Teacherpreneur Models

Teacherpreneur models take on a variety of different forms. Most are practiced within the typical classroom in a general educational environment, but others are not. This chapter educates the reader on the different teacherpreneur models (classroom teacherpreneur, consultant teacherpreneur, business teacherpreneur), demonstrates what each entails, and concludes with a section about innovative online approaches that can be implemented. Teacherpreneurs can work in more than one model at the same time or only address one depending on their own innovations, creativity, motivation, and what their school contract permits them to do. These models illustrate the steps a teacherpreneur might follow to move through the various levels of teacherpreneurship on their own, if desired, or highlight for the administrator how they might implement certain practices within a school to foster teacherpreneurship among staff.

Characteristics of a Teacherpreneur

This chapter educates readers on the various characteristics of teacherpreneurs that are critical to the teacherpreneur's success. These characteristics include being ethical, passionate, creative, resourceful, empathetic, persistent, flexible, and self-motivated. In addition, teacherpreneurs are visionaries, risk-takers, networkers, advocates, and leaders/mentors. This chapter describes the components that fit within each of these primary characteristics and provides examples from literature. All teacherpreneurs will exhibit, to some degree, the characteristics described in this chapter. These characteristics form the foundation upon which a teacherpreneur's entire teaching philosophy is built and reflect a commitment to the notion that each and every student can learn if properly instructed.

What Is a Teacherpreneur?

This chapter introduces the reader to the concept of teacherpreneurs and elaborates on the emerging teacherpreneurship movement. Several general definitions of teacherpreneurs are provided, followed by background information on the origin of the concept and the connection between entrepreneurship and teacherpreneurship. In addition, three types of teacherpreneurs are discussed: classroom teacherpreneurs, business teacherpreneurs, and consultant teacherpreneurs. Each type and how it functions in the educational environment are described in detail, and a brief review of related literature is presented. The information conveyed in this chapter provides the foundation for understanding the content included in the remaining chapters of this book.

Getting Started as a Teacherpreneur

This chapter educates the reader on how to start their own teacherpreneur venture, both as a classroom teacherpreneur and as a consultant teacherpreneur. It contains suggestions such as participating in online forums, acquiring additional professional development, and reviewing websites to gain an understanding about what is already available on the market and how to make one's product different and unique. Finding a mentor who is willing to support and provide advice to other educators on how to become a teacherpreneur is also discussed, as is taking teacherpreneur classes and collaborating with those who are currently teacherpreneurs. The chapter describes some general practices to consider when determining how to get started becoming a consultant teacherpreneur and the steps an educator needs to take in order to become successful at it, and then offers some particular avenues to pursue if considering a consultant teacherpreneur approach.

Teacherpreneurs as Agents of Reform

This chapter discusses the vital role that teacherpreneurs can have as agents of reform in the education system. Researchers have been discussing the need for a movement toward teacher leadership in schools for decades, but a real shift in this direction is still in its infancy. The need for change has become more urgent due to the increasing diversity, digital literacy demands, and at-risk populations in the nation's schools. Teacherpreneurs are a logical choice for leading the educational reform necessary to respond to the needs of 21st-century learners. This chapter discusses why they are suited to lead educational reform, presents practical ways to select suitable candidates for teacherpreneur initiatives, examines the explicit roles teacherpreneurs can fill to help drive meaningful change, and presents specific ways that schools can empower teacherpreneurs to shape change.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

This chapter provides closure by summarizing the final conclusions and takeaways from this book. Overall recommendations are made related to establishing a framework for implementing a teacherpreneur model within a school. A brief review of current studies focused on evaluating teacherpreneurs and related initiatives is included, along with a discussion of future research needs. Moreover, this chapter includes the key takeaways based on ideas that emerged repeatedly during the researching and drafting of this book and presents those ideas as they relate to both teachers and administrators. The chapter ends with some final thoughts about enhancing teaching and leadership initiatives through the use of teacherpreneurs.

Benefits of and Challenges to Becoming a Teacherpreneur

This chapter educates the reader on the benefits of and challenges to becoming a teacherpreneur. The benefits—which include being able to set their own work schedule, having control over what additional responsibilities they take on, supplemental income, or becoming a better teacher due to the reflective practices—typically outweigh the challenges, which can include working alone, lack of a steady income (especially in the beginning when starting out), excessive paperwork to fill out (e.g., self-employment taxes, paperwork to consult with a school), lack of collaborative support, an unpredictable work schedule, and a high level of competition. Educators who are interested in becoming teacherpreneurs should be aware of the benefits and challenges discussed herein prior to getting involved in this educational movement.