How to Become a Homeschool Teacher
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Lately, I have seen quite a few social media posts from people who either want to become a homeschool teacher or want to hire a homeschool teacher. I’m not talking about a parent who wants to homeschool their own children. I’m talking about someone who wants to homeschool children other than their own children.
The people curious about how to become a homeschool teacher typically fit into one of several categories:
- Classroom school teacher who has left, or wants to leave, public or private school classrooms
- Recently graduated with an education degree, but now isn’t so sure about working in a traditional school
- Homeschool parents whose own kids have all grown up
- Currently homeschool their own kids and would like to add more kids to the mix
There are a few different types of homeschool teacher jobs. Of course, there is room to customize the job role, but these are the basic job duties.
How to Become a Homeschool Teacher
Private Homeschool Teacher – One-On-One
A private homeschool teacher teaches every subject to the children in one family. This might take place in the family’s home or at the teacher’s home.
Responsibilities:
- Prepare lesson plans
- Teach all of the lessons
- Assess progress
- Communicate with the parents
- Take attendance (if required)
- Administer end-of-year testing (if required)
- Comply with any homeschool laws not mentioned here
Some families will want to help choose the curriculum and others will want to let the teacher choose what they think is best. Some families will need the homeschool teacher to also function as a nanny.
It is important to know that the legality of this format can be a little murky. Not every state allows someone other than a parent to teach every single subject all day every day. For example, in North Carolina, this is only a legal option if a teacher only teaches one family in addition to their own.
If this is something you are considering, please thoroughly research your local homeschool, private school, and childcare laws.
Private Homeschool Teacher – Small Groups
A private homeschool teacher who teaches small groups typically specializes in one subject. These classes are typically held in the teacher’s home on a consistent schedule.
For example, I have friends who use a private homeschool teacher to teach high school writing in a small group. Every week the students go to the teacher’s home for class. They work on homework assignments the rest of the week.
Responsibilities:
- Choose the grade level or levels they want to teach
- Set the schedule
- Choose (or create) the curriculum
- Prepare the lesson plans
- Teach all of the relevant lessons
- Assess progress
- Communicate with the parents
In this situation, a homeschool parent is still the administrator for their homeschool so all of the homeschool paperwork and record-keeping is their responsibility.
If you decide to become a homeschool teacher who teaches in private small groups, be sure to research your local homeschool and childcare laws. You will want to keep safe child-adult ratios in mind when setting your class sizes. You may also be limited to a certain number of hours per day or week in order to not be considered a private school.
Homeschool Co-op Teacher
A homeschool co-op teacher is the most common type of homeschool teacher. These teachers work with a homeschool co-op to fill the classes. The classes are typically all on one day of the week at a church or community event center. The homeschool co-op teacher just teaches the classes they select.
In a lot of ways, this is similar to a private homeschool teacher for small groups. The small groups are made up of homeschool co-op members.
Responsibilities:
- Choose (or create) the curriculum
- Plan the lessons
- Teach the lessons
- Assess progress
- Communicate with parents (optional depending on the age and subject)
- Tidy the room after class so that it is ready for the next co-op teacher
Related: Fun and Educational Homeschool Class Ideas
Many homeschool parents find themselves teaching a homeschool co-op class while their kids are in a different class. Other homeschool co-op teachers are people with experience teaching a specific topic. For example, I was part of a homeschool co-op that hired a high school math teacher. The teacher had left the public school system to enter the homeschool market.
Common Questions About Becoming a Homeschool Teacher
Are homeschool teachers paid?
A homeschool teacher who is only teaching their own children does not get paid. However, a homeschool teacher who is teaching other children can be paid if they can find someone who is willing to pay for that service.
How much are homeschool teachers paid?
The amount that homeschool teachers are paid will vary based on location. It also varies due to job responsibilities and requirements. Generally, a teacher with teacher certification will be paid more than a teacher with a few college credits.
I searched for homeschool teacher jobs in the Southeast United States, where I live, and found that homeschool teachers can generally expect to earn $20 – $50 per hour.
What are the educational requirements?
The educational requirements are determined by the homeschool parents and they will vary depending on the type of homeschool teacher they are hiring. Some parents will be fine hiring someone with a high school diploma and other parents will be looking for certified teachers or recent graduates with a teaching degree.
How do I find a job as a homeschool teacher?
There are a few ways to find a job as a private homeschool teacher or homeschool co-op teacher:
- Post on Facebook homeschool groups and moms groups for your area
- Search Craigslist for job openings
- Create a profile on Teacherstogo.com and Care.com
- Reach out to local homeschool co-ops to see if they have any needs (search Faceboook and Meetup to find co-ops)
- Use your networking skills – talk to all of the homeschool parents that you know and ask them to spread the word
What do homeschool teachers teach?
The possibilities are pretty much endless. Homeschool teachers can teach every grade level from preschool through twelfth grade. They can teach any subject -including core subjects or electives. They might even be paid to organize and run extracurricular activities.
What do I need to know before becoming a homeschool teacher?
Know the homeschool, private school, and childcare laws in your state! There is no administrative staff looking out for you to make sure you are complying with your state law. The laws also vary from state to state.
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