Teachers are often underpaid and work long hours, prompting many to take side jobs. This extra income helps them pursue passions, gain new skills and sometimes enhance their teaching, benefiting both themselves and their students.   

        Business teacher Shannon Haynes’ excitement for dance sparked in high school while participating in her school’s performing arts program. She realized her love for dance extended beyond the classroom and decided to open a dance studio after graduation. Diva Arts Dance Studio opened in 1997, offering ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, Afro-caribbean classes and more, to students ages 4 and up.

As a teacher, she would be off work at 2:20 giving students time to get home and relax to have enough time to be at the dance studio by 5:30 or 6 p.m.

Haynes works about 6 to 7 hours teaching dance classes, but outside the studio she is always working to find better opportunities to grow the business. 

“I spend countless hours researching, paying attention to market trends and figuring out how I can grow the business so it can continue to be successful,” Haynes said.

    As a business teacher, Haynes teaches her students how to create a business, run it and how to keep it steady. She uses her resources and her business as a useful example and teaching ground for her students. 

   “It’s really fun to hear my students ask about my business start-up and everything that  comes with it. It feels good to pour into them in hopes that they will be successful as well,” Haynes said. 

        Culinary Arts teacher Chef Lubin’s passion for cooking was nurtured by his mom, and his time in Miami Senior High’s teaching magnet program set the stage for his future. With the help of these influences, he is able to combine both passions to impact his students’ lives. Now he has been running his catering business, Semaj, since 2007 which  is also the year he began teaching.

Semaj caters corporate events, candlelit dinners for 2, weddings, and travel catering large and small events. He serves what he describes as global American cuisine, which is a collection of Carribean, European, Asian, and other cuisines. Lubin said he brings a lot of catering experience into the classroom, also teaching about business, managing time and employees. 

     Chef Lubin normally works 16 hours a day. At Semaj, he is the chef owner, meaning he is in charge of coming up with the menu, hiring all the staff, and ensuring that the guests have a memorable experience

      “Honestly it’s a labor of love because I am passionate about what I do, and if I didn’t really love this, I wouldn’t do it,” Lubin said.       

     Having a side job allows teachers to balance their careers, personal goals, and financial stability in a way that benefits them and what they love.