How to Recruit Quality Special Needs Teachers

Recruiting High Quality SEN Teachers

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Ensuring inclusive education at your institution relies massively on the competence and experience of your frontline teaching staff. You need teachers who have a solid background in the field that goes beyond pedagogy and classroom management, especially when it comes to providing high-quality education to children with special needs.

Much of the challenge of recruiting such educators involves knowing where and how to bring high quality talent to the fold. This is mostly a matter of running an effective recruitment campaign that aims to attract not just special needs teachers, but teachers who can do more than teach. Here are a few tips that are guaranteed to help you find and onboard only the best teachers in the field:

1. Define excellence in special needs education

Before you draft out a job description for recruiting the right teachers, it helps to define what a skilled special needs expert should possess. You need someone who has a background in special education but you will need to narrow down the list of applicants by defining the skills and credentials that align with your institution’s vision and ideals. 

You need teachers who have had prior experience in non-profit work or training in another field. You know a special needs teacher is worth hiring when they have obtained a Bachelor of Social Work online or worked for local and international organizations active in education.

2. Go beyond the credentials 

The fact that someone has taught a special needs class before should automatically qualify them for a teaching position in your institution. However, credentials shouldn’t be the end-all and be-all of recruiting for quality. You should also check an applicant’s emotional maturity. Teaching a diverse class is a practice in patience so it pays to hire teachers who also demonstrate high levels of empathy. 

Candidates should also be capable of fostering healthy professional relationships with parents and adhering to organizational policies. A quality special needs teacher is one who has the brains and the heart for their craft.

3. Tap into your networks

One way you can speed up the process of hiring quality special needs teachers is to reach out to your professional circles for recommendations. You need tested and proven educators on the ground, but these types of individuals are hard to get by. 

By getting other school heads or close friends to refer people who fit the mold, you can save time and money on recruitment. Not only that but you also get a list of candidates that require less comprehensive background screening.

4. Make the most out of the interview

Before onboarding a special needs teacher, you will need to gauge how easy they are to work with. Their resume can only reveal so much, so you must ask the right questions during their interview. Aside from talking about their educational background, ask them the reason why they want to teach children with special needs. 

Have them detail their best (and worst) experiences. Ask them how they handle challenges that test their emotional competence. You know they’re a cut above the rest when you sense the sincerity in their answers.

Endnote

For your educational institution to excel through its special needs program, you need teachers who can do more than stand in front of a class. You need people who are passionate about what they know and what they do!