How to vet prospective homeschool teachers an tutors efficiently and effectively

If you’re recruiting from a college, university, after-school program, summer camp, or via recommendations from other families, someone has already done some vetting on your candidate, whether it’s the admissions committee or the company/individual family that hired them previously. We already recommended that you request a one-minute video from the candidate to save time before a full interview.

Background Check

It’s generally a good idea to do a criminal background check and sex offender check on any teacher or caregiver you hire. Care.com is one company that provides this service.

Social Media Check

A lot can be learned about a prospective employee by a brief review of the way they present themselves on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

Ask Other Parents

As a best practice, ask your prospective teacher for the names, numbers, and emails of other parents whose children they’ve taught or cared for. Sometimes it is also possible to connect with families in online homeschooling or parenting groups who know this person and will message you privately about their experiences.

When you talk to the parents, they might be hesitant to say anything negative about the teacher, so try to ask them specific questions such as, “Was the teacher ever late?” “Were there any challenges working with the teacher that you had to sort out together?” “Was the teacher responsive to feedback? Can you give an example of a time you needed to give feedback, what it was for, and how the teacher integrated that into their lessons?”

If you’re looking for teachers on Facebook or Meetup, as opposed to a job site, you’ll already have referrals, which helps a lot. Generally, a parent will have a very high level of enthusiasm about a teacher if they feel compelled to post a referral to a public group.

1-Minute Video Interview

Generally, it can save a lot of time to ask teachers to send you a one-minute YouTube video. This will give you a sense of their energy level and personality. This simple task can also reveal your teacher’s organizational skills and comfort with technology. Even if your teacher isn’t doing online lessons, a basic understanding of technology is often helpful for keeping lessons organized and ensuring clear communication.

Sample Lesson

Before committing to the long term, we recommend asking the teacher to do a short demo lesson (20-30 minutes is plenty). This can either be recorded or in-person. Please be sure to compensate the teacher for their time. So much of whether a teacher can support your child depends on fit. This demo lesson will help reveal whether the teacher is a good match for your child’s personality and the way they learn. Someone with a less impressive resumé could be an extraordinary catalyst for your child. In contrast, an impressive resumé does not always equate to strong teaching skills.

Pro-tip: Act Fast!

One lesson we’ve learned the hard way is that teachers are in high demand. If they’re looking for extra work, they might find it in a few days. A great teacher will not wait weeks or months while you make a decision. It’s generally a good idea to try to get an interview and make an offer as soon as possible.