How to Make an Extra $1000 a Month as a Teacher
- Sean G. McCormick
- Jan 13
- 10 min read
Making an extra $1000 a month is totally possible, even with your demanding teacher schedule.
While many side hustles exist, becoming an executive function coach offers the best blend of income, impact, and flexibility, leveraging the skills you already have.
We’ll explore why that’s the case (and how to start this side gig) in this post.👇
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You’re a teacher.
You’re passionate, you’re dedicated, and you’re probably filled by a mixture of caffeine and all those “aha” moments your students have.
But you also know your paycheck doesn’t always reflect the immense value you bring to the classroom each and every day.
You know an extra $1000 a month could be life-changing, helping you finally tackle that student loan debt, or perhaps taking a family vacation that doesn't involve a credit card.
Or it could simply mean having a financial cushion, one that gives you the breathing room you absolutely deserve.
The question isn’t whether you need the money.
The question is how you can realistically earn it without burning out.
Let’s explore that.
Why This Matters
The brutal reality of low teacher pay can be a tough pill to swallow.
Many teachers find themselves living paycheck to paycheck, a stressful situation for anyone, let alone someone tasked with shaping young minds.
In fact, it’s estimated that one in six (roughly 17%) of all American teachers work a second job outside the school system (if you consider things like coaching or tutoring within schools as part of those side jobs, the number is even higher, closer to 60%).
That’s an astronomical number of dedicated professionals who have to clock in for a second shift after a full day of teaching.
So for them, $1000 per month isn’t just “nice to have.”
For many, it’s a necessity that can drastically reduce financial stress and improve quality of life.
It’s the difference between constantly worrying about bills and feeling financially secure.
Teachers aren’t in the game to get rich quick.
Adding a side hustle helps create sustainable, meaningful income that respects a teacher’s time and expertise.
It helps them find a path that adds to their lives, not one that drains them even more.
3 Common Mistakes Teachers Make with Side Hustles
When you start looking for ways to earn extra money, it’s easy to fall into a few common traps.
You see a post on social media or hear about what another teacher is doing and jump in, but not all side hustles are created equal, especially for someone with your one-of-a-kind schedule and even more diverse skill set.
Here are three big mistakes to avoid.👇
1. Trading Precious Time for Pennies
Your time is your most valuable resource, and it’s a non-renewable one.
The biggest mistake you can make is choosing a side hustle that pays very little for all the hours you have to put in.
We’re talking about things like delivering food, driving for a rideshare service, and taking online surveys.
Sure, you’ll make some money.
But let’s do the math.
If you’re earning, say, $15 an hour before expenses like gas and car maintenance, you’d need to work nearly 70 extra hours a month to hit that $1000 goal.
That’s almost another full-time job.
After a long week of lesson planning, grading, and managing a classroom, do you really have 15-20 extra hours a week to give?
Probably not.
You need a side hustle that offers a high return on your time, one that values your professional skills, and choosing a low-wage gig is simply a fast track to exhaustion and burnout.
2. Starting a Business from Scratch
You’re an expert educator, not necessarily a product designer or e-commerce guru.
Many teachers get lured by the idea of selling their lesson plans on platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers or opening an Etsy shop for custom classroom decor.
These sound great in theory.
You’re creative, and you have amazing resources to share.
The problem is the sheer amount of work that goes on behind the scenes.
You have to create the product, market it, handle customer service, manage inventory, and deal with shipping.
It's a full-blown business.
You could spend hundreds of hours creating amazing digital downloads only to make a few hundred dollars over the course of a year.
The market is often saturated, and getting your products seen requires a steep learning curve in digital marketing and SEO.
Don’t trade your teaching passion for the headache of running an online retail business unless you’re truly passionate about that, too.
3. Ignoring Your Strengths
You have a powerful, in-demand skill set that most people don't.
You’re an expert in pedagogy, child development, and communication.
You know how to break down complex topics, manage behavior, and motivate learners.
When you take on a job that has nothing to do with your core expertise, you're starting from zero.
You’re not leveraging the years of training and experience you’ve worked so hard to build.
Traditional tutoring is a step in the right direction, but it often just replicates the classroom dynamic.
You're helping with specific subjects like math or reading, which is valuable.
But there's an even more powerful way to use your skills that addresses the root cause of many students' struggles.
How to Make an Extra $1000 a Month: The Solutions
Here’s where it all comes together.
There are a handful of ways you can realistically make that extra $1000 as a teacher, especially if you want to honor your energy, make an impact, and avoid a second “full-time” grind.
Let’s look at a few of the most promising options:
Private Tutoring
You could try private tutoring in your subject area.
Lots of parents are looking for after-school help, and hourly rates for qualified teachers can range from $40 to $100 or more.
You set your hours, you pick your students, and you can do it online or in-person.
Curriculum Writing
Do you love creating engaging lesson plans or developing resources?
Many education companies pay teachers to write or review their materials.
Websites like EdReports, as well as companies creating test prep content, are regularly hiring teachers for this kind of work.
Test Protecting
Test proctoring or even scoring is a steady side gig if you don’t want to reinvent the wheel.
Big testing companies like Pearson and ETS pay educators to score standardized test responses online in the evenings or on weekends.
This work ebbs and flows with the school year, but can be a relatively easy way to supplement your paycheck.
Online Teaching
With Outschool, you can design short, interest-based courses and teach kids from around the world, like perhaps “Fun with Fractions” or “Creative Writing Bootcamp.”
You decide what you teach, when, and how often.
Some teachers get creative with educational content on YouTube or a podcast.
They monetize with ad revenue, sponsorships, or by selling their own resources.
It can take time to build an audience, but there are teachers making real money from sharing what they know beyond the standard classroom.
Executive Function Coaching
Honestly, the most effective, rewarding, and lucrative way for a teacher to earn an extra $1000 a month is by becoming an executive function coach.
What are executive function skills?
These are the critical brain-based skills that help us plan, focus, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks.
Think of them as the air traffic control system of the brain.
When students struggle with executive function skills, they have trouble with things like organization, time management, starting tasks, and studying effectively.
Sound familiar?
You see these students in your classroom every single day.
These are the bright kids who can't seem to turn in their homework, the ones who forget their books, or the ones who have a meltdown when a project feels too big.
As an executive function coach, you help a student with their algebra homework, sure.
But even more importantly, you teach them how to learn.
You give them the systems and strategies to manage their time, organize their binders, and break down big assignments into small, manageable steps.
You provide them with skills that will last a lifetime, long after they've forgotten the quadratic formula.
Why Executive Function Coaching is the Perfect Fit
The demand for this kind of support is exploding.
Parents are desperate for solutions that go beyond traditional tutoring.
They see their kids struggling and know that another worksheet isn't the answer.
As an executive function coach, you can charge a premium for your specialized services, typically from $75 to $200 per hour.
From a 2025 survey of EFCA graduates who took the certification course, EF coaches charge an average of $100 to $150 per hour, with some charging $250+ per hour.
Let’s do that math again.
To make an extra $1000 a month, you might only need to work with two or three students for a couple of hours each week.
That’s maybe 5-10 hours a week, not 20.
That feels manageable, right?
You can do this work from the comfort of your own home via Zoom, giving you incredible flexibility.
You set your own hours, working around your teaching schedule.
Most importantly, this work is incredibly fulfilling.
You're using your teaching skills in a highly targeted, impactful way.
You get to see students make massive transformations, not just in their grades, but in their confidence and independence.
You’re not just a tutor anymore. Now, you're a mentor and a strategist.
How to Get Started with EF Coaching
Of course, you might be thinking,
"This sounds amazing, but where do I even begin?"
That's where we, the Executive Function Coach Academy (EFCA), comes in.
We provide the training, tools, and support system specifically designed to help educators like you launch and grow a successful coaching practice.
We give you a proven framework, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.
We teach you both the business side of things and how to work with clients, from finding your first clients to setting your rates, so you can skip the common mistakes we talked about earlier.
You don't need to build a website from scratch or become a social media expert overnight.
You just need the passion to help students succeed and the willingness to learn a proven system.
To start, be sure to check out our Special Educator’s 10-Minute Transition Toolkit.
For just $27, this guide provides clear steps on how to leverage your existing skills (whether as a special ed professional or some other type of educator) to level up to a rewarding EF coach position.
And if you're ready to take the leap, our certification course offers everything you need to launch your EF coaching practice. Click here to apply.
Get started today. You won’t regret it.
The Bottom Line
You have the power to change your financial future without sacrificing your well-being.
Forget the side hustles that drain your energy and pay you pennies.
Your expertise as an educator is immensely valuable.
By channeling it into executive function coaching, you can build a fulfilling, flexible, and profitable side business that makes a profound difference.
You can earn that extra $1000 a month and beyond, all while doing work that aligns perfectly with your passion.
You'll be empowering students with the skills they need to thrive in school and in life.
And you'll finally get the financial breathing room you deserve.
If you want a low risk way to test the waters, start with the Special Educator’s 10 Minute Transition Toolkit for $27 and map your first steps today.
And if you already know you're ready to build your own executive function coaching business, apply for the certification and get the training, support, and structure to launch it the right way.
Hope this helps! 🤙🏻
FAQs
Do I need a special certification to be an executive function coach?
While there's no official governing body for executive function coaching, getting specialized training is valuable, as it gives you credibility, a proven methodology, and the confidence to deliver real results for your clients.
Our program at EFCA are designed to give you exactly that.
How do I find my first clients?
This is one of the biggest questions we get!
We teach you simple, effective marketing strategies that leverage your local community and online networks.
Can I really make $1000 a month doing this part-time?
Absolutely. With premium coaching rates, you only need a handful of clients to reach that goal.
Many of our coaches go on to earn much more, with some even transitioning to full-time coaching because they love the work and the lifestyle it provides.
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About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.