Teacher with side gigs: Fastlane thinking works even with a job

[msufan]

Hey all! I'm an elementary teacher who has made $400K+ on the side over the past 15 years or so. I know keeping your day job isn't "the Fastlane" per se, but teaching is a meaningful job that I enjoy, and it has opened lots of doors for side gigs along the way.

For anyone curious, my side gigs include:

• Skill gaming/finding +EV gaming opportunities ($275K)
• Running various educational websites for kids ($125K)
• Tutoring/group educational camps for kids in the summer ($15K in 2 years)

Hopefully you all can live with a slowlaner who gleans lots of value from parts of the fastlane mindset.

 

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[NickClutch]

Hey all! I'm an elementary teacher who has made $400K+ on the side over the past 15 years or so.

@msufan I'm a 22 year old currently studying education in college, but have been more focused on entrepreneurship/fast lane because teaching doesn't pay nearly enough. I would love to talk with you if you're willing to take some time out of your day.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[msufan]

Hey Nick! Happy to start a private conversation, but I'll reply here to kick things off as this could apply to others as well. Agree 100% that teaching doesn't pay enough to support a family on its own, so I certainly think you're wise to think from a Fastlane/entrepreneurial mindset in addition to teaching. The cool thing about teaching from a Fastlane perspective is that it really does open other doors for you. Here are some obvious opportunities:

1. Create high-quality teaching materials for your own students, but then also post them on Teachers Pay Teachers for some side income.
2. During the summer, parents are looking everywhere for summer camps and opportunities for their kids (especially in middle and upper-class areas). Run a camp that is about something you enjoy that also is hot right now. Anything tech-related is an easy sell, for example. I know other people who run everything from photography and art classes to even a parkour camp (of all things) for kids in the summer; I personally run a computer programming camp that pulled in almost 100 kids last summer.
3. Tutoring is another obvious opportunity, especially during the summer.
4. As I've done, once you see what needs are in the education market, you might even try creating websites to meet those needs as a side gig.

I wish you all the best!

 

[Nemolein]

The cool thing about teaching from a Fastlane perspective is that it really does open other doors for you

Totally agreed! Before i read TMF i was confused and lost on what to do after college. I also study a teaching degree in foreign languages and after i realized that the slowlane mindset taught in the university was killing my opportunities to open new doors and possibilities to earn money. I currently think big and make a project on language course. I see my classmates looking for the same possibilities that my teachers did: get a degree and get paid by government, sadly they still can't look out for more chances.

 

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[Late Bloomer]

You've been around the forum longer than me, but I'll say welcome today since I just discovered your posts. Thanks for the transfer, I'm glad I could inspire!

I know keeping your day job isn't "the Fastlane" per se

Maybe not, but getting to spend your days doing what you love is! It looks like you are on track to enjoying the personal satisfaction and meaning of teaching, along with good income from other projects. I think the best use of MJ's advice is not to try to do just what he did, but to make a life that's successful for you (including enough money), by whatever criteria matter to you.

You sure jumped in the deep end with your learn to code question! Did you find the answers you wanted? Is it still an active question in your mind?

 

[msufan]

You've been around the forum longer than me, but I'll say welcome today since I just discovered your posts. Thanks for the transfer, I'm glad I could inspire!



Maybe not, but getting to spend your days doing what you love is! It looks like you are on track to enjoying the personal satisfaction and meaning of teaching, along with good income from other projects. I think the best use of MJ's advice is not to try to do just what he did, but to make a life that's successful for you (including enough money), by whatever criteria matter to you.

You sure jumped in the deep end with your learn to code question! Did you find the answers you wanted? Is it still an active question in your mind?

Interestingly, my son has gotten deep into programming. He's now my go-to tech person, and we've created several teaching resources together. So I don't plan to learn to code myself at this point.

I haven't posted much on here, but I really enjoy your posts. You have been a much more active contributor, but hopefully I can increase that to some degree as well. I just thought your post that I repped was the perfect way of looking at his -- and really any -- situation. You could see the limiting beliefs and lenses that he could not, and you asked about it graciously.