Job Discussion Forums

[nrb]

I'm just about to make the transition from employee to employer and am now faced with the prospect of checking English teachers' references.

I wondered if anyone had any ideas on the kind of questions to ask a teacher's referee (e.g. How well do you feel the applicant worked with students? etc), or whether it's better to ask them for a 'general' reference.

Any tips/opinions more than welcome. Thanks!

[basiltherat]

perhaps obvious to some but i think its wotth asking for 2 general comments/appraisals; one on a 'professional' level and the other on a personal character level.
Having a great 'professional' instructor who can't behave reasonably is not one yud probably prefer to have on board. On the other hand, a really nice guy who cant perform 'professionally' is also not someone who is going to be of benefit to you.
best
basil

[ls650]

"If you were looking for a new employee, is there ANY reason why you might not want to re-hire this person?"

[madison01]

I've been hiring for around 4 years now and I have a set format for asking for a reference.

1. professional qualities

Flexibility
Quality of work
Attention to detail
Attendance and timekeeping

2. Personal qualities

Honesty and integrity
Responsibility
Relationship with colleagues
Enthusiasm

3. Teaching qualities

Classroom management
Lesson planning
Rapport with students

each one is graded good - satisfactory - unsatisfactory

You can ask if they've undergone a CRB check
If they recommend the candidate
Crucially, would they rehire the candidate themselves.

I have a form that can be emailed, posted, faxed or you can go through it over the phone.

You will have to chase some people up, it's tedious but some managers simply forget to do them.

Some places will only give you a standardised reference letter e.g. worked here this date to this date, it doesn't mean they're rubbish, simply that large corporations protect themselves from litigation for providing false or biased references. Some managers will give you a reference at their own discretion. If that's the case try their certification institute, if it's relatively recent they should have a trainer there who will give you a lot of the info you need.

References from non-teaching positions can still give you the reference in the form but you stress that they don't fill out the teaching qualities section

[nrb]

Thanks for your ideas everyone. That's a great help.

[dmb]

Your situation will be different from previous posters. we don't know the kind of place you work. Most important you need to figure out the kind of person you will be looking for. Sit down and make a perfect candidate profile.

remember you will be working with the successful candidate.

[Stephen Jones]

Don't ask a lot of questions; the referee is doing you a favor.

The simplest question is 'tell us about him'. Then ask anything else you feel is missing.

[Sgt Killjoy]

I would also say to take references with a big hunk of salt. As corrupt as many school owners are, it is hard to get an objective picture of a candidate. I would personally rely more on references from the applicants home country.

[tedkarma]

I agree with Stephen, keep it short and simple.

Funny enough - some people actually provide referees who will give them very negative reviews. Most of us would cherry-pick for the best.

Mostly, I listen for hedging and the use of very careful wording by the referee, something that indicates all is not happy, but that they wish to not go into it. Red flag.

[Gordon]

I also agree about keeping it simple. I have been a reference for people many times over and it can be a pain sometimes (often). The reference does not have a lot of time and remember to send them back an email afterwards thanking them for their time. This happened to me last week and I thought it was very professional of them (potential employer) considering they are a busy publisher.

[Sweetsee]

What's happening to your position Gordon, if you don't mind my asking? Sorry to butt in.

[Gordon]

[dmb]

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

And it's uncanny how those same friends simultaneously come to occupy positions of such trust, power and responsibility ...

[Sweetsee]

I see Gordon. So, you are able to maintain your position indfinitely?