An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback)
Illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati
Updated August 2022
“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Gosser
Teachers are incredibly skillful individuals. We’re good communicators, we’re patient (that’s a no-brainer) and we’re good listeners.
With ingenuity and a bit of personal drive, we can utilize these skills in a number of ways to gain some much-appreciated extra money and experience:
#1 – Private Tutoring
A teacher’s staple when it comes to cash-on-the-side. If you’ve not tried it, then you’re missing out on a massive opportunity!
As a veteran of 12 years of tutoring, my top tips are as follows:
- Become confident in teaching more than one subject: I’m a Science teacher but I’ve successfully tutored students in German, English, Science, Maths, UKCAT and BMAT over the years. Expand your skill’s portfolio and willingness to leave your comfort zone and reach a larger market!
- Post on websites where parents are looking for tutors: Facebook groups and pages, Craigslist and Learn Pick are all good and have all generated student leads for me in the past
- Try to find out the exact topics the student wants to learn in advance of the lesson – this will give you time to create great resources
- Teach well! – Be yourself, be professional. Students will love your style and will tell their friends: bringing extra customers to you via referrals!
- If the students live far away, then bring them to you – I’ve tutored at coffee shops and even at my home in the past. When students need tuition they’ll be prepared to travel.
- Offer group classes – $70 for one student for two hours or $10 an hour per student for 5 students for two hours? Group classes can offer benefits in terms of teaching (peer-assessment and group activities) and help you to maximize revenue.
I strongly advise anyone reading this who wants to be a private tutor (or is currently a private tutor) to listen carefully to this excellent podcast episode in which I interview Ash Bignall, Owner of the British Learning Centre in Pattaya, Thailand:
#2 – Becoming an examiner
Most exam boards recruit examiners on a yearly basis. It’s hard work and deadlines are tight (generally), but the money can be very, very good. Check out exam boards like Edexcel, CIE, the IBO, AQA and others.
#3 – Selling your resources
A number of platforms on the web allow you to sell your worksheets, presentations and other resources to other educators. Check out the following:
#4 – Writing
Set up a blog to inform teachers about good techniques, or even a subject-specific blog for students. After a few years or less, convert the posts into an e-book and sell your knowledge to others!
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