As principal of a school, your duty is not only to mould the future generation of adults, but to make sure that the teachers you’re employing are suitable for the position too. You have a standard to uphold, so that for many years to come, parents choose to send their children to your school. In this article is going to be some of the things you should be looking for when interviewing someone to teach classes for your school.
How long have they been a teacher?
With most other jobs, the length of time that you have been in the profession matters. The longer the better, usually. This might not be the case for the person you’re employing. There are millions of newly qualified teachers each year looking for a school to settle down in and teach. However, if you have an older person interviewing, make sure that the curriculum they teach is still up to date, especially if they have been out of teaching for a few years. You’re more likely to have an up to date curriculum if you hire the newly qualified teacher.
That’s not to say that the teacher that’s been doing it for years isn’t worth hiring either. Think about the many years of experience they will have with dealing with children. Weigh up the pros and cons of each, and you will find the person you’re looking for.
Are they certified?
So you’ve found someone that you think would be perfect for the job, but do they have certification? Many schools prefer teachers to have obtained certification because it shows that the person applying wants to further their career in teaching; therefore would be perfect for the job at hand. Another reason is that if you’re offering a higher position (alongside teaching, like deputy principal,) then seeing that they have achieved this will greatly assure you that they’re the right person to hire.
Do they care?
Many teachers sadly lack compassion and care for their students. They are there to teach, and they will do their job, but they can sometimes be ignorant to each individuals needs. Before employing anyone, ask them what it means to be a teacher, and how they would deal with certain situations like a difficult student, for example.
Teachers who genuinely care about their students will show this by telling you past stories, or explaining why they became a teacher. Make sure you’re choosing the person that’s going to do their best to cater for each student’s needs. Pick the one that will go the extra mile for their classes, just to keep their lessons educational, but fun.
It’s not just students that they need to be good with either, make sure that they would fit in as part of the teaching team. Introduce them to trusted colleagues and get opinions after the interview.
Finally, trust your gut instinct. If someone seems like the perfect candidate for the job, and have ticked all of the boxes for the questions you’ve asked them, they’re likely to be right for the job. Enjoy getting to know your new colleague.