Category: Updates

Side Hustle Success?

Woman celebrating with text Teacher side hustles: what's working and what's not in 2025

(Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, and if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.)

Let’s face it – most teachers just can’t thrive financially on their teaching salary alone.

Throughout my teaching career, I have always experimented with side hustles with varying levels of success. Truth be told, I have tried lots of different side jobs, and I am nowhere close to reaching the sweet spot where I am earning enough supplementary income to make all my dreams come true. But if you are looking for ideas from another teacher out there in the real world trying to make ends meet, here’s a roundup of my current side hustles…and how they are treating me!

Amazon KDP

To be fair, this is just a brand new little itty baby project and I don’t have much experience to report. I recently came across a couple of YouTube videos by folks who are making money by publishing books, planners, and journals through Amazon KDP, and since I love designing things with Canva, I figured I’d give it a go.

As of this moment when I am publishing this post, I have designed several simple lined journals and a home-school communication book, and so far have made…zero sales.

Do I have 1,000 other ideas of products I’d like to make and publish through Amazon KDP? YES!

Do I wonder if I can really justify putting the time in, not knowing if I’ll ever make a sale? Sadly, yes.

That said, designing with Canva is something I enjoy anyway, and there are many hobbies out there that I could get into that have 0% chance of ever generating income. So, I plan to keep trying with this idea, although I think for the most part it will be a “when-I-have-time-while-watching-TV-with-the-fam” kind of side gig. The YouTubers who are making good money on KDP did warn that the market is saturated for simple products like journals, so I wasn’t really expecting much right out of the gate when making basic products, especially since I’m starting in 2025. (Further updates to come if things get better! And, if you just so happen to be in the market for a cute journal as you start the upcoming school year…please check mine out!)

Affiliate Marketing

YouTube is also teeming with videos about all the money you can make with affiliate marketing…and maybe that’s true for some people! I’m here to admit to you…I’m not one of those people.

If you are not familiar with affiliate marketing, it is when someone (like me!) makes links available to someone else (like you!) through a blog or social media. When that someone else clicks one of these links and makes a purchase, the original someone gets a small commission.

I am an Amazon affiliate, and I have also signed up though CJ.com to partner with several other companies such as KiwiCo, FatBrain Toys, Michaels Stores, Unbeatablesale.com, Trinity Road Websites, Ignatius Press, and Discount School Supply.

What kinds of things do I do to promote my affiliate marketing links? There are tons of strategies out there, but as for me, I basically stick to four things. First, I’ve got a few little affiliate banners here and there around my blog – in my sidebars and occasionally in the middle or end of my posts. Second, from time to time, I put a link up to in my Instagram stories to something cool from one of the companies I advertise for. Next, I make and post some cute Pinterest pins for products I love. And, finally, I write a blog post now and again that has a few affiliate links, especially when I’m sharing my favorite books (like this post and this post, for instance).

Would I say this side hustle is difficult and time-consuming? Not really. Each of the different affiliate marketing strategies I use is pretty simple, and I don’t spend a ton of time on them.

Would I say this side hustle is lucrative? Also, not really. As a matter of fact, if you take into consideration what I pay for blog hosting, I’m in the red. What I make in total affiliate marketing revenue is definitely less than what I pay to keep this blog going, and the blog is necessary for two of the ways I engage in affiliate marketing.

Will I continue to pursue affiliate marketing? Sure, why not?!

Similar to my experience with designing for Amazon KDP, I do kind of enjoy spending time on affiliate marketing, and it’s the type of thing I can do while I am multitasking. Those of you who have a greater social media following, a YouTube channel, or more time to devote to a blog may even find yourselves hitting a home run with it. But as a once-in-a-while side hustle for a busy teacher mom, I wouldn’t expect this to bring you a windfall, especially if you would be setting up and paying for a blog just for this purpose.

(Look! Here comes some affiliate marketing!)

Shop Fat Brain Toys - A Smarter Way to Play!
Boom™ Learning

I have been making and selling Boom Cards for several years now, and I have to admit that I’m hooked. There is something very satisfying about designing and publishing a deck of Boom Cards, and the best part is that if you are a teacher, you can probably use many of your creations as valuable teaching tools for your own students.

Is this side-hustle a good money maker? TBH, not really. For me, the income I make on a regular basis is minimal, especially given that at the time of publishing this post, it costs $69.99 USD/year for a publisher’s subscription. I’m usually shy about sharing earnings reports, but just this once, I’ll be brave and share a few stats. Last year in 2024, I made $152.71 USD through Boom Card sales on the Boom platform, so taking the subscription cost into account, I netted $82.72 USD for the whole year (plus whatever I made on Boom Cards through my TpT store…because I do sell a few Boom Cards on TpT as well…but that usually isn’t much.)

Will I continue to sell on Boom Learning? Absolutely! Since I use the Boom Cards I make for my own students, it is definitely worth it to make some income on the side, even if it’s just a little. The way I look at it, how many things do you spend money on for your students every year that bring you back no income? So I’ll take the $82 bucks that I get back from my subscription to Boom. I also love how listing your cards on Boom Learning does not require many extra steps after you have already designed the cards, so there’s really no reason not to put your cards out there and see if they can help other teachers and students while bringing in a little passive income.

If you have never tried Boom Learning and would like to give it a go, feel free to use my referral link here for a discount on that yearly subscription I mentioned (Disclosure: I may earn a referral prize if you use my discount).

TpT

Of my “online” side hustles, TpT is definitely the one that has brought me the most financial success.

But…

I’ve been posting resources to my TpT store for eight years now, and my income from it is STILL very unreliable. Especially lately.

But…

Like Boom Learning, TpT is really a sort of a two-for-one deal because most of the things I make to sell on TpT can be used with my own students as well. I have made countless activities that have doubled as part of my next lesson plan and a source of a little teeny bit of income. I just have to be realistic and look at the long game, because OVER TIME, it does add up.

For example, (…taking a deep breath as I’m about to disclose more personal information to the internet community…) the combined lifetime income I have earned for the first three paid products I ever listed in my TpT store all those years ago is $1,711.41, at the time of this blog post. And each of those resources initially came about because I wanted to make something to use as part of a lesson with my own students. It’s not millions – but it’s not nothing.

Is this side hustle lucrative? I’m going to say yes on this one, as long as you are patient and realistic. My example above shows that even a small seller like me can make money that could positively impact your finances – at least a little.

Michaels Kids Crafts
Tutoring

The last side gig that I want to talk about today is actually the one that has brought me the most money…and the most joy. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to tutor students for the last three years or so, and it has been wonderful.

And do I make money from this side hustle? I am happy to report, yes! What I love about tutoring from a financial perspective is that you get paid for the hours you work with a quick turn around time. You have an agreed-upon rate, you do the work, and you receive the payment. You get to decide how much and when you want to work, just like the other side hustles I mentioned, but you aren’t waiting years to see that income trickle in.

I also really just love it.

It’s everything I like about teaching, but ONE student at a time. You get to build a rapport with that student and help with his or her unique needs WITHOUT all the distractions that can get in the way in the classroom. For me, every tutoring session goes by REALLY fast – because time flies when you are having fun!

Teacher Side Hustle Takeaways

Of the my five current sources of income in addition to my salary, tutoring is by far the one that I recommend if you are looking to earn some extra income right away.

But if you are a teacher and you are already making lessons for your students, TpT and Boom Learning can also be worthwhile marketplaces that help you piggyback on what you are already doing and make some passive income that can continue to serve you year after year.

Do you have another side hustle that has proven effective for you? Let me know in the comments…as you can see, I love trying out new ways to supplement my teacher income!

Reflections on 2020

Well then.

I haven’t written in a long time, because, really, what do you say?

So far 2020 has brought us problems that have never happened before, like COVID-19, and issues that have happened all too often before, like racism. It has been a storm of confusion for everyone, and teachers and students have had to process it all while trying out an uncharted teaching and learning lifestyle called “distance learning.”

It’s a lot for everybody. And it’s even more for some, especially those who have experienced the evils of racism firsthand, or those who are struggling to manage during the widespread economic hardships of 2020, or those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19.

I want to start writing light blog posts again about things like free TpT products and awesome books and super-duper fun school library ideas. And posts like that are on the way, because any type of normalcy provides at least a temporary escape from the perils and pains of right now, both for me and (I hope) for you too. And because, despite the obstacles of 2020, education, and life, must go on, and things like cute children’s books and free printables do add to the sparkle of teacher life.

But.

First, I want to address the bowels of 2020, even if what I put out there might feel inadequate to some.

I don’t have any of the answers, guys. But things need to change, and here’s my take.

Driving Change

This is what I know to be true about making things change.

1. Money can drive change. I’m no millionaire, but thanks be to God, my family has enough, and I have this blessing of this teeny, tiny business that I call So Blessed to Be a Teacher. Knowing that I am a (very, very small) part of the solution is worth a lot to me, especially in these crazy times, so 100% of my TpT profits for June went to charitable organizations (Water for South Sudan and Catholic Relief Services). And, as I mentioned early on in 2020, I’m planning to continue making donating to charity a regular part of what I do here at So Blessed to Be a Teacher. I truly believe that every little bit helps, and I think we have a shot at making this world work better again IF we share with other people.

2. Mindset can drive change. I love that quote attributed to Henry Ford that goes, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” We will get nowhere on any of these issues if we have a negative mindset or a belief that things can’t change. I’m sure every single one of us has had a chance to spin our wheels in plenty of negativity mud puddles in 2020 already. I think we can all agree that we’ll get moving a lot faster if we get out of the mud.

3. Prayer always drives change. Prayer works on so many levels that it always drives some type of change, big or small. Prayer humbles us. It reminds us of our place in the scheme of things, helping us feel both tiny in a big world and significant enough to matter to God. Prayer helps us to realize all that we have to be grateful for and where it all comes from. Prayer softens our hearts, changes our mindsets, and slowly chips away at our fears. It weaves us together as part of something bigger than ourselves. Prayer works to align our will to God’s. Prayer connects people all over the world and allows for conversation and collaboration with our Creator.

I don’t know how to solve 2020, but I wanted to share what has helped me so far. Feeling like I am a (teeny tiny) part of the solution keeps me going. In a nutshell, what I have to offer is: in 2020, there are many things that we can’t do and can’t control, but we CAN trust in the Lord, we CAN encourage each other to keep thinking positively, we CAN pray for each other, we CAN choose to be part of a positive change, we CAN view this broken world through a lens of love, and we CAN keep moving forward, one day at a time.

Wacky Times! (and a freebie or two or three!)

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing all right during this crazy time. My school was among many that shut down suddenly and unexpectedly on the 13th of March, for a minimum of three weeks, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, so, like many of you, I’m getting used to a new way of living.

Now, two days before the 13th, aka a million years ago, on Wednesday, March 11th, I was all super excited because my Teachers Pay Teachers store had reached 500 followers. I was planning a little celebration involving a new freebie, a sale, and maybe even a dance party, wahoo! That Wednesday, ideas bopped around happily in the little TpT section of my brain. But by Friday, the TpT part went into a temporary hibernation as I attempted to process the strange, new information that COVID-19 was so serious that my school closed. Oh, and not just mine, but basically all of them, and the entire world. Heh?

So I took a few days to adjust to this new lifestyle, and eventually decided I still want there to be a little celebration in the So Blessed to Be a Teacher world, because celebrations are happy and we all need happy right now. So, I modified my go-forward plan for how to celebrate my 500 followers. Here’s what I came up with.

1. I made the freebie that was bopping around my imagination on March 11. (It turned out cute, if I do say so myself! You can download it here). But it’s a poster to decorate your library, and, well, you probably aren’t there right now. So I decided that when you download it, you guys might feel the level of joy you’d get if you were receiving a free bucket of rock salt in July.

SO

2. I made two MORE little freebies that can be used on Google Classroom. It was my first attempt at designing resources with distance learning in mind. I would love if you could try them out and tell me what you think! (They are available for FREE here and here).

THEN

3. I set up a GIVEAWAY for my 500 Teachers Pay Teachers followers! (Because giveaways are fun no matter what!) One lucky follower of my store will win a $10 gift card to Teachers Pay Teachers. If you follow me on TpT, check your Teachers Pay Teachers inbox for the link to enter the giveaway. (Don’t follow me yet but want to start? Click here to start following me on TpT, and then send me an email or use the contact link above to tell me your follower number, and I’ll send you the link to enter! The winner will be chosen at 12 AM Eastern Time on March 27, 2020.) (**UPDATED 03/27/20: Congratulations to Julieann, the giveaway winner! Be sure to follow my Teachers Pay Teachers store so you will hear about sales, new products, and my next GIVEAWAY!)

AND

4. I set everything in my TpT store to go on sale from March 22, 2020 to March 25, 2020. Even though school is closed for now, sales are always fun, and some teachers actually have a little time browse around on TpT, so I figured, why not? In the spirit of my last blog post, I am going to donate 50% of profits during my sale to Save the Children, this time to help out with all the needs that are arising due to COVID-19, so it’s actually a great time to stock up on resources that you can use when we are past this wacky period of time! (**UPDATED 03/27/20: Thanks so much to those who made purchases during my sale! Your purchases made it possible for me to make a donation to Save the Children! Yeah!)

AND FINALLY

5. The dance party is on, but, COVID-19 distance learning style. Right now, wherever you are, bust a move!

May God bless you guys during this strange-but-true time we are living in. Stay well and keep taking it day by day!

Giving Back in 2020!

Hey guys! Happy 2020! (Well, Happy First So Blessed to Be a Teacher Blog Post of 2020, anyway! I’m a little late on the Happy New Year wishes!)

I try to be realistic(ish) with my New Year’s resolutions, so I did NOT resolve to blog daily. (I know myself better than that!)

But I DID resolve to do something new with my blog this year. So here’s the scoop.

As you can tell by the name of this blog, I feel SO blessed to be a teacher. My work is challenging, fulfilling, and fun. And now, on top of the career I love, through TpT and my blog, I am able to design and share resources with teachers around the world…which is also challenging, fulfilling, and fun!

When I reflect on the abundance of blessings God has given me, I feel like it’s time to give back in a more intentional way this year. So here’s my new plan. Occasionally throughout 2020, I’m going to plan special days in which I donate a percentage of my TpT store proceeds to charity. I’ll let you all know beforehand by writing a blog post the day before and sharing where the money will be going!

I’m starting off this new plan TOMORROW, JANUARY 25, 2020, by donating 50% of my profits from sales that day to Save the Children’s emergency fund in support of the children who were affected by the bushfires in Australia. I’m super excited because, thanks to a #TpTGivesBack initiative, Teachers Pay Teachers is going to match my donation (and the donations of all teacher-authors who participate!) up to a total of $10,000.

So, if you’ve been thinking about checking out my store or have one of my products on your wish list, tomorrow is an awesome time to make a purchase!

Let’s work together to share our blessings and change the world in 2020!

Back-to-School Fun!

I have some exciting and fun facts to share today as we move toward “Back-to-School” time!

Exciting and fun fact #1: It’s August!

Exciting and fun fact #2: It’s my blog’s birthday today! Wahoo! My little bloggie is one year old!

Exciting and fun fact #3: It’s the Teachers Pay Teachers Sitewide Sale! Two days only – the sale will end August 2, 2018, at 11:59 EST, to be quite exact. My store and many others are chock full of deals! Check it out before it’s over! (Update 08/03/2018: Well, the sale is over. But please feel free to visit my TpT store any day!) 🙂

 

Exciting and fun fact #4: I’m running a back-t0-school giveaway on Instagram! I have teamed up with six other ladies for a gift card giveaway! There will three winners – but hurry!  If you want to enter, you need to do so by Friday, August 3, 2018 at 3:00 EST! (Update 08/04/2018: Congratulations to the winners of this giveaway! Please feel free to follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss any future giveaways!) 🙂

I guess that’s enough excitement for one day! See you soon!

Introducing…KIND-ergarten Math!

 

Jimmy has 5 cans. Joey has 5 cans. How many cans do they have altogether?

There were 4 kids playing tag. One more kid joined in. How many kids are playing now?

These are the types of word problems I’m used to seeing on my daughter’s kindergarten math homework. I guess it’s the librarian in me, but I find myself wanting a little more from the stories.

Like, I want to know, why do Jimmy and Joey each have five cans? What are they planning to do with these cans?

And that kid that joined in the game? So, how did that happen, exactly?

I got to thinking that these word problems are a bit of a missed opportunity. Instead of an ambiguous story about some random dudes with cans and kids playing tag, what if the stories had just a teeny bit more depth? What if math time could also be a time to teach kids about kindness? Perhaps we could find out that Jimmy and Joey were collecting cans to give to a food pantry! Why couldn’t we find out that the four kids who were playing tag saw a new student sitting alone, introduced themselves, and invited him to play?!

Enter KIND-ergarten Math

I decided this type of math resource should exist, so last week I sat down and started making what I call “KIND-ergarten Math” resources for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I wanted to create math worksheets that would allow teachers to weave some character education conversations into their math lessons. Each of my “KIND-ergarten Math” worksheets has word problems that do tell a little bit more of the story, giving the teachers the opportunity to take a few minutes to talk to their students about kindness.

So now, those flowers we’re adding up are a gift for Grandma. The crayons we add are crayons we are helping to pick up when a classmate dropped them. The shirts we are counting are for a clothing drive.

So far, I have two of these resources in my store – a KIND-ergarten Math Free Sample and KIND-ergarten Math for Springtime. (Update 04/07/18: I just added another KIND-ergarten Math Resource – KIND-ergarten Math: Subtraction! Feel free to check it out!) I am so excited to think about all the positive conversations that can accompany these assignments. I can imagine all the awesome things that amazing teachers will do with these, and I’m totally pumped to make more of these resources.

Grab a copy of my KIND-ergarten Math freebie!

To my librarian friends, don’t worry – I do have several library resources in the works, too! But I’m hoping that by developing new types of resources, I can reach out to a whole new group of students and play a little role in their education as well.

And as a celebration of my new resources, EVERYTHING in my Teachers Pay Teachers store is 15% off from now until Monday, March 19, 2018.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and may God bless you! 🙂

 

Let’s Do This!

I am SO EXCITED to get this blog going.  Starting a blog has been on my “someday when I have time” list for awhile now, and I finally decided that despite NOT having the time, I’m going to go for it.

My house is probably going to be a little more clutter-y (if that’s at all possible).  I might miss out on a few hours of sleep.  But I actually think the things that matter – my family and my students – can only benefit if I set some time aside to write.  My family will get a version of their wife/mom whose creative side gets a little more exercise – which I think will translate to a happier, more sane wife/mom.  And as for my students, taking the time to blog about school will force me to do more reflecting and thinking about what works best…and otherwise, that reflecting often gets bumped to that “someday when I have time” list.

Win-Win.  Win.  Win.

So hopefully this will be a win-win for my family and my students.  And a win for me too.  And last but DEFINITELY not least, I hope this is going to be a win for you.  I am looking forward to connecting with you and giving you ideas and inspiring you and reminding you that you’re not alone on this crazy journey of teaching/parenting/living.  We have unlimited potential when we collaborate and learn from one another and make the most of God’s gifts to us, so let’s work together to tap into that potential. And hopefully have some fun along the way too.

Here we go!

Oh, wait! Don’t go yet!

To thank you for visiting my new blog, here is a freebie for you! I have a little slideshow of inspirational Christian graphics as the screensaver for one of my computers in my library, and as I design new graphics for it, you are welcome to download them! Feel free to make your own screensaver slideshow, use it as the background for your desktop, or print it. Here’s the newest one:

Just right click to get the .jpeg, or, if you prefer, go ahead and download the .pdf version here.

Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you soon!