Are Side Hustles For Teachers The New Normal?
By Sherish Osman
Imagine working 5 days a week, getting into work around 7.30/8am, and leaving at 5pm, only to go home and do an hour or two of private tutoring, before getting on with your house chores, plus any extra marking or planning you didn’t manage to complete while you were at school. And then, when the weekend finally arrives, spending a few more hours either doing more tutoring, or working at the local cafe or bar. That is the reality of some teachers in 2022.
As the cost of living continues to rise, many teachers are finding that their salaries are not enough to meet their basic needs. And as a result, many educators are being forced to take on additional jobs in order to make ends meet and live a comfortable life.
The high cost of housing is a major factor contributing to the financial struggles of teachers. In many cities and towns across the country, the price of rent or a mortgage consumes a significant portion of a teacher’s salary, leaving little room for other necessities such as groceries, bills, or the cost of childcare.
Many teachers also struggle with student loan debt, adding an additional burden to their finances and making it even harder to make ends meet.
Financial struggle has a negative impact on teachers’ ability to focus on their work and to provide the best education possible for their students. When teachers are constantly worried about how they will pay their bills or provide for their families, it can be difficult to fully engage in their work and give their students the attention they deserve.
Teachers, struggling to make ends meet are now being forced to take on additional jobs, or “side hustles”, in order to provide for themselves and their families. This is both physically and emotionally draining, and it can be difficult for teachers to balance the demands of multiple jobs. It also means sacrificing yet more precious time with their own families.
I recently put out a tweet asking teachers what they did to earn extra income. Almost 50 teachers replied saying that they had one or two jobs on top of teaching; which is a cause for concern. One commented that it was “appalling” that we even have to do this, but that is the reality for us now.
So, what are these teachers doing to earn an extra income? How are they managing it? Is it really as bad as it sounds? And is there any other benefit apart from the financial aspect?
Most of the responses to the tweet commented to say that they offered private tutoring, which is the most likely and most doable job for teachers, who already possess the skills required for this job.
If this is an avenue you’d like to try, then the hardest part is finding tutees. A lot of work can come in through word of mouth, but some work can come through offering your services via social media, targeting your local area. There are also websites that you can sign up to which allow parents to search for relevant and local tutors. Depending on circumstances, it can be quite easy to either go to the student’s house, or have the student come to you.
I used to tutor privately for many years before I had my second child. I would work full-time during the week, then tutor four hours on a Saturday and four hours on a Sunday. This additional income helped massively in the running of a house.
Due to having my second child and struggling to balance things, and then Covid hitting us, I took a break for a couple of years. All was ok, until this year, as the cost of living has gone up dramatically, that I find myself looking for tutees again. It won’t be easy, but to ensure that my family and I live a comfortable life, it has become a necessity.
So yes, although it is feasible to do, it is time-consuming: looking for tutees, planning and delivering sessions, speaking and feeding back to parents about said tutees.
Next on the list of side hustles for teachers was writing articles and books. This is something that can be done at your own pace and in your own time, so it is actually quite nice if you’re able to secure something that will pay you to write. Lots of education magazines and websites take pitches from current teachers, and offer a small payment if your article is published.
Other side hustles for teachers include exam marking, childminding and babysitting, fitness instructors, working in cafes or restaurants, and some teachers run their own small businesses selling things they created themselves.
It’s important to remember that having a side hustle often means that you always feel you are against the clock, ensuring each job is complete, before rushing off to the next one. It also means that we need to be on top of our teaching workload to make it work. I ensure that any free periods I have at school are utilised, not wasted, so I get as much planning and marking done as possible.
What was more interesting though, was that as much as it is the recent cost of living crisis that pushes some of us to take on a side hustle, some have been doing it for a while. This only confirms that a teaching salary is not enough to live a comfortable life, and hasn’t been for a long time.
I spoke to I-tasha Honeghan, an Assistant Head of Year, about what she does to bring in extra income. She said that she had always enjoyed working out, and going to fitness classes as it helped de-stress, and provided a sense of escapism from a busy teaching day. When she realised that she needed extra income, she looked into a course to become a fitness instructor. “I wanted other people to feel how I felt and needed to earn extra money. I looked into tutoring but it never really interested me. I looked into a few courses got some advice and decided to do my ETM (Exercise To Music) which was £400 and took 6 weeks to complete then my Les Mills Body Combat qualification, and passed.
I now have four classes a week, each 45 minutes long, on two evenings and two mornings at the weekend. I also cover instructors who can’t do their own classes. I earn an extra £400 a month and it fits around working in a school and my children, plus it helps with my fitness and mental well-being so it’s a win for me!”
For I-tasha, her side hustle kills two birds with one stone: not only is she making extra money to run the house, but it also provides her with much-needed exercise for her well-being. It also allows her to build a community outside of school which she may not have had otherwise.
For myself, although I sacrifice precious family time to tutor on the weekends, it has definitely made me a better teacher as I hone my exam skills.
The cost of living crisis facing teachers is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted solution. It is important for policymakers, schools, and the broader community to recognise and address the challenges that teachers face and work to create a more sustainable and supportive environment for educators.
But for those of us who can manage the workload (this is very important!) and can have time to work a side hustle, then there are ways to earn extra cash.
However, it isn’t always sustainable for long periods of time, with our teaching workload already being unmanageable, and it means we have to be very strict with the time we do have, so that we do not allow ourselves to burn to the ground.
