Money is a sensitive subject in education.
Teachers don’t enter the profession “for the money,” but financial realities shape nearly every aspect of their work—from classroom supplies to housing choices to long-term career satisfaction.
Too often, the conversation about money in education gets stuck between resignation (“teachers will always be underpaid”) and despair (“this job is unsustainable”). But there is another way to think about money, one that reframes it not as a burden, but as a tool for creating impact and professional growth.
I don’t know why sailing came to mind…Maybe I was dreaming of the summer break still… :-)
When it comes to money, teachers—like most people—tend to fall into three broad categories of mindset:
Staying Afloat (90% of teachers): Paychecks barely cover bills, and financial stress creates cycles of burnout and frustration. Money feels like the master.
Moving with an engine (9% of teachers): Teachers advance their careers with stipends, leadership roles, or side hustles. Here, money becomes the scoreboard, tied to recognition or advancement.
Sailing Freely (1% of teachers): Educators view money as a form of energy that fuels authentic, meaningful work. They create curriculum, resources, or programs that multiply their impact beyond the classroom.
These categories are not fixed destinies; they are stages of development.
With intentional steps, teachers can transition from survival to success and, ultimately, to sacredness—where teaching is no longer just a job, but a deeply aligned vocation. Teachers can move from merely surviving to thriving and ultimately to a place of deep purpose, where teaching transcends a profession and becomes a sacred calling.
This transition is achieved through a series of deliberate steps. By taking deliberate actions, educators can shift their financial relationship from one of mere survival to one of thriving success. Ultimately, this journey leads to a sense of sacredness, where teaching transcends the boundaries of a profession and becomes a significant and aligned calling.
The Staying Afloat Trap
Consider Angela, a third-year high school English teacher.
She works 50 or more hours a week, coaches cheerleading for a small stipend, and tutors on weekends to keep up with her rising rent.
Every Friday feels like a lifeline, but by Sunday evening, she already dreads the week ahead.
Angela’s story is not unique. Some teachers experience financial strain, with a significant number working second jobs to cover living expenses. This constant pressure contributes to a higher risk of burnout and lower job satisfaction.
Staying afloat mode in education is not about laziness or lack of ambition—it is about structural conditions and mindsets that keep teachers trapped.
For those in the Staying Afloat stage, the first step is to become aware (try this Teacher Wealth Audit to identify issues in your blind spot).
Teachers can begin by clarifying their financial patterns—tracking expenses, identifying sources of stress, and recognizing how financial strain impacts their teaching. A simple budgeting system, such as the 50-30-20 method (50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings/debt), can provide clarity.
Just as importantly, teachers in survival mode should set one professional goal not tied to money, such as improving a unit or publishing a lesson on a site like Teachers Pay Teachers. These small wins restore a sense of agency and reduce the feeling of being controlled entirely by paycheck cycles.
Navigating the Deep with an Engine
Now consider Marcus, a 12-year veteran middle school science teacher. Marcus was known as “the go-to guy” at his school.
He chaired his department, taught summer school, mentored new teachers, and accepted every stipend available.
His paychecks were larger than Angela’s, and his résumé looked impressive.
Yet Marcus felt exhausted and strangely unfulfilled.
Despite his “success,” he noticed his relationships outside of school were suffering, and the joy he once felt in teaching was waning.
His experience echoes what Ingersoll (2018) noted: while some teachers climb traditional career ladders, doing so without nurturing intrinsic motivation often leads to disengagement and burnout.
Teachers in the success stage face a critical question: If I double my income in five years but still feel this emptiness, is that acceptable?
Success provides temporary validation, but it can become another trap if the pursuit of titles and stipends replaces the pursuit of purpose.
The way forward is not to abandon ambition, but to redirect it.
Teachers at this stage can experiment with projects that combine professional growth and personal meaning, such as presenting at conferences, writing for educational journals, or designing curriculum beyond their classrooms.
These activities turn money from a scoreboard into a resource for a more profound impact.
At this stage, teachers can undertake projects that blend professional growth with personal significance.
Examples include presenting at conferences, contributing to educational journals, or developing curriculum outside their immediate classroom. Through these endeavors, financial considerations shift from being a mere score to a valuable resource for achieving a more profound impact.
Sailing Freely
Finally, there are educators like Rosa, a former elementary teacher who reached what might be called the Sailing Freely stage.
After 15 years in the classroom, Rosa began creating bilingual literacy resources online. What started as a small side project grew into a sustainable business.
Today, Rosa consults with districts, publishes curriculum, and mentors new bilingual educators. She still identifies as a teacher, but her impact now extends far beyond her own classroom.
This shift reflects a broader trend in education. Teachers are increasingly using digital platforms not only to consume resources but also to share their own expertise with global audiences.
A 2023 RAND report found that educators are actively participating in digital economies through platforms such as YouTube, Teachers Pay Teachers, and TikTok, which allow them to share and monetize their practices (Doan, Kaufman, Woo, & Johnston, 2023).
Teachers in the Sailing Freely stage view money as a form of energy that fuels meaningful work.
Their projects feel aligned with their values. They still face challenges, but their financial and professional lives no longer feel at odds with each other.
Moving Between Stages
Transitioning from survival to success and, eventually, to sacredness does not happen overnight. It requires deliberate steps:
Create a Contra-Vision. Teachers should start by writing down what they do not want their professional lives to look like in five or ten years. This negative vision—what life would feel like if nothing changed—often becomes the most powerful motivator.
Dedicate an Experimentation Hour. By committing even one hour per week to exploring new skills or projects, teachers open themselves to growth. This could include experimenting with AI tools, building digital lessons, writing, or attending professional webinars.
Leverage Digital Tools. Platforms like Substack, Canva, or even AI writing assistants can help teachers multiply their work without multiplying their hours. What was once possible only through publishers or institutions is now accessible to individuals.
Network Laterally. Teachers often focus on upward networking with administrators, but lateral connections—with peers across districts, states, or even countries—can be equally transformative. Online professional learning networks expand opportunities and break geographic limits.
Think Multiplication, Not Addition. Instead of simply adding hours through tutoring or second jobs, teachers can learn to create resources or systems that scale, generating ongoing impact and potential income.
Conclusion
Teachers already know how to design, adapt, and create. These skills can extend beyond the classroom, allowing educators to shift their relationship with money from survival to success, and eventually to sacredness.
Money itself is not evil. It is energy. And when teachers learn to direct that energy with purpose, they not only transform their own professional lives but also expand their impact on the students and communities they serve.
References
Doan, S., Kaufman, J. H., Woo, A., & Johnston, W. R. (2023). Teachers’ use of instructional materials and strategies: Findings from the American Instructional Resources Survey 2023. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-15.html
Ingersoll, R. (2018). The Aging Teaching workforce: A snapshot of changes from 1987 to 2016. Consortium for Policy Research in Education.