5 Tips For Hiring Preschool Teachers

Any time you hire employees there is the possibility of problems popping up. Before the drama starts in your preschool, here are 5 tips to help stop preschool teacher problems BEFORE they start!

Develop Firm Policies For Your Preschool

Many problems can be circumvented by hiring the best teachers to begin with. Before you hire a teacher, be clear on what you want your preschool to look like. What is your own educational philosophy? What are your expectations for the teachers you hire? When you interview preschool teachers for your teaching positions, find people who have the same educational philosophy as yourself and who share your values.

Beyond the philosophical part of what your preschool stands for, there are policies that affect the way your preschool operates. These policies may include things like pickup and dropoff procedures, handling emergencies or illness, parent communication, etc. Develop a policy manual before you hire a teacher for your preschool.

Create An Environment That Discourages Teacher Problems

Teachers want to do one thing when they take a job at your preschool. That one thing is TEACH. They want the freedom to do what they love to do. By creating an environment in your preschool that allows them to teach the children the way they want to teach, you can stop a lot of teacher problems that may pop up along the way.

Allow your teachers to create their own schedules (except for recess times which may need to be balanced between several classrooms.) There are general categories that need to be included in the preschool classroom:

• Opening Circle
• Table Time
• Centers
• Snack Time
• Recess
• Storytime
• Closing Circle

But let the teacher decide how they want to arrange those categories and what they want to fill those categories with. Let them choose their own themes, how to decorate their classroom, and which crafts to do. Letting them have the opportunity to simply teach will remind them of why they wanted to teach in the first place. Your preschool will become a haven to them. They will find joy in what they do and joyful employees do not cause problems.

Train Your Preschool Teachers In Your Policies

Take the time to train your teachers in your preschool’s policies and procedures. This goes beyond handing them the manual and telling them to read it. Have them shadow you for a week or two before starting in their own class. Walk them through the things that are non negotiable. 

Then let them know that your way is not always the best way when it comes to their own classroom. Beyond the definite policies and procedures they are free to create an amazing experience for their preschoolers.

Assess Each Student To Help Your Preschool Teacher Develop A Plan For Teaching

In order to successfully teach a classful of preschoolers, your teacher will need to know where each student is and where they can reasonably get to in one academic year. Help the teacher to assess each student at scheduled times throughout the school year to ensure that each student is progressing as they should. The Developmental Continuum Rubric is a great way to show where students currently are in each skill area.

Let Your Preschool Teachers Teach!

Once your preschool teacher knows where their students are at and where they need to guide each of them to by the end of the school year, all that is left for them to do is teach. Resist the urge to micromanage them. Just let them do what you hired them to do and trust they will do it well.

These tips will help stop problems that could pop up if you hire preschool teachers!