The best jobs for teachers looking to work over summer break
School is nearly out for summer. And for schoolteachers, that means two to three months without scheduled work and, often, pay. If you want to earn some cash during your time off, these summer jobs for teachers fit the bill. They employ your skills, while offering decent pay and working conditions.
Outschool
Ever wish you could use your imagination to help kids learn in a less-traditional way? Take a look at Outschool. This online learning center engages kids by teaching history through “Harry Potter” books and language through song. There are classes on exercise, cooking, Pokemon and hygiene. You can find straight academic courses here, too — reading, math, essay writing and foreign languages, among others.
However, what makes this a particularly attractive source of summer jobs for schoolteachers is that you are in charge of your income, curriculum and schedule. You set the price of your classes and maximum class sizes. Your earnings will depend on how many kids take your class and what you charge. Courses are taught online. You pay a commission to the site when kids book your classes. (Naturally, if you are looking for a diverting activity to keep your kids engaged over the summer, this is also a great place to look.)
Teachable and Thinkific
Teachers learned to provide lessons remotely during COVID. Why not use that newfound skill to put your lessons online? After all, kids fell tragically behind during online learning. That’s left many looking for ways to catch up. Online classes can help students hoping to get a better grasp of your topic — and they can help you earn a continuing stream of income for years to come.
The best online platforms to create these courses are Teachable and Thinkific. Both platforms invite you to use their software to create and deliver your class for free. Teachers pay a commission only when your courses sell. (Or you can choose a flat monthly fee.) You create the curriculum. And you decide whether to offer a single class or a series of classes. You also set the price.
Leaving your job isn’t always an easy decision. Here’s what you should know before you decide to quit your current role.
Neither site provides marketing for you, however. So you will want to market through social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Nextdoor — or via your own website. (Sites such as Wix, GoDaddy and Strikingly have easy-to-use templates, for those who want to create their own websites.)
Use Udemy for marketing
Another way to handle marketing is to offer a shorter class through Udemy, another teaching platform. We generally don’t recommend it because it runs frequent specials that limit your ability to price your own classes. It also takes a large commission from any sale involving a client it brought to you.
On the other hand, this site does handle marketing for you. So, some teachers use the site as a loss-leader, offering an introductory class here to get more people interested in longer and more expensive classes sold elsewhere. You simply add a promotional message in your Udemy course for other classes that you sell elsewhere.
Online tutoring
Another natural summer job for teachers is tutoring, both online and in person. Some of the best tutoring sites?
TutorOcean offers to connect and manage student-tutor relationships. The site offers an online meeting space, with whiteboard and support. And it accepts tutors in nearly all subjects, including academic basics such as reading and math, as well as music and sports.
TutorOcean makes few demands on tutors, who self-select their subject areas, rates and availability. Better yet, the site has a staggered fee structure that charges nothing for tutors who want to use the platform software to teach but don’t need help finding students or billing for their services. Those who want TutorOcean to handle the money pay a 5% fee. If TutorOcean finds the students and provides the billing support, tutors pay a 20% commission to the platform.
Varsity Tutors is better established than TutorOcean but doesn’t allow tutors to set their own rates. Here tutors earn between $15 and $40 per hour, depending on the subject they teach. One attractive aspect of the site: Tutors get paid twice a week.
Chelsea International Education: One of the better-paying sites is Chelsea, which bills itself as a premium tutoring option. The bad news for most tutors is the site accepts only credentialed teachers. But, for teachers on summer break, that’s an advantage because there’s less competition for tutoring positions. Chelsea says its tutors earn between $15 and $100 per hour. But as with Varsity Tutors, the highest-paying gigs require specialized skills, such as the ability to teach upper-level STEM courses.
CoachUp: If you teach athletics, this site can help you book private coaching clients or run your summer camp programs. In addition to creating the forum where coaches can advertise their services, CoachUp covers coaches and kids booking through the site with a $1-million liability insurance policy. Coaches set their own rates and are paid by direct deposit within a week following a coaching session.
The flip side? The site’s fees are high, particularly for new clients. Specifically, on the first session booked with any individual athlete, you take home just 57% of the gross. The site takes the rest. However, the CoachUp commission drops with each subsequent booking with that same athlete. After five sessions, the site takes just 6% of the booking amount.
Kristof is the editor of SideHusl.com, an independent website that reviews moneymaking opportunities in the gig economy.
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
