Hiring workers in the micro or hybrid school: What to Look For

Now that you have your business ducks in a row (from the previous series and Part 1 of this series), it’s time to start looking for your employee/s.

The first thing you should do is write up a job description. This is what you’d want to see if YOU got hired for a job and wanted to know what would be expected of you. Write down the duties and tasks, the hours, and the skills you want this person to have. It doesn’t have to be long or complex.

For example, you might be hiring an classroom aide to help you as you teach. You want someone who understands your approach, has energy for and genuinely enjoys kids, and is helpful and sees what needs to be done. You probably want someone who is organized or who has experience with kids. They may need to help with pick up and drop off times, move furniture, clean up, help with lunch, etc…

Your job description will start with a simple summary of what you are looking for as far as the person and then may bullet point the tasks the person will be asked to do. It’s always better to include any ‘maybes’ that may come along! For instance, if you want someone who can handle solo recess duty for 5 kids comfortably, or who can move tables or check toilets, put that in the description. Even if it is a “may be occasionally require to…” section.

I highly recommend that the top two things you look for in either a teacher or aide, are a genuine energy and enjoyment of children and an openness, if not experience, with your educational philosophy. Nearly everything else can be learned! A person who is burnt out or enjoys spreadsheets in a quiet room more than she enjoys a roomful of kids (guilty!), or who is very set in her previous approaches to education is often a person who will struggle to adapt.

In short, you will want to look for someone who can really deliver your vision well. In my experience, there is nothing quite like meeting the person. Sometimes an applicant will have years of experience in a classroom and look great on paper, but when you meet them, they just don’t have the energy or they are very ‘stuck in their ways’. Someone else may not have as showy of a resume, but you meet an energetic and open minded person who loves kids, and you know you have the stuff of a great employee.

In the next post, we will discuss the actual process of hiring.