Teacher’s Week provides an opportunity to show gratitude for the hard work and commitment of our teachers who play a major role in the lives of students, families and the community. They support, inspire, motivate and bring learning to life, yet their paychecks rarely reflect just how much time and energy they put into their work.
But many teachers are recognizing their potential as entrepreneurs, using out-of-the-box ideas, and are capitalizing on their talents to turn their passion into profits. What might seem like two very different worlds, actually have significant overlap, because teachers possess many key characteristics needed for a business to thrive.
Miriam Samuel, spent 40 years as a teacher and since retiring from the profession, she has been an entrepreneur for 30 years. In her new book Mirie’s Magic Recipe: Loving, Leading, Legacy, she outlines how she planned her transition from teaching to entrepreneurship as part of a retirement strategy. Released during Teacher’s Week, one chapter in the book, “Once a Teacher, Forever a Motivator and Way-Maker,”highlights the sacrifices made by teachers, and the business opportunities that are available to them.
“I believe that my long tenure as a teacher has provided me with the foundation, knowledge and skills that are required for entrepreneurial success,” Mrs. Samuel said. “As teachers, we already understand our customers — students, parents and the community — and we know how to relate to them.”
Having taught at nine schools in four parishes in Antigua, Teacher Mirie has touched thousands of lives. She encourages teachers to consider pivoting to entrepreneurship, either to supplement their income or as part of a retirement plan, by leveraging key qualities that are effective in the classroom. However, she advises that they must first carve out a niche and develop a plan. She points to several parallel characteristics between teachers and entrepreneurs.
Effective Communication Skills
A teacher’s charisma and knack for getting students’ attention is more than just classroom magic. These communication skills translate well in the business realm giving teachers the unique ability to connect deeply, build rapport, and inspire action – skills that are highly valued in entrepreneurship.
Creativity and Innovative Thinking
As a craft teacher, Mrs. Samuel was known for her out-of-the-box thinking. She was asked to reactivate the cafeteria at Otto’s Comprehensive School and used it as a way to generate revenue to purchase supplies. She advises that creativity does not end in the classroom and teachers can channel it to build innovative products and solutions that they can monetize.
Lifelong Learning and Continuous Improvement
Teachers are lifelong learners and strive to improve every day. Mrs. Samuel is always ready to learn a new skill and describes Google as her best friend. Entrepreneurship also thrives on an ongoing expansion of knowledge, learning from experiences and adapting to new challenges.
A passion for people not just money
Like entrepreneurs, teachers solve problems and make a difference in their community. Teaching is not solely a career, but a lifestyle that requires flexibility and dedication. In her book, Teacher Mirie describes her passion for helping others to succeed and for standing in the gap for the underrepresented. She recounts her involvement in the 1979 Teacher’s strike that lasted one full term. Despite not being paid, she was committed to standing with her colleagues for the greater good of the profession.
Transitioning from Teaching to Entrepreneurship with God at the Center
Mrs. Samuel’s journey from the classroom to business was a natural evolution guided by God. In her book, she references how frustration with the high workload and limited resources in the teaching career can be transformed into fuel for entrepreneurial dreams, if teachers put their faith in God and follow his purpose.
In celebration of Teacher’s Day, Mrs. Samuel will participate in a panel discussion at the Kentish Pentecostal Church on May 7th at 7:00pm. The theme is “The Role of Christian Educators in the Community” and the event is open to the general public. Mrs Samuel continues her interactions in the classroom, leveraging her skills as a teacher and seniorpreneur. As a member of the Gideons International, she visits schools with various business groups to distribute Bibles. This is part of her calling to equip students, fellow teachers and the community with tools to serve God. She quotes Psalm 33 – “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Her book, “Mirie’s Magic Recipe: Loving, Leading, Legacy” is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2QZL8fk
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