Teachers need other jobs...

Most professionals in America have one job.  Having taught for eight years now, I've realized that this is not necessarily true for teachers.  Lots of educators tutor or help students make up credits for failing grades.  This fits nicely with our primary job.  Here's the shocking part...insert sarcasm...those gigs don't pay well either!

Whenever our society decided that teachers only work during the school year, only work regular hours, and should be paid an overwhelmingly low salary despite molding America's future, well we need to go back and kick someone in the shin.  Yep, that's my resort to violence.

I know teachers who sell boots, work in retail stores, nanny for families, or participate in one of the many at-home sales companies.  Why do they do this when they get a paycheck all summer?  I hear this questions a lot.  Now I laugh because flicking people in the forehead is frowned upon.  We do this because we don't get overtime (yes we work during the summer AND until midnight sometimes during the school year), we buy supplies for our own classrooms with our own money, and taking a decent (not good) salary for eight months and spreading it over 12 just doesn't cut it.  Many don't even realize that's what teachers are really getting. 

So teachers have other jobs.  We want to be normal people, but we're simply not.  Companies love teachers.  A summer nanny who can actually enrich your child?  Score!  Someone who can convince kids from the ages of 6-18 to complete school work now selling boots to adults?  Score!  A self-driven person who wants to make extra money by selling jewelry, makeup, essential oils, insert other products here? Score!  Teachers are amazing people!  Who wouldn't love them being a part of the "general" market of employees. 

Really, though, is this right?  Nope.  But it's life.  So, if you're a teacher, what do you do?  I'm no different than any other teacher.  Last summer was the first summer since 2005 that I didn't tutor students.  I've worked in book stores during Christmas break.  I've also tried multiple at-home sales companies.  Yep, I'm that girl who asks you to try a sample and hopes that you'll love it like she does, buy the product, and help her pay for the baseball cleats she bought for her seven-year-old.  NONE OF US DO THIS TO BECOME WEALTHY!  Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.  But really, no teacher works an extra job with the hopes of becoming independently wealthy.  We simply hope to be normal!

My plea is this, please support a teacher!  Buy nail covers, jewelry, makeup, health supplements, whatever they're selling!  They do it for their family, just like everyone else.  NEWS FLASH: They also do it for YOUR family!  They do it to create a welcoming classroom with extra supplies for the kids that come into their lives and become "their kids."  Your kid will always be one of our kids.  We love them.  So, we ask you to host a party, try a sample, come into the store we work at. 

Should teachers need other jobs.  Nope.  Do they?  Yep, sometimes.  So...love a teacher!