Curious about side hustles around here.

[Evoex]

Yikes. I am no pro rider

No one is looking for a Pro. MM makes a great point.

The trick is being able to filter out all that knowledge you have, and pare things down to basics that anyone can pick up on. The next essential is being able to read your students; Some need to be taken aside and given more elaborate instruction, maybe away from other people zooming around which is making them nervous or doubt themselves. Others need to be told to stop over thinking it and just get out and ride.

If i had $5 for every student who told me 'i can't do this' but in the end passed, more often then not with a perfect score, i could start planning a retirement.

 

[GreyGhost]

You don't need to ride well to teach well. Although, it does lend you more credibility when you can actually do what you're teaching.

I agree. In my m2x course, to stop the bitching from some crap riders about it not being possible to get their HD's through the course an instructor grabbed his wing and made it look simple.

 

[油井緋色]

You don't need to ride well to teach well. Although, it does lend you more credibility when you can actually do what you're teaching.

I think this is dependent on the student but what's the rationale behind this? I've heard this many times from team sports to management. Nearly all students I've met that have a "try hard" personality require a high performer; even newbies because they'll start asking advanced questions very fast.

The only teachers I remember (any subject) were the ones who taught okay and performed way above the ones who could not perform, regardless of teaching ability (can always copy someone's skill; can't copy what isn't there though.)

@george__ you need a lot of patience. I generally won't teach unless the student I'm teaching has shown they can think/understand things very fast otherwise I get frustrated too quickly and the student's confidence will get murdered as a result; everybody fails then. This is probably important af for teaching in general.

 

[Lightcycle]

I think this is dependent on the student but what's the rationale behind this? I've heard this many times from team sports to management. Nearly all students I've met that have a "try hard" personality require a high performer; even newbies because they'll start asking advanced questions very fast.

The only teachers I remember (any subject) were the ones who taught well and performed way above the ones who could not perform, regardless of teaching ability (can always copy someone's skill; can't copy what isn't there though.)

You can perform a task very well, but if you can't explain to someone else how to do it, then you're a poor candidate to be a teacher.

You can be an expert performer, but if you have poor observation skills and can't spot what a student is doing wrong and then coach them properly, then you're a poor candidate to be a teacher.

It is entirely possible to be skilled in the area of performance, but unskilled in the area of rapport, encouragement, patience and all the other qualities that make a good instructor. Typically, this comes through as, "Look, I can do it. It's *SO* easy. Why the hell can't *YOU* do it?!?"

I've found some of the best teachers are the ones who have struggled through the learning process themselves. They understand where all the pitfalls to advancement are at every stage, so they can anticipate, explain and coach around these stumbling blocks. If someone picks up a skill quickly due to natural ability, they never experience these roadblocks themselves and are less capable at identifying them, and coaching around them.

Teaching and performing are two very different skills. Not mutually exclusive. But different.

 

[Mad Mike]

Definitely a labour of love. When all the travel and pre/post-course work (maintenance, paperwork, etc) is factored in, you're basically working for minimum wage or less.



Private instruction is not more lucrative than group instruction. When you have 5 students all paying for the same instructor's time, that is where most of the revenue comes from for the school. Not many students will pay 5x the group rate to have one-on-one private instruction. Our school offers 1-on-1 lessons, but it's a loss leader for the company, meant more as a way to accommodate students who can't attend weekend courses or who don't feel comfortable learning with and in front of other students. Because of this, not many schools offer private 1-on-1 lessons.

As for the instructor, if you're a contractor for the school, you get paid hourly or by weekend, so whether it's 5 students or 1, it's the same amount of money in your pocket.

There is no additional training to go from group to private. If anything, it's easier because you don't have to have eyes in the back of your head to monitor 4 other students.

I rode with a few novices before COVID, they mentioned they paid $60/hr + $20 rider for small group instruction. The instructor took them on 3-hour group rides outside the GTA - the gal I know took 4 lessons, she really improved. I think the instructor was from one of the local schools.

A school is running in the parking lot at Markville Mall (not sure what school - no signs or banners), I stopped and watched for a while -- it really looks like fun!

 

[Evoex]

I rode with a few novices before COVID, they mentioned they paid $60/hr + $20 rider for small group instruction. The instructor took them on 3-hour group rides outside the GTA - the gal I know took 4 lessons, she really improved. I think the instructor was from one of the local schools.

A school is running in the parking lot at Markville Mall (not sure what school - no signs or banners), I stopped and watched for a while -- it really looks like fun!

Learning Curves, i teach there on occasion.

 

[Lightcycle]

I agree. In my m2x course, to stop the bitching from some crap riders about it not being possible to get their HD's through the course an instructor grabbed his wing and made it look simple.

Yeah, I always demo on my R1250GS with all the bags on, on a course designed for CBR125Rs.

Looks impressive, but little do the students know that the big Beemer is actually way more nimble than the bikes they're learning on and that the R-bike is totally a cheater bike.

 

[Mad Mike]

i visited a lot once of another school/business and the 'instructor' dropped the bike demonstrating slow clutch/friction zone-rear brake. I couldn't believe it.

I remember seeing that happen! It was at a school that operated in the Honda corporate parking lot in Markham.

I went thru the course as a companion to my wife when she was working on her M2, an instructor was demonstrating how to 'stretch' a bike for better low-speed control, he stalled and dropped a CBR125 in the demo.

 

[油井緋色]

It is entirely possible to be skilled in the area of performance, but unskilled in the area of rapport, encouragement, patience and all the other qualities that make a good instructor. Typically, this comes through as, "Look, I can do it. It's *SO* easy. Why the hell can't *YOU* do it?!?"

Huh, must be a music thing where you beat the students until they can do it lol (not sarcasm)

 

[Mad Mike]

I think this is dependent on the student but what's the rationale behind this? I've heard this many times from team sports to management. Nearly all students I've met that have a "try hard" personality require a high performer; even newbies because they'll start asking advanced questions very fast.

The only teachers I remember (any subject) were the ones who taught well and performed way above the ones who could not perform, regardless of teaching ability (can always copy someone's skill; can't copy what isn't there though.)

@george__ you need a lot of patience. I generally won't teach unless the student I'm teaching has shown they can think/understand things very fast otherwise I get frustrated too quickly and the student's confidence will get murdered as a result; everybody fails then. This is probably important af for teaching in general.

I guess you didn't get lucky with teachers.

The best teachers/coaches are almost always the ones with delivery, evaluation and remediation skills -- rarely are they the best players.

 

[油井緋色]

I guess you didn't get lucky with teachers.

The best teachers/coaches are almost always the ones with delivery, evaluation and remediation skills -- rarely are they the best players.

I think I did get lucky actually. The most influential one conducted North America's best high school string orchestra. Her teaching style was calling out people who sucked in class and using guilt as a motivator. People who didn't practice would drag the entire orchestra into overtime and we knew who it was.

I am certain many of us got ****** mentally by her, but ends justify the means? lol At the end the only thing that mattered were the first places we kept getting.

 

[Lightcycle]

I think did get lucky actually. The most influential one conducted North America's best high school string orchestra. Her teaching style was calling out people who sucked in class and using guilt as a motivator. People who didn't practice would drag the entire orchestra into overtime and we knew who it was.

Yes. Guilting someone into learning how to ride a motorcycle totally works.

100% of the time.

 

[shanekingsley]

You can perform a task very well, but if you can't explain to someone else how to do it, then you're a poor candidate to be a teacher.

You can be an expert performer, but if you have poor observation skills and can't spot what a student is doing wrong and then coach them properly, then you're a poor candidate to be a teacher.

It is entirely possible to be skilled in the area of performance, but unskilled in the area of rapport, encouragement, patience and all the other qualities that make a good instructor. Typically, this comes through as, "Look, I can do it. It's *SO* easy. Why the hell can't *YOU* do it?!?"

I've found some of the best teachers are the ones who have struggled through the learning process themselves. They understand where all the pitfalls to advancement are at every stage, so they can anticipate, explain and coach around these stumbling blocks. If someone picks up a skill quickly due to natural ability, they never experience these roadblocks themselves and are less capable at identifying them, and coaching around them.

Teaching and performing are two very different skills. Not mutually exclusive. But different.

Very well said!

I loved teaching moto riding to new learners, but a change in careers made it tough to keep doing it. I definitely wasn't doing it for the money, because it was around minimum wage for sure. It was super rewarding though. The reason I started doing it was that it gave me an opportunity to hear how others convey the same concepts I need to convey. This helped my by leaps and bounds in my overall communication skills as a college level teacher and also in my day job dealing with many personality types. The observation skills you mentioned also developed, related to bike maintenance, observing other riders, and overall coaching in a big way. A great side effect was that my riding behaviours improved as well and they have deteriorated since I stopped!

If I ever get more time on the weekends, I would definitely go back to teaching moto classes.

Some schools may allow a minimum of 4 weekends per season as the minimum to maintain your standing. This is generally what I did because I also had a lot of family stuff going on and I also needed to get out for long rides on my weekends too.

 

[油井緋色]

Yes. Guilting someone into learning how to ride a motorcycle totally works.

100% of the time.

I think for edge cases it might. When an instructor shows disappointment to a student, and the student has passion for the activity along with respect for the instructor, the student will rise.

 

[Matt Rain]

I've been making electric guitar pickups for the last 4 years, on top of my old freelance gig as a content editor/producer/translator. The guitar thing fluctuates between being a side hustle and my main source of income, with summer being relatively quiet and winter being very busy. Prior to 2017 I was a semi-miserable desk jockey who despised the corporate game. Very happy to be able to despise it from a distance these days.

 

[mimico_polak]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions everyone. Highly appreciate it.

If I could figure out how to branch out from my heavy construction management experience I would do that. Have worked in sales for many years over time as well, and have also some experience in PM (currently working in this field).

One of my biggest dreams when I was younger was pure sales as an independent product representative working straight commission…but life took a turn.

I know a few product manufacturers that would want me to rep their brands and consumables…but not sure how my employer would feel about that.

 

[Evoex]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions everyone. Highly appreciate it.

If I could figure out how to branch out from my heavy construction management experience I would do that. Have worked in sales for many years over time as well, and have also some experience in PM (currently working in this field).

One of my biggest dreams when I was younger was pure sales as an independent product representative working straight commission…but life took a turn.

I know a few product manufacturers that would want me to rep their brands and consumables…but not sure how my employer would feel about that.

Check the fine print on non compete!

 

[mimico_polak]

Check the fine print on non compete!

Not a non compete application here. More like a possible conflict of interest.

I’d be selling equipment to companies that may possibly work for a govt contract on which I’m party to.

 

[Mad Mike]

Not a non compete application here. More like a possible conflict of interest.

I’d be selling equipment to companies that may possibly work for a govt contract on which I’m party to.

That's a side hustle for Politicians.

 

[afici0nad0]

Neighbor seĺls arts and crafts online.

Wife does it fulltime and husband helps out after work. I can hear the saws and power tools going off in the evenings.

They would sell stuff similar, but not limited, to what we see from @matthew