Welcome to the first day of a new series: Homeschool Interviews where I will be interviewing different homeschoolers!
I created this new series because I thought it would be fun. If you want to be interviewed in the future, all you have to do is go here and answer the questions. Because everyone homeschools in their own way, and it’s interesting to see how other people do it, I’d love to have a number of different interviews in the series.
But first I thought I would kick things off by answering the questions myself. I really wanted to add a lot more questions, but I chose not to because it would be too much.
Hiring a homeschool teacher for your children is an important decision that requires careful consideration. As a parent, you want to ensure you find the best fit – someone who understands your family’s homeschooling approach, connects well with your kids, and can nurture their academic and personal growth.
The interview presents a vital opportunity to evaluate candidates and determine if they have the qualifications, experience and teaching philosophy that aligns with your needs. Asking the right questions allows you to gain meaningful insights into their background, competencies, teaching style, and more.
Here are the top 20 homeschool teacher interview questions every parent should consider:
1. Why are you interested in homeschool teaching?
This open-ended question reveals their motivations. Listen for a genuine passion for homeschooling, not just an option when other teaching jobs are unavailable. Preference for candidates who actively chose homeschooling.
2. What is your homeschool teaching experience?
Probe details like settings, ages taught, curriculum used and responsibilities held. Gauge if their experience matches your needs. Preferably, they have taught students similar to yours and used compatible curricula.
3. What is your general educational and professional background?
Understand their academic qualifications, certifications, and other relevant training. Ensure it aligns with subjects they will teach. Look for continual development through workshops etc.
4. How would you describe your teaching philosophy and methods?
Get insights into their core beliefs and approaches to instruction. Seek compatibility with your homeschooling style – relaxed, classical, eclectic etc.
5. How do you personalize learning for students?
Assess their ability to tailor teaching to individual learning needs, abilities and interests. Key for homeschooling success.
6. How do you monitor and assess student progress?
Important to gauge if their methods fit your preferences – formal vs informal, test-focused or holistic. See if they value self-paced mastery.
7. What curriculum resources do you prefer using?
Understand if their preferences and experience aligns with curriculum you plan to use. Look for openness to experiment with different resources.
8. How would you teach a challenging concept students are struggling to grasp?
Evaluates their instructional skills and creativity in overcoming learning obstacles. Look for multi-modal strategies focused on mastery.
9. How do you foster student engagement and excitement for learning?
Assess if their teaching style motivates enjoyment of learning. Look for real-world connections, varied activities, student interests leveraged etc.
10. How do you handle discipline and behavioral issues if they arise?
Probe their approach to discipline – overly strict or excessively permissive may be unsuitable. Optimal answers focus on redirection and positive reinforcement.
11. What methods do you use to develop student socialization and collaboration skills?
Important for homeschoolers. Look for group projects, shared learning activities field trips etc. Preference for holistic development.
12. How do you communicate and provide updates to parents?
Understand their process for keeping you informed on progress, challenges and accomplishments. Seek compatible communication style and frequency.
13. Are you comfortable with my involvement and presence during lessons?
Essential they welcome you participating in classes to observe, learn alongside children etc. Clear expectations prevent issues.
14. How do you determine and track learning goals for students?
Assess if their goal-setting method aligns with your preferences Mastery-based and student-centered goal setting optimal
15. What experience do you have adapting instruction for students with special learning needs?
If applicable, gauge their competence and comfort teaching children with IEPs, learning disabilities, gifts etc. Tailored support is vital.
16. How do you leverage technology in homeschool teaching?
Understand their comfort with technology tools and online resources. Match preferences for tech integration intensity.
17. Which subjects or grade levels are you most comfortable teaching?
Confirm experience aligns with your needs. Specializations in certain subjects may be beneficial.
18. How do you stay updated on latest teaching practices and education trends?
Seek passion for continuous development via conferences, memberships, credentials etc. Lifelong learning mindset is key.
19. What do you enjoy most about homeschool teaching?
Get a feel for their passion and reward drivers. Enthusiasm for flexible pacing, close relationships, and family involvement are pluses.
20. Do you have any questions for me about our homeschooling approach and needs?
Allows them to gather important details and assess fit. Engaged, two-way dialogue builds rapport and understanding.
Using these well-planned homeschool teacher interview questions allows you to thoroughly evaluate each candidate’s qualifications, competencies, experience and teaching philosophy.
Listen closely to their responses and probe for deeper insights when needed. Take notes to compare contenders. Verify credentials and experience claims.
Most importantly, assess each interviewee’s ability to fulfill your children’s learning needs and seamlessly fit into your unique homeschooling dynamic. An exceptional match will become clear.
With the homeschooling model gaining immense popularity, the teacher interview represents a critical step in building an optimal learning experience tailored to your children’s needs and your family’s values. Leveraging these key questions helps ensure you find the perfect fit.
So take the time to prepare and thoughtfully assess responses. The investment will pay dividends in your children’s growth and learners. After all, few decisions are more important than who educates and inspires your kids’ young minds.
Frequency of Entities:
homeschool teacher interview questions – 11
homeschooling – 10
teaching – 9
students – 8
experience – 7
children – 5
questions – 4
learning – 4
look – 4
teach – 3
assess – 3
needs – 3
prefer – 3
fit – 3
skills – 3
progress – 2
curriculum – 2
lessons – 2
goals – 2
updates – 2
discipline – 2
technology – 2
trends – 2
contenders – 1
credentials – 1
insights – 1
qualifications – 1
competencies – 1
observation – 1
rapport – 1
verification – 1
rewards – 1
seamlessness – 1
popularity – 1
investment – 1
dividends – 1
inspiration – 1
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PARENT THAT IS WORRIED ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S “SOCIALIZATION OPPORTUNITIES” AS A HOMESCHOOLER? (YES, IT’S A RIDICULOUS AND ANNOYING QUESTION BUT IT IS OFTEN ASKED.)
I think that a lot of people are “worried” about this issue because they have heard someone else talk about it, but most people haven’t really thought about it. I usually tell people who bring it up that our kids do a lot of different things that people would call “socialization,” like sports and activities. I also point out that there are a lot of homeschoolers just a few blocks away, and there are also a lot of homeschool families at our church.
If the people who asked me want to talk for a longer time, I will talk more about how I feel about socializing and how school isn’t really “socializing,” etc. But these conversations don’t occur very often.
I still want to write a long post about this subject because I have a lot more to say about it!
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCES?
I love reading books, but I also love watching documentaries and playing different kinds of games with my kids. You can see some of our favorite games here. Raeca has been really enjoying Dutch Blitz lately. I don’t think it’s on our list of games though, since she is just now old enough to play it. I’ll have to add that to our list soon!.
Say This in Your Teacher Interview | Kathleen Jasper
FAQ
What questions will be asked in a teaching interview?
What is your weakness teacher interview question?
