6 summer job opportunities for teachers

One of the perks of committing your life to the noble profession of teaching is the prospect of a summer off. Yet, many new teachers soon learn that not working during July and August isn't financially possible. Others just get bored and crave the daily stimulation that comes with holding down a job. No matter what your reason is for taking on summer work, there are quite a few jobs that take advantage of the teaching skills you put to use from September through June.

1. Tutor

Tutoring is probably the most obvious after-school job for teachers; in fact, you might even already provide after-school tutoring sessions for your students. One-on-one instruction can also provide a welcome alternative to the September–June routine if you decide to tutor in a subject different from the one you usually teach. Tutoring tends to pay very well—in the range of $30 to $100 per hour.

2. ESL teacher

If you are a foreign language teacher or a multilingual English teacher, a job teaching English as a Second Language may be a good fit for you. Like tutoring positions, ESL jobs tend to be one-on-one situations, giving you a break from the difficulties of managing an entire class. You’d also be performing a very valuable service by helping someone communicate better in a country that is still dominantly English-speaking. Part-time ESL teachers tend to make up to $24 per hour.

3. Test-prep teacher

Most American students are expected to perform well on standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT in order to progress through the educational system. While the classroom is becoming more and more geared toward preparing students for such tests, most students still do the majority of their test prep outside of normal class hours. Since summer is the ideal time for students to get ready for the tests they are required to take, it is also the ideal time for teachers to lead such classes. Instructors for companies such as Kaplan earn about $24 per hour.

4. Summer learning program teacher

For many kids, summer learning loss can be a real problem—students forget what they learned during the school year while taking it easy over a long vacation. Summer learning programs can help reduce learning loss by keeping kids in the swing of using their brains. Companies such as Catapult Learning are dedicated to keeping the educational ball rolling during summer months, and they need teachers like you to do the job. The pay is competitive, too—teachers can even earn up to $1,000 a week, depending on the program and subject.

5. Camp counselor

So we’ve been focusing a lot on teaching here, but maybe you just need a break from that kind of work for a couple of months a year. Fair enough. You can still take advantage of your ability to communicate with and organize kids as a camp counselor. The activities you plan and perform in the great outdoors may be the perfect alternative to teaching in a cramped classroom during the chillier months. The average camp counselor only makes $230 per week, but that figure rises to $310 for head counselors.

6. Tour guide

Like counseling campers, guiding tours is in the vicinity of teaching without duplicating the work you have to do most of the year. The outdoor parks or sites and museum environments in which tour guides work provide a pleasant break from the typical classroom, yet you’d still be addressing and instructing groups of people. Since there is a wide variety in the kinds of places through which you might guide a tour, there is wide variation in how much you could get paid as a tour guide. The average ranges from $50–$150 per day, which can be a nice supplement to your usual teaching salary.