This post is some insight into what my life looks like and mainly consists of tips to help other traveling teachers help improve their life!
1. Do not make the mistake of not having air conditioning in the summer or no heater in the winter 😦
2. You’re going to have delays. It’s inevitable. The road is not perfect so please allow yourself to have 5 minutes into your lesson time to arrive to your student’s home
3. Carry cold drinks with you and keep your favorite snacks nearby. They can also cheer you up when you feel really tired haha
4. A sun visor is a lifesaver! Sometimes you don’t want people looking into your window and checking you out. And sometimes, more often than not for me, I like the privacy when I take short breaks in between lessons
5. Google calendar is another lifesaver. You can also keep gate code information in there and addresses
6. McDonalds is always crowded during lunch time, so I really don’t recommend going there if you only have a couple minutes before your next lesson. Go to Arby’s or Taco Bell. Their drive thru lines are short
7. All parents will understand if you are late. Traffic and car accidents are predictable when you’re traveling. I always make sure I still provide a 30 minute/1 hour lesson though. Sometimes you run behind, and that’s okay! Give yourself a break. You work hard and they will forgive you
8. Carry an extra jacket in your car to double for warmth or use as a pillow for quick breaks
9. You will find downtime and you will have to calculate whether it’s worth it to drive back home. You can also accomplish extra work stuff like replying to parents’ messages during these breaks
10. Waze is the only reliable gps I have ever used. There is no comparison
11. I invested in one of those phone mounts for your car, but mine recently broke. They’re great though! I’ll have to go get another one
12. Coffee can be your best friend. I need two coffees on my longer days where I teach 10 students
13. All phone calls can be answered when you are NOT driving. Please be safe
14. Schedule in plenty of time for you to get to your destination(s) and also account for traffic. It’s good to be early and have time to rest before going in to lessons than to be late and have to rush there
15. More importantly, schedule at least one 1 hour lunch break for yourself in your work day. It is what ties me over and helps me refuel for the next couple of lessons
16. Your car will quickly become a storage place, but don’t let it be that way! Take everything back into your home after you’re done for the day. You don’t want people stealing your stuff from your car
17. You should only be waiting about 5-8 minutes in front of a student’s house if they forgot their lesson day/not home. Don’t wait too long. Take the time to rest and accomplish extra tasks
18. When it’s sunny outside, I like to park my car under a tree or in the gas station haha I cannot be sitting out in the sun
19. The radio has good music, but pandora is better
20. Neighborhoods do not have great signal and you cannot surf on your phone there usually. Park near a starbucks if you need wifi
21. The starbucks reward program is good to have, but the line to starbucks is atrocious!
22. Have face wipes, hand sanitizer, car cleaning wipes, air fresheners, cup holders, phone charger, and anything else you might need to make your drive a lot easier
I love being a traveling teacher and these are just some of the tips I have. If you liked this post, please continue to read more and I will post more tips in the future 🙂
Pocketfuloflearning 