So you’re looking for a summer job while you’re away from your young charges? With your skills as an elementary teacher, you can find a great job that allows you to make a good paycheck – and one that takes advantage of your copious amounts of patience, too!

Work in a Senior Home. Many people in senior care facilities need someone to lead them through basic skills they might have lost through stroke or other serious medical conditions. You can help them by leading them through art classes, reading to them on a regular basis, or offering other kinds of activities to keep them engaged and active. Your patience with the elderly will go a long way toward helping them regain some independence.

Work with Disabled Kids. There are kids out there who need much more help than the classroom can give them. Spend your summers teaching classes specialized for these students. You might lead them in English lessons, basic math, or even more basic things, such as how to wield a pair of scissors. Your attention is priceless, and those students – and their parents – will never forget it.

Teach Adult Literacy. Sadly, many adults can somehow make it through high school without ever learning to read. When they take the step to admit the problem and decide to learn to read later in life, it is a beautiful thing – and that achievement means so much more to them than it might to someone who has been able to read with ease all of their life. Your patience needs to be considerable…these adults are depending upon you to help them, keep them motivated, and accept them for who they are, without ever faulting them. Celebrate their accomplishments!

Help Out at Day Care. During the summer, parents need places to send their children so they can continue working their regular schedules. Day care is usually their best or only option. By working in a day care, you can teach children things they need to know before they move back into the next school year – and as a teacher, you definitely know that giving a child a little boost during the summer can improve their school grades by leaps and bounds.

Every one of these jobs is about helping people while making a good paycheck at the same time. What could be better?

Haven’t found that perfect summer job yet? Here are a few more job ideas that might be ideal for your summertime paycheck.

Seasonal Work at State Parks. When the sun beats down, residents come out to play at the various state parks throughout the country. State parks hire temporary workers for summertime jobs, with the understanding that when school is back in full swing, those workers will be on hiatus until the next summer rolls around. Seasonal work at state parks comes with the added bonus of a state paycheck, so you know how much you will be paid, and you will always be paid on time.

Swimming Instructor. When swimming pools open, children are ready to learn – and you can teach them! Spend your summers in the water as you teach children and adults alike to swim. You can teach beginning or advanced courses, depending upon your own expertise. If you have experience as a lifeguard, that’s a big plus for landing the best job. You can even go private and teach lessons in your own backyard, if you have a pool that is big enough to accomodate a class.

Camp Counselor. Let your love of teaching spill over into your summertime work by becoming a camp counselor. You will teach a different kind of classroom during the summer, and instead of teaching the ABCs and 123s, you will be showing students how to use outdoorsman skills to make the most of their summer. Take a walk on the wild side, get some great time outside, and go back to school in the fall with a refreshed and renewed outlook.

Summertime Food Programs. It’s a sad fact of today’s society – sometimes, children only get one full meal every day, and that’s the one they eat at school. Summertime food programs seek to bridge that gap by offering lunches and dinners to children in impoverished areas. Join up with one of the programs and help those who need it the most. Sometimes the pay is a stipend, which is much less than what you would earn hourly, but the comfort of a job well done might be worth the difference.

Pool Party Supplies and Sales. What is summer without a pool? When it’s time to get ready for the summertime, pool stores do a booming business. If you are involved in supplies and sales, you can bet your summer will be busy. You can also join up in the party business and be responsible for taking inflatables, temporary pools, and other party supplies to various locations. It’s fun in the sun, but a new place every week! How cool is that during the hot days of summertime?

Are you looking for a summer job that will let you forget about the trials of the school year? Are you seeking a summer job for teachers that will allow you a break from the organization of the school position? Here are a few options for summer jobs you can enjoy for a few months and then leave with a smile when the school year rolls back around.

Summer Camp Counselor. Take your experience with teaching children and turn it into a fun, outdoor job! Working as a counselor in summer camp means you will do everything from lead campfire songs to doctor scraped knees. You will often be called upon to listen to kids who have problems or simply feel a little homesick. You will be responsible for giving them a great experience, and you will have fun while doing it!

Amusement Park Worker. Want to make people happy every single day? Work at an amusement park! Kids come to a theme park to ride the rides, eat too much junk food, and wear themselves out by the end of the day. You can be a part of that by working one of the rides, setting up a vendor’s cart, or working as a guide for the park. Most amusement parks hire temporary summer workers, so they will be quite understanding of your school schedule.

Lifeguard. Love the sun and surf? Working as a lifeguard puts you in charge of the pool, the lake, or the ocean, if you are so inclined. You will be the one who watches over children and adults as they frolic in nature’s playground. Not only will you get a fantastic tan, you will meet new people and have a great swim anytime you want.

Festival Worker. Summer festivals breeze from town to town, delight a community for a few nights, and then move on to the next place. You can join the festival tour and see some of the country, or choose to work at the festivals in your own town. You can set up your own games, offer food for the visitors, or work in many other capacities that will take you away from the hum-drum life and into the circus world!

Do Lawn Care. Go back to being a kid again! If you love to work on your lawn and do the occasional landscaping job, why not make that happen during your summers? Invest in a nice lawn mower, find a good weed-eater, and start collecting clients. You can make a good living during the summertime, and get great exercise while you’re at it!

If you’re a teacher, you know all there is to know about organization and scheduling. Your classroom is based on paperwork, turning in assignments, adhering to a school schedule, and making certain everyone has their homework before they walk out the door. With such a structured life, wouldn’t it be nice to do something a little crazy for a change?

The most unique teacher summer jobs include some of the wildest, most enjoyable things you can think of – and some that maybe you never considered before!

Skydiving Instructor. Do you love to throw yourself out of airplanes and feel that adrenaline pump? Do you like to see the world from a view most people never get to see? If these things appeal to you, perhaps you would make a good skydiving instructor. Working up to get your certification is loads of fun, and by the time you’re done, you will be in a position to get paid for jumping out of planes. How cool is that?

Beach Lifeguard. Want to do something good for others, earn a nice paycheck, and lay in the sun all day? Lifeguards have a very important responsibility, but they also have optimum work conditions. You will get your fill of swimming and sunbathing, while basking in the good feeling of keeping others safe.

Archeological Assistant. If you really enjoy learning about history and the people who came before your time, consider becoming an assistant on an archeological dig. The extra hands can always come in handy, and you can learn on the job. The pay might be little more than a stipend, but it’s a good job to put on a resume and best of all, you get the thrill of doing something unusual while you’re away from the classroom.

Traveling Sales. Want to see the country? Work in traveling sales. Whether you are selling vacuum cleaners or farm equipment, you can find an audience from coast to coast. You will be able to drive or fly to your destinations, and you can opt to work with personal one-on-one sales or corporate clients. The world is your oyster…now go sell it!

Join the Circus. Sound like a cliche, doesn’t it? It’s not. Circus troupes are always looking for fresh blood to make their shows interesting. If you have a special talent or a skill that is always needed, such as a knowledge of veterinary practices to help care for the animals, you can run off the join the circus – and have great stories to tell your students when you return to the “real” world.

Do you love to talk? Do you like to get to know people? Are you godo with kids, with the elderly, or simply with your peers? Are you someone people trust and love to talk with? Then the following summer or weekend jobs might be just your cup of tea.

Telemarketing. Working as a telemarketer can be a tough job, but you can usually set your own hours and make the money you want to make, depending on how often you choose to work. For every person that hangs up on you, there will be someone ready and willing to listen – and you will have ample opportunity to strut your sales skills.

Customer Service. Want to help people with products or services they have already purchased, or help them make a selection that is perfect for their needs? Working as a customer service representative gives you the chance to help people solve their problems with a simple phone call. You will be on the receiving end of a few very grateful customers!

Public Relations. Is there a cause you believe in and want to work for? Working as a public relations liaison might be the perfect job for you. You can sign up for a summer or a weekend job, or even fit in your work during the evenings. Your primary goal will be to show others how great this place, organization, or opportunity can be.

Online Tutoring. Want to help students who need some extra time? Work as an online tutor. You will have the advantage of one-on-one work, something that is rare in a large classroom setting, and you will also have the good feeling of helping someone rise to their full potential. You will also get paid for it – a bonus anyone can appreciate!

Counseling. Do you find that you always have the right thing to say? Do you want to give back to your community and those who need a helping hand? Consider working for a counseling service. You can choose to work for the online or phone service and work with the organization to set hours that are convenient for you. Your listening ear might be all someone needs to get their life back on track – and wouldn’t it feel great to be the one who gave it to them?

So you’re looking for a job to make ends meet. You want to work on weekends, maybe in the evenings, and certainly during the summertime. But what if you’re burned out on teaching and everything that goes along with it? In that case, it’s time to find a part-time job that takes you away from the world of instruction for a while.

Work in Retail. Stocking shelves might not seem like the most enjoyable thing to do, but consider this: The pay is good, the hours are usually acceptable, and you will have plenty of time to think about your next career move. You can work as a temporary stocker during the summer months, or you can take on a job as a cashier.

Drive a Truck. Do you love the open road? Do you have a CDL? Driving a truck during the summer might be the job for you. You will be gone for weeks at a time, and you will see parts of the country you might not have seen otherwise. Driving a truck gives you plenty of solitude, so you have time to contemplate what you’re going to do about this burned-out feeling when it comes to teaching.

Create Crafts. Are you handy with a glue gun? Do you like to meet people? Consider creating crafts in your spare time, and hitting all the big craft fairs during the summer to sell your wares. You will travel, enjoy sharing your work, and make new friends while you’re at it.

Become an Accountant. You can spend your evenings at the tax office, or spend your summers preparing people for their new steps in life – buying that house or choosing that perfect IRA plan. If you have math skills and you’re good with people, it’s an option to look into.

Wait Tables. You might have done it in college, so why not brush off those waiting skills? Restaurants hire additional people to handle the summer rushes, and you will always be needed on weekends. Waiting tables is very different from teaching school, so it gives you a break from the classroom.

If you are a french teacher, your skills will be in high demand for those who are looking to learn a second language. Take advantage of your skills and use your knowledge of language to carve out a great part-time, weekend, or summer job to make ends meet!

Tour Guide. As a tour guide for french-speaking citizens, you will be in high demand. Talk to your local travel agent about opportunities to handle tours to the United States or other countries. You can also take a group of English-speaking students to France as their guide, and teach them not only more of the language, but the culture as well. Look into student ambassador programs for more information about what is available to you.

Summer Tutor. There will always be students who fall behind, for whatever reason. Your teaching skills can help those students catch up during the summer months. Talk with parents who are interested in hiring tutors for the summer and take pride in your student’s grades as they rise!

College Enrichment. Some students come from school systems that don’t require learning a second language…so when they get to a college that does require it, they need a crash course. You can provide that for them during the summer months and on the weekends for a reasonable fee.

Voice Overs for Television Programs. Many television programs are in need of voice-over actors to translate their shows into another language. If you have a smooth voice people seem to like, you just might be perfect for this job. It’s a great gig to handle during the evenings, especially since you might be able to use your own computer to work on the audio files.

Freelance Translation. If you are good at translating the language, consider working as a freelancer for those who need a good translator. You will be sent tapes and be expected to write out what people are saying, translating it into the desired language as you go along. If you are quick with a keyboard, you can make a lot of money doing this!

You have a great skill in your French speaking – so use it to your full advantage!

Preschool teachers have a lot of patience. Their job is to teach children whose attention spans, simply thanks to their tender age, are not quite developed. They are responsible for giving students the most basic educational skills that will carry them through the rest of their life. The building blocks of writing and reading, the essential concepts of mathematics, and the general concepts of science are all turned into fun lessons at the hands of the preschool teacher.

If you’re looking for a summer job, a part time job, or a weekend job to make ends meet, your skills as a preschool teacher will take you a long way!

If you teach preschool, it’s safe to say that you enjoy working with kids. If you didn’t, you would go stir-crazy in no time! Take advantage of that love of kids to find jobs that fit your life perfectly.

Daycare work. You’re already dealing with children during the days at your preschool gig, so why not extend that to the summertime? Daycares always need extra hands around during the summer months, when kids are not busy in school but parents still have to work. Daycare work might be less structured than what you are used to in the classroom, but it also offers you the opportunity to teach kids a few skills – and the parents will thank you for it.

Private Tutoring. Are you very good at dealing with children who have disabilities of some kind, or who are slow to learn? Private tutoring for those children might be the perfect way to earn some extra income while giving the child a chance to learn along with the rest of the class. If you have specific skills in dealing with learning disorders, your private lessons will be in high demand.

Directing Plays at the Children’s Theater. Do you have a special knack for creativity and a way of keeping a lot of kids in line with fun games and rewards? You might make the perfect director at the children’s theater! They are always looking for someone who knows how to bring out the best in children. You will be responsible for helping those little lights shine, and who knows? You might wind up being the very first acting coach of an Oscar winner one day.

Photography. Does it seem odd to include photography as a potential job for a preschool teacher? Maybe at first blush…but preschool teachers are great at understanding the emotions of children and cajoling them into smiles. Preschool teachers are also fantastic at giving direction that even the smallest kids understand and obey. Those skills are perfect for someone who is taking photographs of kids! You can capture the essence of a child in a way that a photographer without preschool teaching experience might not be able to, and again, it’s something that parents will pay top dollar to have.

Your patience with children is a gift. Use it to your advantage when it comes time to find a job that is perfect for your schedule and your strengths.

As a teacher, you know how to communicate with people. You know how to plan, schedule, set up assignments, give lessons and deal with everything that comes your way. You also have the people skils necessary to deal with everything from front-office politics to the kid who is crying over his first broken heart. With skills like that, charities around the world would be happy to have you around for a summer or two!

There are countless charities out there, and they are all in need of funds and help. You can give them what they need by taking a summer to devote to the charity of your choice. Here are a few options for those who want to do something good for others and get away for a while, all at the same time.

Set up Schools. Many countries torn by war and civil unrest are struggling to get back on their feet. One of the first things that falls to the wayside during the rough times are the schools. In fact, some countries are working to rebuild their schools after rockets tore apart the buildings. You can aid in the effort by collecting school supplies throughout the year and then spending the summer months on the site, providing support for the teachers who will be handling the classes once the school begins again.

Feed the Children. There are countless children going hungry every day. You can put your teaching skills to use and join with a charity that helps villages learn new ways to grow their own foods. You can also help to distribute much needed supplies. If you are fluent in a foreign language, that’s another bonus.

Provide Medical Care. For some charities, there are just too many people to help and not enough hands to do it. If you aren’t squeamish about blood and you are open to learning the basics of field nursing, you can help innoculate children against diseases, provide medications for health problems and teach individuals about proper hygiene and wound care.

Be a translator. If you are fluent in a foreign language, your skills are needed to help charity workers cross the language barrier. Be prepared to speak to anyone about anything – you never know what will be needed.

Work to Create Sustainable Systems. Digging a well during your summer break might not seem like the coolest job in the world, but when you see how you will be helping hundreds of people, suddenly that well becomes a beautiful thing, indeed. There is a real need for sustainable systems in less fortunate countries, and your education background gives you the skills to be a fast learner. If you are skilled in the sciences, that’s even better.

It might not be a money-making position, but helping out with charity work can be more rewarding than any paycheck. If you have a free summer and you want to make a difference, charity work is the answer.

If you are an art teacher, you already know the thrill of unlocking creativity in a child. You are familiar with the voyage of discovery that happens when a child picks up a crayon or a paintbrush, or when someone molds a block of lifeless clay into something beautiful and special.

You also know that feeling when someone finds their calling in the world of art, and that little tingle that you get when you see something that shows true talent. Those students with true talent could use your skills outside of the classroom to really help them shine!

Have you considered extending your art classes to private lessons during the summertime? A person’s imagination – whether it be a child of eight or a person of eighty – can be opened by a blank canvas and a brush in hand.

Offer private lessons. Private lessons for the most promising students will allow you to make some extra income while you help their talents blossom. Who knows? You might be the mentor for the next great sculptor or painter. Private lessons also allow you to use different mediums and places, such as setting up your easel in a field and painting something you would never be able to see from the classroom.

Work at a nursing home. Studies have proven that art can open up the mind in many ways, and can help nursing home patients make progress, especially after they have suffered a stroke or other life-threatening condition. Those who cannot speak with words can make their emotions heard through the arts, and you can be their guide. Consider weekly meetings with residents in order to help them realize their full artistic potential.

Offer fun classes for the community. Are you an excellent sculptor? Do you want to teach others how to make their own items for their home? Kids of all ages rave about the time they made their own coffee cups or created their own sculpted artwork for their parents. These pieces are treasured for generations! Offering a community class gives you the chance to make good money in a short amount of time, and it also allows you to have a small part in something that will become a part of family history.

Lead an art tour. Do you have several promising students who want to know more about art? Schedule a tour of museums with them. They will pay you to take care of all the accomodations, travel and the like. You will lead them on a journey through some of the most impressive museums, helping them learn about what they see. It’s a vacation and teaching opportunity rolled into one! It takes a lot of planning and patience, however, so be prepared to start this summer job long before the school year is officially over.

There are many other jobs for art teachers during the summer months. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it contains a lot of creativity and flair! You can fashion a summer that will have art lovers talking about it for months.