Being a teacher is a worthy and challenging vocation. Yet many of our finest teachers are met with the challenge to earn enough to live on. The good news is there are some smart strategies you can use to maximize the money that you make as a teacher. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Get a promotion
One of the most straightforward ways to earn more money in your role as a teacher is to seek out and secure a promotion. After all, taking on more responsibility means a higher wage bracket.
Of course, it’s best not to take on additional duties without considering them carefully first. In particular, making sure that you have the right types of experience to meet your end career goal in teaching is vital. This means if you are looking to become a head of a department, more responsibility within your subject is the best move. However, if you want to progress into a pastoral role, becoming a head of a Stage or Year Group, or even specializing in taking care of teaching and learning practices for the whole school is a much better option.
Chose a more challenging location
Another way to maximize your earning potential as a teacher is to work in a location categorized and challenging or tough. Indeed, such posts often come with a better salary as recruiting and retaining teachers in these types of locations can be more difficult.
Of course, some specific organizations can help you secure a job in an area where teaching staff is most needed. With that in mind, you may wish to consider working for Teach for America as a way of finding a location where your skills are most in need. Then you will get the dual benefits of doing good for the community and earning a decent wage to boot.
Work during the summer
It’s also possible to increase your overall earnings as a teacher by choosing to work over the summer. If you want to stay within the school environment, running summer schools is a great choice. Although you will need plenty of patience and compassion for the kids that didn’t make the grade the first time around.
Publish your materials
In this internet age, using the world wide web to publish the teaching materials that you create can be a lucrative option too. After all, you spend a lot of time and effort crafting them. Do watch out, however, as resources that you have made while on the payroll of a school may be counted as their property, so it’s best to check and get the go-ahead before you try selling them.
Tutor online
Finally, to earn more money as a teacher, why not consider spending some of your free time tutoring students online? The great thing about online tutoring is that it pays really well per hour, and people often need this service in the evenings or at weekends, so it should fit around your teaching schedule pretty well too!