My Mother's Lifelong Side Gig - Genius

[SnackDog]

It just occurred to me what a great side gig my mother has had most of her life - elementary school teaching.

When we were growing up my mother didn't work until we are all in school, then she started occasional substitute teaching at public schools in our city. This gave her bread-and-butter money to buy things my Dad, the ultimate tightwad, would never spring for.  She liked kindergarten so a lot of times she would just sub a half-day, leaving plenty of time to look after four crazy kids and house.  Very flexible.

Once we are all in junior high or so, she started teaching regular full-time at her favorite elementary school.  Teaching is a great gig any as it is low stress, low hours, summers off, and in our city the benefits were fabulous.  I remember her insurance paid for our eyeglasses, dental, etc.  Elementary school started more than an hour later than high school, so she could still get us all off in the morning and leave last.  She got home about 4 pm which was still time for a grocery run and dinner on the table by 5:30.

She continued teaching until they forced her out at about 65!  By that time my Dad was 71 and had been retired from his 30-year government job since he was 55.  He told her they needed to travel more so she finally hung it up.    This travel has gotten progressively more up-scale as she has attempted to spend some of her considerable savings and income.

Now, she is 77 and she still substitute teaches at the same school!  She lets them know when she is in town and available, and they bring her in most days.  Gets her out of the house and provides a nice totally un-needed income which she tries to spend on travel but can't possibly.  My parents have a paid for house, drive vehicles until they die, etc, frugal as ever.  I'd guess their current income is 100% of his last salary (which paid for mortgage and four hungry kids), inflation-adjusted, plus amazing medical and full armed services access including standby air travel around the US.   The old man is happy to fly all day in the back of a C140 in a jump-seat to visit his sister and play some golf.

Totally dialed-in.

[smalllife]

Um, that's called a job.  A side gig would be something to do when you are already employed.

[kolorado]

  Teaching is a great gig any as it is low stress...

Huh? You are the first person I have ever heard say anything like this. I teach my own three kids at home and I can't think of too many more full-time things I could do that would wind me tighter. Choosing appropriate curriculum and supplements, keeping critical records, hitting educational benchmarks for standardized testing, being responsible for how your students perform short-term and long-term, dealing with distinctly different personalities and needs, all while trying to maintain order and inspire children to love learning. It's a tall order and the exact opposite of low-stress. And I only have three kids, not 30 in a classroom.

[oldtoyota]

I would never view teaching as low stress. Being with 25-30 kids for six hours straight? Not low stress for me.

So, your mom got kids off to school, went off to work, came home, made dinner and had it on the table by 5:30? It may sound low stress to the kids, but it doesn't sound low stress for the mother (unless it's in retrospect when the memory of all the hard work has faded.) She was probably creating lessons plans at night to fill in the six hours of instruction she had to do every day. She sounds like one extremely hard-working person.

[prosaic]

Once we are all in junior high or so, she started teaching regular full-time at her favorite elementary school.  Teaching is a great gig any as it is low stress, low hours, summers off, and in our city the benefits were fabulous.

She retired about 12 years ago, if my math is right (based on your post), which means she taught in the decades before NCLB began. She taught before everything was computerized and teachers are expected to have everything online instantly (grades, reports, etc.), before the IEP explosion, before the massive teach to the test push, and so on. Was she required to have a master's degree, as is the case in many states now (or required to have one within X years of teaching, on her dime)?

So while for her it might have been a "low stress, low hours" job, I don't think many current teachers wold characterize it as such. None of the elementary teachers I know do, aside from friends who sub only.

[grantmeaname]

I would never view teaching as low stress. Being with 25-30 kids for six hours straight? Not low stress for me.

I'm with you - that's pretty much the seventh circle of hell for me. But I think it depends very much on demeanor, and for the right people it could be a very low-stress job.

[chicagomeg]

Just because your mom didn't HAVE to work doesn't make her CAREER as a teacher a side gig. Good for her for enjoying her job but maybe you should rethink how you perceive it.

[.22guy]

Once we are all in junior high or so, she started teaching regular full-time at her favorite elementary school.  Teaching is a great gig any as it is low stress, low hours, summers off, and in our city the benefits were fabulous.

She retired about 12 years ago, if my math is right (based on your post), which means she taught in the decades before NCLB began. She taught before everything was computerized and teachers are expected to have everything online instantly (grades, reports, etc.), before the IEP explosion, before the massive teach to the test push, and so on. Was she required to have a master's degree, as is the case in many states now (or required to have one within X years of teaching, on her dime)?

So while for her it might have been a "low stress, low hours" job, I don't think many current teachers wold characterize it as such. None of the elementary teachers I know do, aside from friends who sub only.

I agree 1000% prosaic.  You hit the nail directly on the head with that.

[icebiker76]

Teaching is an easy, low hours, well paid, stress free side gig?   Youre trollin' us right?

[cats]

My mother subs also and I would say it could potentially be considered a side gig, but only because, like your mother's current situation, she has a lot of freedom to go in or not as her schedule permits.  So if she wants to travel for a week or work on some home projects or just sleep in for a week, it's no problem.  She likes interacting with kids and she mostly does kindergarten, so for her it is a good way to get out of the house and earn some money.

Full-time teaching I would not consider to be a side gig.  I would consider it to maybe be a job that's compatible with caring for school age children, just because you can have summers off.  But any of my friends who are working as full-time teachers are working LOTS of hours.  They love it, but they're working like crazy.

[Kira]

Kindergarten/elementary may seem low stress but yeah, I would not ever say it was any of those things anymore. Teachers without significant experience or degrees often don't even get paid that much anymore, and there is a TON you have to keep track of as a regular teacher that a substitute is exempt from. I doubt she ever had to plan 30 separate IEPs, mainstream autistic children, or teach kids who are ESL.

I also think it is kind of demeaning to your mother to say that this was her "side gig". If she was doing it full time and was there for decades, this was her career. I am sure she put in a lot of hours that you were not aware of or don't remember. Even elementary school teachers have to do parents' night, lesson plans, some grading, etc.

[DocCyane]

I get frustrated hearing about a retired person with no need for money taking a job away from a young person for whom this may be a launching opportunity into a career. I think the OP's mother should encourage the school to find a fresh college grad with new ideas and high energy (as well as a need for that money).

[Insanity]

I get frustrated hearing about a retired person with no need for money taking a job away from a young person for whom this may be a launching opportunity into a career. I think the OP's mother should encourage the school to find a fresh college grad with new ideas and high energy (as well as a need for that money).

That could be said for many MMM readers as well.  those that are still employed, or flipping houses, or building websites or doing graphs or whatever.

[SnackDog]

It is potentially a worse crime not to spend and perhaps even borrow money to stimulate the economy.  If everyone was so frugal I think you would see a pretty slow economy in the US and some pretty dismal investment returns.

[hybrid]

I get frustrated hearing about a retired person with no need for money taking a job away from a young person for whom this may be a launching opportunity into a career. I think the OP's mother should encourage the school to find a fresh college grad with new ideas and high energy (as well as a need for that money).

Correct me if I am wrong education folks, as it has been a long time since I worked for a school system, but finding a quality substitute teacher on very little notice isn't a simple thing.  My recollections were that schools were under a decent bit of pressure to find someone that wasn't just a warm body.  In this case it sounds like a win-win as our retired teacher truly enjoys what she is doing.

[TrulyStashin]

Once we are all in junior high or so, she started teaching regular full-time at her favorite elementary school.  Teaching is a great gig any as it is low stress, low hours, summers off, and in our city the benefits were fabulous.

She retired about 12 years ago, if my math is right (based on your post), which means she taught in the decades before NCLB began. She taught before everything was computerized and teachers are expected to have everything online instantly (grades, reports, etc.), before the IEP explosion, before the massive teach to the test push, and so on. Was she required to have a master's degree, as is the case in many states now (or required to have one within X years of teaching, on her dime)?

So while for her it might have been a "low stress, low hours" job, I don't think many current teachers wold characterize it as such. None of the elementary teachers I know do, aside from friends who sub only.

+ 1,000

Teaching today is the worst combination of low respect, low resources, low pay, and high regulation paired with significant pressure to create high performance while being thwarted by limited ability to control the inputs that determine performance (did your students have breakfast today?).   

Full-time teaching is not a side gig (though substitute teaching is because subs have none of the grading/ planning/ case management duties).  You need to adjust your perception of your mother's career.

[Nords]

I get frustrated hearing about a retired person with no need for money taking a job away from a young person for whom this may be a launching opportunity into a career. I think the OP's mother should encourage the school to find a fresh college grad with new ideas and high energy (as well as a need for that money).

Is it possible that the situation could be a tad more complicated than you describe?  For example, maybe the school can't find a "fresh college grad with new ideas and high energy" that can drop in as a substitute at a few hours' notice?  Perhaps the substitute is filling in for one of those fresh college grads who's on vacation or at in-service training.

I know two Navy Reservists who spend about half of the year teaching school and the other half deployed to various "hot fill" billets in places like Iraq & Afghanistan.  One of them teaches science & math at a local private high school, and the other teaches skiing and snowboarding at Vail.  (Ironically each envies the other's teaching job.)  Each of them has unique skills and desires that makes them suited for all of those jobs, and if they're "taking" a job away from someone else then it's because they have the skills and motivation to outperform.

While the retiree didn't "need" the money for food and shelter, they were able to use it to pay other people for goods & services (which promotes jobs) and to donate it to charity (which helps people find jobs).

A job is earned, not an entitlement.  But I happily gave mine up at age 41 so that someone else could earn it.

[imustachemystash]

Woah, if you think teaching is a side gig, I would hate to see what you consider a job.  My parent's were both teachers and they always told me to never become a teacher.

[beltim]

I get frustrated hearing about a retired person with no need for money taking a job away from a young person for whom this may be a launching opportunity into a career. I think the OP's mother should encourage the school to find a fresh college grad with new ideas and high energy (as well as a need for that money).

Correct me if I am wrong education folks, as it has been a long time since I worked for a school system, but finding a quality substitute teacher on very little notice isn't a simple thing.  My recollections were that schools were under a decent bit of pressure to find someone that wasn't just a warm body.  In this case it sounds like a win-win as our retired teacher truly enjoys what she is doing.

This is highly dependent on location.  My wife has a Master's in Education from a top-10 school, all the appropriate certifications, and our district isn't even interviewing people to be potential subs.  My boss's wife, a former teacher one district over, also can't get an interview to be a substitute now -- even though she previously taught in that district!

[Freckles]

Teaching is so low-stress, low-hours and side-gigish that after 16 years in I'm desperately trying to figure out an exit strategy!  I love the kids and I love summers off so I can spend some good time with my own kids, but everything else about it sucks these days, for all the aforementioned reasons.  I need a new career, but seeing as my master's degree in education having husband can't find a teaching job, I can't afford any cut in pay and loss of health care benefits to move to something new right now.  :(  It might have been awesome for your mom, but things have changed.

[Frankies Girl]

I would never view teaching as low stress. Being with 25-30 kids for six hours straight? Not low stress for me.

I'm with you - that's pretty much the seventh circle of hell for me. But I think it depends very much on demeanor, and for the right people it could be a very low-stress job.

Um, my mom was an elementary school teacher for 20+ years, and it was extremely stressful. Not even counting all the kids and their issues (she taught in a low income area, and there were some really sad cases, behavior issues, and awful parents) but the politics behind teaching and dealing with the administration was a nightmare (her school district was one that was caught trying to force teachers to "teach to the test" so they could cheat on standardized testing that was linked to funding). There was bullying, late nights, massive amounts of home work and lesson plans and she had to buy basic materials out of her own pocket constantly as less than half the class was supplied with things like pencils and glue... she credits her job with breaking down her health.

[Honest Abe]

I'm a teacher and it owns my life from the months of September until August 1 (I teach summer school too, which is a lighter commitment.)

But I can see why someone would consider subbing a "side" gig.. you can basically make you own schedule by agreeing to work when it's convenient for you.

[grantmeaname]

Um, my mom was an elementary school teacher for 20+ years, and it was extremely stressful. Not even counting all the kids and their issues (she taught in a low income area, and there were some really sad cases, behavior issues, and awful parents) but the politics behind teaching and dealing with the administration was a nightmare (her school district was one that was caught trying to force teachers to "teach to the test" so they could cheat on standardized testing that was linked to funding). There was bullying, late nights, massive amounts of home work and lesson plans and she had to buy basic materials out of her own pocket constantly as less than half the class was supplied with things like pencils and glue... she credits her job with breaking down her health.

I didn't say it was never stressful.

[Frankies Girl]

Um, my mom was an elementary school teacher for 20+ years, and it was extremely stressful. Not even counting all the kids and their issues (she taught in a low income area, and there were some really sad cases, behavior issues, and awful parents) but the politics behind teaching and dealing with the administration was a nightmare (her school district was one that was caught trying to force teachers to "teach to the test" so they could cheat on standardized testing that was linked to funding). There was bullying, late nights, massive amounts of home work and lesson plans and she had to buy basic materials out of her own pocket constantly as less than half the class was supplied with things like pencils and glue... she credits her job with breaking down her health.

I didn't say it was never stressful.

Right, I was agreeing with you - wasn't clear I guess.