Most teachers need to supplement their incomes to survive. Especially since the pandemic, many teachers are taking their side hustles online. While most turn to tutoring, I would encourage teachers to explore other options that may have advantages besides getting a little extra income.
TPT (formerly known as Teachers Pay Teachers), blogging, and freelancing are three remote teacher side hustles that could help teachers move beyond surviving. These endeavors could help teachers thrive in ways they have never imagined. There are pros and cons to all of them, but they are all worthy of consideration.
TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers)
If you’re a teacher, you’ve probably heard of TPT, formerly known asTeachers Pay Teachers. TPT is an online marketplace where people buy and sell educational resources. The buyers and sellers are overwhelmingly teachers (hence the catchy name).
I’ve purchased many TPT resources over the years, but recently I’ve been learning more and more about the potential of becoming a TPT seller.
TPT Seller Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| There is real potential for a lucrative income source that has become the main source of income for many. | It will take time and dedication before you start seeing any real money. |
| You don’t have to spend time building an audience before you can make a little money. | It’s somebody else’s platform… What if they sold it to Elon Musk? (You can technically sell your products on other platforms too though!) |
| You can learn as you go. Accept that you don’t have to be perfect from the start. | There may be a steep learning curve. |
| You can work completely on your own schedule. | It will take consistency and patience to see success. Not everyone has the kind of discipline to do this independently. |
Success Stories
While it takes time to build your own TPT Store, there is no ceiling to how much you can earn. I wouldn’t recommend this as a teacher side hustle if you need money right now. But if you’ve got time and discipline, starting a TPT store can turn into so much more than a side gig in the long run.
Here are a couple examples to prove it.
Becca Davis– Becca Davis is a successful TPT seller. She still teaches full-time even though her TPT store alone far surpasses her teaching income. Becca has other streams of income as well, but TPT seems to be her number one income stream.
Lauren Fulton– Lauren Fulton is another TPT Success Story. She says that she went from earning $300 a month to out-earning her teaching salary in just 18 months. Lauren shares helpful tips for other TPT sellers and teachers looking to have a profitable TPT store. She also has a podcast called The Rebranded Teacher.
This article also paints a realistic, but optimistic, view of the role TPT can play in a teacher’s financial world.
Resources
In addition to Becca and Lauren’s YouTube channels and podcasts, there are tons of resources available if you decide to start building your own TPT store. You can find materials on everything from product creation to marketing and everything in between. Best of all, there are many free options.
Here are a few others I’ve been checking out.
- Becca’s Courses– I recently bought Becca’s course, Sell Your Teaching Resources. I haven’t started it yet because I’m focused on building my blog first.
- It’s All Primary– I like this channel because this teacher author is at a level of success that feels attainable to me. Following people who have surpassed their teacher income can feel like a pipe dream sometime. This channel helps me focus on what I can do in the here and now to get the dollars trickling in.
- The CEO Teacher Podcast– This podcast is not necessarily geared toward TPT sellers. It’s about increasing your business savvy and earning potential as a teacher.
Blogging
Most teachers probably don’t think of blogging as a viable income source. I know it never crossed my mind. Even when it did, it seemed far fetched, out-of-reach, and potentially scammy. Blogging is definitely not a get rich quick scenario. (Most of those are fantasies, or at the very least few and far between.) But if you don’t need the extra income now, there is great long-term potential.
Blogging Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| There is great potential for blogging to become an additional income source or even your main one. | Most people never make money blogging because of unrealistic expectations, lack of strategy, and giving up too quickly. |
| As a teacher, you already have most of the skills you need to start blogging– writing proficiency, self-discipline, self-starting, etc. You’ll learn the details as you go. | Strategy is a huge part of blogging successfully. You have to be patient, eager to learn, flexible, and resilient. |
| Your blog is completely yours. You can create your own schedule and pivot as needed. | Your blog is completely yours. All the responsibility falls on you too. No one is coming. |
| The skills you’ll develop on a way to a successful blog are a valuable resource. People pay for those skills! | It takes time to learn the ins and outs of blogging and the algorithms are always changing. |
Success Stories
One of the beautiful aspects about blogging is the number of topics you can choose from, all with potential to succeed. Just because you’re a teacher doesn’t mean you have to blog about teaching, but you certainly could!
You definitely want to choose something you enjoy and don’t mind spending hours and years thinking, learning, and writing about.
To get some food for thought, check out my blog post Teachers Can Make Money Blogging- 4 Teacher Bloggers That Prove It.
The sky’s the limit, and the options abound!
Resources
Like TPT, blogging has a ton of free and accessible resources. Just be wary of any source that leads you to believe blogging (or anything else) is a get rich quick plan. It’s quite the opposite.
- Sophia Lee– Sophia Lee is such a relatable success story. She built her blog while in college and has been wildly successful. She reminds me that if she can do it, anyone with her tenacity can!
- Allison Lindstrom– I love Alison’s realistic approach to building your blogging business. She goes against much of the common wisdom, and I appreciate hearing a different perspective.
- Income School– I’ve learned so much about blogging from this channel. While the free content is amazing, I decided to become a Project24 member so I could build my blog using a systematic approach. I know it has saved me so much valuable time and stress along the way.
Freelancing
Freelancing is another remote side hustle option that many more teachers could capitalize on. Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork make it even more readily available than ever. These platforms get a bad rap, but you are more in control of your own experience on them than you think. Plus, they aren’t the only way to go about building your business.
My experiences as a freelancer were as a writer, but as a teacher you have so many options depending on your skill sets. There are people and companies who will pay for:
- Writing
- Lesson Plans
- Virtual Assistance
- Editing
- Curriculum Creation
And so much more!
Freelancing Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Unlike TPT and blogging, you can start making some money almost right away! | But… it probably won’t be much. It will still take time and practice to build your skills, confidence, and marketability. |
| It is definitely more flexible and independent than teaching. | You still have strict deadlines to adhere to and clients to satisfy. |
| You probably already have skills you can contract out right now. | It will take time, research, and energy to figure out how to make money off those skills as a freelancer. |
| Unlike teaching, you can keep increasing your rates as you fine tune your skills and gain more experience. | It can be hard to stare down imposter syndrome (link) and charge what your worth, especially after being undervalued and underpaid as a teacher for so long. |
Success Stories
Carrie Blogger– Carrie Blogger is a former music teacher turned full time copywriter. She is self-taught and has done pretty well for herself on the often frowned upon Fiverr platform. She’s a great example of doing things on your own terms and finding success.
Elna Cain– Elna Cain is a former special education teacher who became a freelance writer. She shares her experiences and tips on her YouTube channel.
Resources
Once again, beware of anyone who tells you freelance writing is an instant jackpot. It will take time, effort, skill, and consistency to build a steady income.
- Colleen Welsch– Colleen is not a former teacher as far as I know, but she does share actionable steps to start earning money as a freelance writer, whether you plan to use it as a side hustle or eventually become full-time.
- The Writers’ Co-op– Don’t let the name of the podcast deceive you. This podcast is a great resource for any type of freelancer.
Closing Thoughts
I am starting out my blogging journey and plan on starting my TPT product creation this coming summer. I spent several months as a freelance writer and have done so on and off over the last few years.
Based on my experiences as a teacher dipping my toe in these three side hustles, I now have a clear idea of what I want to focus on. I gave up my freelance clients to focus on my blog and add in product creation and other remote income sources. It wasn’t an easy decision, especially because freelance writing was already bringing in money that I won’t see for a while from these avenues.
But my decision was based on my ultimate goal.
I want to be free.
Free from bosses, deadlines, relying on one paycheck or income stream, income caps, etc.
So when you’re picking your side hustle, I urge you…
Don’t just think about what can make you a few bucks today. Take some time to think about what you want your future to look like. And start building THAT step-by-step and day-by-day.
Because you deserve not to have to hustle one day.