RECRUITMENT GUIDE
How To Hire A Teacher
A teacher is responsible for the academic, social, and emotional education and learning of students of a range of ages. A teacher may work in a variety of settings depending on their qualifications, such as a kindergarten, primary or secondary school, or a tertiary education facility.
Teachers working in a secondary and tertiary institution commonly specialise in only a couple of subjects to teach, whereas kindergarten and primary school teachers are required to have a broad knowledge of a range of subjects. Some early education teachers can also choose to specialise, for example as a physical education teacher, language teacher, librarian, or as a special needs teacher.
Teachers in especially kindergarten, primary and secondary education settings help students to grow and learn many important life skills, to try to influence the students to be the best person that they can be now, and in the future. Teachers inspire their students, to not only have a lifelong passion for learning, but to also form strong relationships with peers, and to develop many hard and soft skills.
Day to day roles: (Vary depending on the work setting)
- Creating lesson plans for the week.
- Grading students work.
- Teaching students.
- Influence students to be the best versions of themselves.
- Conduct meetings with parents.
- Liaise with other teaching staff.
Recruitment Process
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
Skills profile for a Teacher
Depending on the teaching environment the candidate wants to work in, this will determine the qualifications they will require. To be a kindergarten teacher, a candidate will need to obtain a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), or a Bachelor of Early Childhood. To be a primary school teacher, a candidate must have a Bachelor of Education (Primary), and to be a secondary school teacher, a candidate must have a Bachelor of Education (Secondary). To be a university professor, candidates will often be required to complete the Bachelor degree in their chosen field, and then complete the postgraduate study to obtain a Masters or Doctorate level qualification. Teachers will also require a working with children card to allow them to work on site with children. Depending on the chosen specialisation, candidates may be required to complete different/more qualifications, as well as relevant industry experience. There are some common skills required for this position.
A teacher must be very patient when interacting with students. They must demonstrate incredible patience in the classroom and always maintain cohesion, but also be strict when required. They must also understand that classrooms can be difficult spaces for some students to learn and stay focussed in, and maintain patience and calmness when required in these circumstances.
A teacher must have excellent communication skills. They must be able to communicate well both verbally and in writing, and clearly articulate instructions for their students so they understand what is expected of them at all times. Teachers must also set clear expectations for students from the start of each day or each lesson, to ensure that all goals are achieved.
Teachers must also be very creative. They must find new and creative ways to maintain engagement and include fun into the classroom in order to keep students focussed and interested. They must also tailor their teaching in various ways to speak to different learning styles in their classroom, and also inject creativity into coursework to make learning fun as well as informative.
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.
SOURCE APPLICANTS
Teacher Job Description
Summary:
- Why is this role being filled?
- How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
- What makes your company unique?
- What would it be like to work for you?
Requirements:
- What technical skills are needed for this role?
- Which soft skills are applicable?
- What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
- Include availability preferences in this section
Responsibilities:
- What are the key deliverables for this role?
- What does the day-to-day of this role look like?
Benefits:
- Compensation & bonuses
- Employee benefits & perks
- Ongoing training benefits
PRO TIP #1
Ensure to include the requirements of the successful candidate in the job application, such as any additional training required (such as a first aid course), and the hours they are required to be on site and that they may have to complete grading and lesson plans in their own time in the evenings or on the weekends. By including this information in the job description, it will ensure that candidates are aware of the scope of the role, and help the employer to find the perfect fit for their organisation.
PRO TIP #2
Ensure that the entire recruitment process from job description to assessment to interview reiterates your company vision and values. This will help you identify the right people for the role, and applicants will know whether your company is the right fit for them.
SKILL ASSESSMENT
Sample skills assessment
Question 1
Creativity
Question Type: Document
Please write a list in the document below about the ways that you maintain student engagement?
Question 2
Communication
Question Type: Text
Describe a time where your instructions were not clear to some students. How did you identify this and then rectify?
Question 3
Patience
Question Type: Video
Why do you think it’s important for teachers to have patience?
INTERVIEW
Interview guide for a Teacher
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.
This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.
PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.
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