected opportunities. For a great resource guide on how to get your blog going visit this link. I just found it and have already discovered great ideas to implement on TeacherCents.
3. Crafter and Online Merchant: Some of the most creative and artistic people I know are teachers. I know teachers that can paint, carve, draw, knit, sculpt, take beautiful photos and much more. The arts are a common hobby for many teachers as well a means for relaxation and rejuvenation.  How about turning your creations into money in the bank? A wildly popular platform for creating an online store that allows you to sell through multiple channels is Shopify. Learn more here. You can also add a store to your blog if you created one or you can sell through companies like Etsy. For tips on how to get started check out this wikiHow guide. If you want to test the waters and see if people want to buy your art, consider selling at local craft shows and fairs. Remember the old adage “Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained.” Check out this great piece from entrepreneur.com by Rosalind Resnick to learn more on the subject.
4. Survey Taker: You are already a pro at this! How many evaluations did you have to perform this year? How many surveys did you have to administer? Too many! So why not use your survey skills to make a little extra cash wile surfing the web? I don’t think you will get rich doing this but a few extra dollars never hurt anyone that I know. A company like Swagbucks, is a good place to start.
5. Professional Shopper: I know you are already a pro at this! You are constantly on the search for the best deals, not just for yourself and family, but for your classroom as well. We know that you spend your own money on your students, buying everything from art supplies to extra food. So why not get paid to shop? Yes, you have to spend money to make money, but you already got that covered. Are you familiar with ebates? Did you know that they changed their name to Rakuten? Check out their site to learn more about how to sign up and start earning. Do you use a different platform to earn money or rewards while shopping? Please share it with us below.

We hope you found the above tips useful and most importantly we hope they help you to start earning more money. You deserve it! Keep us posted on your success and happy earning!

Image Credit: Fer Gregory / Shutterstock.com