In this episode, we delve into effective strategies that aid you in assembling a committed team of educators and assistants. Clear-cut for educators grappling with the task of structuring a micro school, this episode presents key steps in recruiting individuals who match your vision and values.
This episode stresses the importance of learned hiring. It involves authentic experiences and discussions on the repercussions of hiring hastily or too late, and the advantages of a well-thought-out hiring process. You will also gain insights into defining your vision and values, a critical process that not only attracts like-minded people but is also key to decision making and team-building.
For teacher entrepreneurs, your team is the backbone of the micro school. Learn to empower them and provide an environment for them to thrive, ultimately breathing life into your vision. Explore more with the Microschool Masterminds community! Sign up today at TeachersLetYourLightShine.com/Masterminds to secure your spot with an introductory price.
This episode further emphasizes commitment towards your team's development. Conferences, meetings, workshops, open communication channels, and project management boards ensure holistic education, trust, respect and smooth operation. With guidance from teacher communities like Micro School Masterminds, you can construct an efficient team that mirrors your ideals.
Your dedication to your team's growth directly affects the triumph of your micro school. Don't miss this opportunity to reform your education venture. Turn your vision into reality with Microschool Masterminds.
Microschool Masterminds is custom-designed, offering monthly coaching, community access, and weekly content, equipped with templates, videos, and printables to help you control your time, plan your finances, create marketing strategies, and organize your innovative ideas. Whatever your micro school phase, we've got something for everyone.
www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/masterminds
Join Our Facebook Group for a supportive community and the “best place on the corner of the internet” https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherletyourlightshine
Book a Clarity Coaching Session: www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/coaching
Get started on your dream school right now! Get all the documents you need to jumpstart, market and enroll students! www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/shop We have step-by-step instructions to help you write powerful marketing brochures, enrollment forms, introductory packets, and so much more! You’ll also find easy-to-use templates made to simplify your creation process, as well as beautiful real-life examples used by my micro-school, Lighthouse Learning, to give you creative inspiration when designing your very own forms. You will be able to seal the deal with peace and clarity when you hand deliver your new handbook and contract. Tune in to today's episode to find out more and head over to our shop to purchase your documents at teachersletyourlightshine.com/shop
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Picture this. You are on a mission to build your dream micro school,
a place where students thrive, families feel welcome, and educators like yourself
are empowered to make a huge difference.
But here's the fact. It's not
your fault that you don't know where to start and who to have help you.
(00:21):
It's not your fault that you do not know how to hire.
Come on. We've been a part of the system that just makes everything seem so
easy, but there's a lot of invisible catches that they've got us trapped in.
In today's episode, I'm going to share with you that you need a team,
(00:43):
a community of passionate, dedicated educators or assistants.
Parents who share your vision and your values.
Welcome to a podcast that's all about creating a supportive community of educators,
educators recruiting nurturing and empowering
a team that shares your vision and your values
(01:04):
where do you start with hiring stay tuned parents and
teachers the time has come the time for us to gather together and create the
ultimate learning environment for those of us leading the movement and education
by creating micro schools and homeschool hybrids now introducing micro school
Microschool Masterminds,
(01:25):
the one and only program for those of us who are dedicated to making a change
and creating such incredible opportunities,
not only for our community, for our own families, for our own life.
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and isolated in your journey of building
a microschool or homeschool hybrid,
(01:46):
Microschool Masterminds is here to support you through the frustration, the uncertainty.
Music.
The building business task, the direction, the vision, the time constraints,
the fumbling through your finances, the wondering how to grow what you already have.
Your answer is here. You've been asking for this and we've created it.
Microschool Masterminds, the one and only ultimate solution to transform your
(02:11):
dream into your reality.
Boost your success with efficient time management, financial planning,
strategic strategic marketing, and systems and processes to streamline all your
wild and amazing ideas so you can actually move the mountains standing in your
way of your greatest success.
We know what it's like to struggle with analysis paralysis, financial insecurity,
(02:34):
and marketing challenges in your micro school.
Music.
Beginner, current micro school owner, and the person who is ready to grow their
existing business and mindset.
With micro school masterminds, you'll receive monthly group coaching sessions
with me, Mackenzie Oliver, private support, community access,
(02:57):
and weekly content filled with templates, videos, and printables to help you
with all of your business building tasks.
If you're feeling stuck in a rut, battling time management issues,
needing clarity over your budget or your finances, If you're struggling to hire
the dream team or craving accountability and inspiration, Microschool Masterminds is your answer.
(03:19):
We've helped hundreds of teachers pave the way to their microschool or homeschool hybrid dream.
We've created 733% of growth in our own microschool.
We're not letting stagnation, overwhelm, or missed opportunities hold you back.
Act now and join Microschool Masterminds to unlock the tools,
the guidance, and the community you need to thrive.
(03:41):
Don't miss out on this chance to transform your educational business and secure your success.
Visit TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds to sign up today and lock
in introductory pricing for life.
Again, that's TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds.
I will be waiting for you on the other side.
(04:04):
If you were a fly on the wall, You would have seen me in my kitchen smiling
as I was making turkey sliders and soup for my daughters because I just got
off a really great coaching phone call that literally had me smiling.
I was smiling because the person who I was coaching is so proud of herself right
(04:27):
now. She's so proud of herself.
She actually has someone that she's hired.
She's got enrollment for next year. And we talked about how at the beginning
of her time, whenever we had our very first session of coaching.
She was thinking, I don't know what I signed myself up for. What am I doing?
(04:50):
Am I going to make it? And now she's happy and she's got someone who she's hired.
And that was our whole conversation today. day, pretty much whenever we were
together on our coaching call, is about her new hire.
I'm so proud of her, so, so proud of her for taking the leap,
and I can see how much it really energized her.
(05:11):
So we got to talking about her process for hiring, and she had mentioned that
she had gotten on to Indeed, which is absolutely what I encourage you to do.
She had gotten on Indeed, and
she got tripped up a little bit because she didn't know some of the steps.
And then finally, when she sat down, she put her brain into high gear.
(05:34):
We focused because I remember the same time that I started my Indeed search for a candidate.
I was up on the front porch in a cabin in North Carolina, writing out tons and
tons of ideas for our school, knowing that I needed help.
I needed an additional assistant. And my husband said, put it on indeed.
(05:57):
And I was like, how in the world am I supposed to do that? I do not want to
learn a new little website.
It's so simple, so simple, so easy. And it is a really great tool to use whenever
you're hiring other people, you're recruiting.
Is fantastic. And I am just so happy.
I wanted to start off the podcast with a win with a success that not only is
(06:21):
she thriving, she's growing, she's hired someone.
And that is what this episode is all about. In our mastermind group,
this is an absolute area that we will be focusing on, not just once.
This is a reoccurring topic that we will be discussing over and over and over again.
(06:43):
One of the, probably the, I was thinking of this while I was stirring the soup.
I was thinking about the hardest part that I've had of hiring was hiring too
late and hiring too too fast.
Literally, there is a sweet spot, my friends. There is a plan.
(07:03):
There is a process that you can take. But hiring too fast and hiring too slow,
they can be very big enemies.
If you hire too slow, you're stuck doing a lot of work yourself and things that
you don't like to do, which is exactly what the teacher friend that I was talking to today,
she's like, I get to give this to somebody else who doesn't want to do it and
(07:25):
it's or that does want to do it. And it's things that I don't want to do.
Great. We all have different skill sets. We all have different passions.
I started off with my mother-in-law coming over. She was my very first hire.
Then I had a teacher paraprofessional from a school that I used to teach at
prior to starting the micro school.
So, so incredibly helpful. But then there were times when I hired too slow.
(07:51):
I waited too slow on way too many occasions.
That's probably the hardest part is that I've hired too slow.
And I have many consequences of hiring too slow.
And I would say I've hired too fast.
I've hired fast because I needed someone on the spot.
And I didn't think about some of the trainings that were needed,
(08:16):
the professional development that was needed, and whether or not this was going
to be a long-term commitment, a long-term project, so to speak,
for the person who I was hiring. I didn't give any parameters.
I hired too fast. And I did both of those because I didn't have a process.
I didn't have a way of really understanding what I needed, how to communicate
(08:39):
that, and to be able to actually execute and get over my fears and get over
me feeling like I had to do everything.
Building a dream team is truly incredible in so many ways.
But a lot of times we do not take advantage of hiring because we are afraid of the money.
(09:00):
Or maybe it's just something to do with our leadership.
Maybe we don't feel like we're ready to be a leader in this area. But listen,
I want you to design the life you love as a teacher and to transform education.
This is a journey. You don't want to do the journey alone.
(09:23):
So of course, don't forget Teachers Let Your Light Shine MicroSchool Mastermind
Membership launching on April 1st.
Get in, get yourself introductory pricing for a lifetime. time.
That way, whenever the prices start going up in May, you've got the right amount
of time in there where you've been able to dig in to some of the items that
(09:46):
are in the platform already, video lessons to teach you.
And then of course, every Thursday, we give you new content.
And we do a live monthly group coaching.
Now let's talk about building your dream team. As a teacher entrepreneur,
entrepreneur, your team is literally the heart and soul of your micro school.
But how do you find the right people? How do you nurture and empower them to be their best selves?
(10:11):
Especially if you're feeling like, I don't even know how to do that.
So today, we're going to talk about some tips and strategies that's going to
help create a supportive community that's going to help you bring your vision to life.
So very, very, very, very, very first and foremost, it is essential to define
your vision, your vision and your values.
That's where our introductory packet comes in. Where do you stand for as an educator?
(10:35):
What kind of environment do you create? When you clarify your vision and your
values, you're not only going to attract like minded people,
but you're also going to have them serve as a guidepost for decision making and team building.
You don't want to build a business with people that are not yoked with up with you. You just don't.
(10:57):
They're going to lead you into decision-making that is not beneficial for your
school. It's happened to me.
It has happened to me. But now I'm getting stronger. I've got my vision. I've got my ideas.
And I understand that there are some people that are really great for us during a season.
(11:17):
And then they have other hopes and aspirations as you do as well with your school. And that's okay.
That's a hard part as well. Trust me, whenever you feel like you've grown out
of a partnership with someone or they have you in return the same the same feelings
for you, maybe they are wanting to pursue something different in their life.
(11:38):
Either way, we have a process for that as well, that we will just take you through
this journey of what it's really like to be responsible for providing income for others.
But it's amazing you get to
create jobs but when you clarify
your vision and your values yes you're going to attract like-minded
(11:59):
people they're going to help you make decisions and it's
so important that you share this with these
people during your interview and also whenever
you write an ad either on indeed or on facebook that you are giving some really
great pointers for what you're looking for in a teacher or an assistant or someone
(12:23):
who's doing your bookkeeping or someone who's coaching you.
Either way, you've got to know this is what I want. This is what I believe in.
And I need to find someone who feels the same way.
Now, when it comes to recruiting, you have to cast a wide net and be very proactive
in seeking out potential team members that align with your vision and your values. We use Indeed.
(12:45):
We've had very little success on Facebook, but we still advertise for it. We go through Indeed.
We also have parents who have ended up coming on staff for us as well.
But don't be afraid to think outside the box and consider candidates from diverse
backgrounds and experiences.
(13:05):
We've got some homeschool moms. We've got some college students. We've got some artists.
We've got our PE coach. He runs a physical fitness gym. We've got a parent.
We've got a mom who had her teaching degree, but she was a stay-at-home mom for four years.
We have someone from public school. We got people from all over, all over.
Diversity really does strengthen the team and it fosters innovation.
(13:30):
Now, once you have your team, whether it be assistants or teachers,
it's very crucial to invest in their growth and development.
That is an area that we've even been talking about in the Facebook group.
How do we provide ongoing training, mentorship, and opportunities for professional growth?
And let me tell you, if somebody would have told me that whenever I had an assistant
or my mother-in-law in my living room for the first two years,
(13:52):
I would have been like, What am I supposed to do with that?
But I could have taken my assistant or my mother-in-law to conferences.
We could have went even to homeschooling conferences. That would be a little
bit less invasive, I feel, for a teacher assistant or a parent to come in at
(14:14):
a homeschooling conference. One, I think that they would connect very well.
Two, there's just so much incredible incredible quality and different ways of learning and teaching.
And I will say as a teacher, whenever I went to the homeschooling conference,
I did learn a lot about homeschooling. I learned a lot about curriculum.
I learned about a lot about myself.
(14:36):
But you may find that your teacher or teacher assistant.
Could utilize this type of conference as well.
So conferences are really great. If you even think about Herzog,
there is the Cox Institute.
So Herzog and Cox, C-O-X Institute are also very well known for professional
(14:59):
development and short trainings.
I think it is very imperative that you You also have meetings with your staff.
You yourself can be the one to professionally develop.
And it doesn't have to be the sage on the stage, this big presentation,
but it can be something that is a part of your vision and your mission and your values.
(15:22):
You can get in a situation in a conference, order some food,
like in a conference room, or just take the people that you really care about
that are on your team, all of them, obviously that you care about, but anybody,
even if it's people who volunteer and bring them together, go out to eat,
order out some food, go to Panera, get a little conference room,
(15:44):
share that these are the things that we've noticed in our school.
These are the things that we want to keep. These are the things that we want
to change and talk openly.
Like let's have a conversation about these things. We don't always have to be
the sage on the stage. We don't have to be a dictator. We don't have to micromanage people.
We can collaborate with others.
Which is really, really great in this realm.
(16:07):
Communication really is key to building a strong team. So we have to foster
very open, honest, and transparent communication.
Maybe that's where you need to start.
Maybe you need to have channels where team members feel heard, valued, respected.
Encourage collaboration, encourage feedback, and constructive dialogue to foster
(16:27):
a culture of trust and, of course, accountability.
Other really, really incredible thing that I cannot wait to show you guys in
micro school masterminds is the way I communicate with my staff.
And it's not the Google Drive.
And it is not through email. And it is not through text messaging.
(16:49):
It is through our own project management board.
I'm super excited to share that with you. micro school masterminds because you
you have to have a way of communication.
But a side note, this is super cute. My husband is in charge of the maintenance
around our school at the church.
And he comes in the morning, he unlocks the school, he sets it all up for success,
(17:12):
he plays music, he turns on all the lights, he makes sure the air is good,
makes sure checks on the trash, gets the PE equipment out for the kiddos.
This morning, he was out blowing leaves. At the end of the day,
even though we've locked it and turned the lights off, he still feels like he
needs to go by there and check it out. He takes the trash.
He just goes and fixes anything or finds people who can fix things.
(17:33):
But he's also in charge of restocking.
Tool of paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies.
And the kids would come to me and say, Miss Oliver, the bathroom light's flickering.
Miss Oliver, we need more toilet paper. Miss Oliver, we need more soap.
And finally, I was like, boys and girls, that's not my job.
But you don't know that because you don't see Mr. Oliver every day.
You think that that's my job, but it's actually Mr. Oliver's job.
(17:57):
So let's tell him in a real fun way.
So we took a stick, a big post-it white sticky note, and we hung it outside of his office.
And there's some markers outside of the supply room. It's not his office.
It's the supply room. It's the janitor closet for crying out loud.
That's what I'm trying to say.
The janitor closet. So they took a piece of paper, a sticky note paper,
(18:19):
big one, you know, the big white poster board.
They put it up on the wall and they just got to writing. Mr.
Oliver, the lights are flickering. Mr. Oliver, we need soap.
Mr. Oliver, we need more mop solution.
Mr. Oliver, there is beehive up in the tree where we play basketball.
And I tell you what, my husband got that note the next day, and he was on it.
(18:42):
And I even was writing there. And I already have a way of communicating with my husband.
But the fact is, I don't always know if he's checking our project management board.
But I know he's walking right straight into that janitor closet every day.
And when he sees those little kindergartners writing little notes to him on
the wall, seriously, kindergartners, a kindergartner literally wrote him a note
(19:03):
and gave it to him. So my husband, yes, he is on staff at Lighthouse Learning.
We're so grateful for that.
And he too is a part of our collaboration. He got a binder at the beginning of the year.
You better believe he got a binder. He's got a t-shirt. He's got it all.
It's like he's working there.
I told him I need to put him on payroll, which I do need to put him on payroll.
(19:24):
But he refuses not to.
But let's be honest. The money is still coming to the same bank account, right? right?
So yes, I do think it's important. I'm going to be putting him on payroll.
Hey, listen, he deserves it. If you got a husband, let's put them on payroll.
By following the tips that I gave you, making sure you've got a way of pulling
(19:48):
people in, making sure you have an interview process.
I failed to mention that throughout this episode is that I have a very.
Just low invasive, but important process that I go through when I am vetting
our applicants, seeing, we call it qualifying in, qualifying out.
(20:08):
Okay, these people are candidates. These people, we need to go ahead and kindly decline.
Now, after we get our really important stack of papers of who it is that we
want to hire, actually, it used to be a stack of papers, but we don't even do that.
We don't even we download the resumes we put it into our
project management system which i'm going to teach you at micro school
(20:30):
masterminds it's a free project management system you've
got to be there get in april 1st you
can start just consuming and and just being able to understand and get yourself
in a good position of learning and growing i'm excited to be with you guys and
micro school masterminds until then head over to our facebook group that is
(20:53):
teacher let your light LightShine micro school community and check us out.
The micro school masterminds at teachers light your light shine.com slash masterminds.
Parents and teachers, the time has come the time for us to gather together and
create the ultimate learning environment for those of us leading the movement
and education by creating micro schools and homeschool hybrids.
(21:16):
Now introducing micro Microschool Masterminds, the one and only program for
those of us who are dedicated to making a change and creating such incredible
opportunities, not only for our community,
for our own families, for our own life.
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and isolated in your journey of building
(21:39):
a microschool or homeschool hybrid.
Microschool Masterminds is here to support you through the frustration, the uncertainty.
Music.
The building business task, the direction, the vision, the time constraints,
the fumbling through your finances, the wondering how to grow what you already
have. Your answer is here.
You've been asking for this and we've created it. Microschool Masterminds,
(22:02):
the one and only ultimate solution to transform your dream into your reality.
Boost your success with efficient time management, financial planning,
strategic marketing, and systems and processes to streamline all your wild and
amazing ideas so you can actually move the mountains standing in your way of your greatest success.
(22:23):
We know what it's like to struggle with analysis paralysis, financial insecurity,
and marketing challenges in your micro school or home.
Music.
Current micro school owner, and the person who is ready to grow their existing business and mindset.
(22:44):
With micro school masterminds, you'll receive monthly group coaching sessions
with me, Mackenzie Oliver, private support, community access,
and weekly content filled with templates, videos, and printables to help you
with all of your business building tasks.
If you're feeling stuck in a rut, battling time management issues,
needing clarity over your budget or your finances, If you're struggling to hire
(23:07):
the dream team or craving accountability and inspiration, Microschool Masterminds is your answer.
We've helped hundreds of teachers pave the way to their microschool or homeschool hybrid dream.
We've created 733% of growth in our own microschool.
We're not letting stagnation, overwhelm, or missed opportunities hold you back.
(23:29):
Act now and join Microschool Masterminds to unlock the tools,
the guidance, and the community you need to thrive.
Don't miss out on this chance to transform your educational business and secure your success.
Visit TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds to sign up today and lock
in introductory pricing for life.
(23:50):
Again, that's TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds.
Music.
Picture this. You are on a mission to build your dream micro school,
a place where students thrive, families feel welcome, and educators like yourself
are empowered to make a huge difference.
But here's the fact. It's not
your fault that you don't know where to start and who to have help you.
(00:21):
It's not your fault that you do not know how to hire.
Come on. We've been a part of the system that just makes everything seem so
easy, but there's a lot of invisible catches that they've got us trapped in.
In today's episode, I'm going to share with you that you need a team,
(00:43):
a community of passionate, dedicated educators or assistants.
Parents who share your vision and your values.
Welcome to a podcast that's all about creating a supportive community of educators,
educators recruiting nurturing and empowering
a team that shares your vision and your values
(01:04):
where do you start with hiring stay tuned parents and
teachers the time has come the time for us to gather together and create the
ultimate learning environment for those of us leading the movement and education
by creating micro schools and homeschool hybrids now introducing micro school
Microschool Masterminds,
(01:25):
the one and only program for those of us who are dedicated to making a change
and creating such incredible opportunities,
not only for our community, for our own families, for our own life.
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and isolated in your journey of building
a microschool or homeschool hybrid,
(01:46):
Microschool Masterminds is here to support you through the frustration, the uncertainty.
Music.
The building business task, the direction, the vision, the time constraints,
the fumbling through your finances, the wondering how to grow what you already have.
Your answer is here. You've been asking for this and we've created it.
Microschool Masterminds, the one and only ultimate solution to transform your
(02:11):
dream into your reality.
Boost your success with efficient time management, financial planning,
strategic strategic marketing, and systems and processes to streamline all your
wild and amazing ideas so you can actually move the mountains standing in your
way of your greatest success.
We know what it's like to struggle with analysis paralysis, financial insecurity,
(02:34):
and marketing challenges in your micro school.
Music.
Beginner, current micro school owner, and the person who is ready to grow their
existing business and mindset.
With micro school masterminds, you'll receive monthly group coaching sessions
with me, Mackenzie Oliver, private support, community access,
(02:57):
and weekly content filled with templates, videos, and printables to help you
with all of your business building tasks.
If you're feeling stuck in a rut, battling time management issues,
needing clarity over your budget or your finances, If you're struggling to hire
the dream team or craving accountability and inspiration, Microschool Masterminds is your answer.
(03:19):
We've helped hundreds of teachers pave the way to their microschool or homeschool hybrid dream.
We've created 733% of growth in our own microschool.
We're not letting stagnation, overwhelm, or missed opportunities hold you back.
Act now and join Microschool Masterminds to unlock the tools,
the guidance, and the community you need to thrive.
(03:41):
Don't miss out on this chance to transform your educational business and secure your success.
Visit TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds to sign up today and lock
in introductory pricing for life.
Again, that's TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds.
I will be waiting for you on the other side.
(04:04):
If you were a fly on the wall, You would have seen me in my kitchen smiling
as I was making turkey sliders and soup for my daughters because I just got
off a really great coaching phone call that literally had me smiling.
I was smiling because the person who I was coaching is so proud of herself right
(04:27):
now. She's so proud of herself.
She actually has someone that she's hired.
She's got enrollment for next year. And we talked about how at the beginning
of her time, whenever we had our very first session of coaching.
She was thinking, I don't know what I signed myself up for. What am I doing?
(04:50):
Am I going to make it? And now she's happy and she's got someone who she's hired.
And that was our whole conversation today. day, pretty much whenever we were
together on our coaching call, is about her new hire.
I'm so proud of her, so, so proud of her for taking the leap,
and I can see how much it really energized her.
(05:11):
So we got to talking about her process for hiring, and she had mentioned that
she had gotten on to Indeed, which is absolutely what I encourage you to do.
She had gotten on Indeed, and
she got tripped up a little bit because she didn't know some of the steps.
And then finally, when she sat down, she put her brain into high gear.
(05:34):
We focused because I remember the same time that I started my Indeed search for a candidate.
I was up on the front porch in a cabin in North Carolina, writing out tons and
tons of ideas for our school, knowing that I needed help.
I needed an additional assistant. And my husband said, put it on indeed.
(05:57):
And I was like, how in the world am I supposed to do that? I do not want to
learn a new little website.
It's so simple, so simple, so easy. And it is a really great tool to use whenever
you're hiring other people, you're recruiting.
Is fantastic. And I am just so happy.
I wanted to start off the podcast with a win with a success that not only is
(06:21):
she thriving, she's growing, she's hired someone.
And that is what this episode is all about. In our mastermind group,
this is an absolute area that we will be focusing on, not just once.
This is a reoccurring topic that we will be discussing over and over and over again.
(06:43):
One of the, probably the, I was thinking of this while I was stirring the soup.
I was thinking about the hardest part that I've had of hiring was hiring too
late and hiring too too fast.
Literally, there is a sweet spot, my friends. There is a plan.
(07:03):
There is a process that you can take. But hiring too fast and hiring too slow,
they can be very big enemies.
If you hire too slow, you're stuck doing a lot of work yourself and things that
you don't like to do, which is exactly what the teacher friend that I was talking to today,
she's like, I get to give this to somebody else who doesn't want to do it and
(07:25):
it's or that does want to do it. And it's things that I don't want to do.
Great. We all have different skill sets. We all have different passions.
I started off with my mother-in-law coming over. She was my very first hire.
Then I had a teacher paraprofessional from a school that I used to teach at
prior to starting the micro school.
So, so incredibly helpful. But then there were times when I hired too slow.
(07:51):
I waited too slow on way too many occasions.
That's probably the hardest part is that I've hired too slow.
And I have many consequences of hiring too slow.
And I would say I've hired too fast.
I've hired fast because I needed someone on the spot.
And I didn't think about some of the trainings that were needed,
(08:16):
the professional development that was needed, and whether or not this was going
to be a long-term commitment, a long-term project, so to speak,
for the person who I was hiring. I didn't give any parameters.
I hired too fast. And I did both of those because I didn't have a process.
I didn't have a way of really understanding what I needed, how to communicate
(08:39):
that, and to be able to actually execute and get over my fears and get over
me feeling like I had to do everything.
Building a dream team is truly incredible in so many ways.
But a lot of times we do not take advantage of hiring because we are afraid of the money.
(09:00):
Or maybe it's just something to do with our leadership.
Maybe we don't feel like we're ready to be a leader in this area. But listen,
I want you to design the life you love as a teacher and to transform education.
This is a journey. You don't want to do the journey alone.
(09:23):
So of course, don't forget Teachers Let Your Light Shine MicroSchool Mastermind
Membership launching on April 1st.
Get in, get yourself introductory pricing for a lifetime. time.
That way, whenever the prices start going up in May, you've got the right amount
of time in there where you've been able to dig in to some of the items that
(09:46):
are in the platform already, video lessons to teach you.
And then of course, every Thursday, we give you new content.
And we do a live monthly group coaching.
Now let's talk about building your dream team. As a teacher entrepreneur,
entrepreneur, your team is literally the heart and soul of your micro school.
But how do you find the right people? How do you nurture and empower them to be their best selves?
(10:11):
Especially if you're feeling like, I don't even know how to do that.
So today, we're going to talk about some tips and strategies that's going to
help create a supportive community that's going to help you bring your vision to life.
So very, very, very, very, very first and foremost, it is essential to define
your vision, your vision and your values.
That's where our introductory packet comes in. Where do you stand for as an educator?
(10:35):
What kind of environment do you create? When you clarify your vision and your
values, you're not only going to attract like minded people,
but you're also going to have them serve as a guidepost for decision making and team building.
You don't want to build a business with people that are not yoked with up with you. You just don't.
(10:57):
They're going to lead you into decision-making that is not beneficial for your
school. It's happened to me.
It has happened to me. But now I'm getting stronger. I've got my vision. I've got my ideas.
And I understand that there are some people that are really great for us during a season.
(11:17):
And then they have other hopes and aspirations as you do as well with your school. And that's okay.
That's a hard part as well. Trust me, whenever you feel like you've grown out
of a partnership with someone or they have you in return the same the same feelings
for you, maybe they are wanting to pursue something different in their life.
(11:38):
Either way, we have a process for that as well, that we will just take you through
this journey of what it's really like to be responsible for providing income for others.
But it's amazing you get to
create jobs but when you clarify
your vision and your values yes you're going to attract like-minded
(11:59):
people they're going to help you make decisions and it's
so important that you share this with these
people during your interview and also whenever
you write an ad either on indeed or on facebook that you are giving some really
great pointers for what you're looking for in a teacher or an assistant or someone
(12:23):
who's doing your bookkeeping or someone who's coaching you.
Either way, you've got to know this is what I want. This is what I believe in.
And I need to find someone who feels the same way.
Now, when it comes to recruiting, you have to cast a wide net and be very proactive
in seeking out potential team members that align with your vision and your values. We use Indeed.
(12:45):
We've had very little success on Facebook, but we still advertise for it. We go through Indeed.
We also have parents who have ended up coming on staff for us as well.
But don't be afraid to think outside the box and consider candidates from diverse
backgrounds and experiences.
(13:05):
We've got some homeschool moms. We've got some college students. We've got some artists.
We've got our PE coach. He runs a physical fitness gym. We've got a parent.
We've got a mom who had her teaching degree, but she was a stay-at-home mom for four years.
We have someone from public school. We got people from all over, all over.
Diversity really does strengthen the team and it fosters innovation.
(13:30):
Now, once you have your team, whether it be assistants or teachers,
it's very crucial to invest in their growth and development.
That is an area that we've even been talking about in the Facebook group.
How do we provide ongoing training, mentorship, and opportunities for professional growth?
And let me tell you, if somebody would have told me that whenever I had an assistant
or my mother-in-law in my living room for the first two years,
(13:52):
I would have been like, What am I supposed to do with that?
But I could have taken my assistant or my mother-in-law to conferences.
We could have went even to homeschooling conferences. That would be a little
bit less invasive, I feel, for a teacher assistant or a parent to come in at
(14:14):
a homeschooling conference. One, I think that they would connect very well.
Two, there's just so much incredible incredible quality and different ways of learning and teaching.
And I will say as a teacher, whenever I went to the homeschooling conference,
I did learn a lot about homeschooling. I learned a lot about curriculum.
I learned about a lot about myself.
(14:36):
But you may find that your teacher or teacher assistant.
Could utilize this type of conference as well.
So conferences are really great. If you even think about Herzog,
there is the Cox Institute.
So Herzog and Cox, C-O-X Institute are also very well known for professional
(14:59):
development and short trainings.
I think it is very imperative that you You also have meetings with your staff.
You yourself can be the one to professionally develop.
And it doesn't have to be the sage on the stage, this big presentation,
but it can be something that is a part of your vision and your mission and your values.
(15:22):
You can get in a situation in a conference, order some food,
like in a conference room, or just take the people that you really care about
that are on your team, all of them, obviously that you care about, but anybody,
even if it's people who volunteer and bring them together, go out to eat,
order out some food, go to Panera, get a little conference room,
(15:44):
share that these are the things that we've noticed in our school.
These are the things that we want to keep. These are the things that we want
to change and talk openly.
Like let's have a conversation about these things. We don't always have to be
the sage on the stage. We don't have to be a dictator. We don't have to micromanage people.
We can collaborate with others.
Which is really, really great in this realm.
(16:07):
Communication really is key to building a strong team. So we have to foster
very open, honest, and transparent communication.
Maybe that's where you need to start.
Maybe you need to have channels where team members feel heard, valued, respected.
Encourage collaboration, encourage feedback, and constructive dialogue to foster
(16:27):
a culture of trust and, of course, accountability.
Other really, really incredible thing that I cannot wait to show you guys in
micro school masterminds is the way I communicate with my staff.
And it's not the Google Drive.
And it is not through email. And it is not through text messaging.
(16:49):
It is through our own project management board.
I'm super excited to share that with you. micro school masterminds because you
you have to have a way of communication.
But a side note, this is super cute. My husband is in charge of the maintenance
around our school at the church.
And he comes in the morning, he unlocks the school, he sets it all up for success,
(17:12):
he plays music, he turns on all the lights, he makes sure the air is good,
makes sure checks on the trash, gets the PE equipment out for the kiddos.
This morning, he was out blowing leaves. At the end of the day,
even though we've locked it and turned the lights off, he still feels like he
needs to go by there and check it out. He takes the trash.
He just goes and fixes anything or finds people who can fix things.
(17:33):
But he's also in charge of restocking.
Tool of paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies.
And the kids would come to me and say, Miss Oliver, the bathroom light's flickering.
Miss Oliver, we need more toilet paper. Miss Oliver, we need more soap.
And finally, I was like, boys and girls, that's not my job.
But you don't know that because you don't see Mr. Oliver every day.
You think that that's my job, but it's actually Mr. Oliver's job.
(17:57):
So let's tell him in a real fun way.
So we took a stick, a big post-it white sticky note, and we hung it outside of his office.
And there's some markers outside of the supply room. It's not his office.
It's the supply room. It's the janitor closet for crying out loud.
That's what I'm trying to say.
The janitor closet. So they took a piece of paper, a sticky note paper,
(18:19):
big one, you know, the big white poster board.
They put it up on the wall and they just got to writing. Mr.
Oliver, the lights are flickering. Mr. Oliver, we need soap.
Mr. Oliver, we need more mop solution.
Mr. Oliver, there is beehive up in the tree where we play basketball.
And I tell you what, my husband got that note the next day, and he was on it.
(18:42):
And I even was writing there. And I already have a way of communicating with my husband.
But the fact is, I don't always know if he's checking our project management board.
But I know he's walking right straight into that janitor closet every day.
And when he sees those little kindergartners writing little notes to him on
the wall, seriously, kindergartners, a kindergartner literally wrote him a note
(19:03):
and gave it to him. So my husband, yes, he is on staff at Lighthouse Learning.
We're so grateful for that.
And he too is a part of our collaboration. He got a binder at the beginning of the year.
You better believe he got a binder. He's got a t-shirt. He's got it all.
It's like he's working there.
I told him I need to put him on payroll, which I do need to put him on payroll.
(19:24):
But he refuses not to.
But let's be honest. The money is still coming to the same bank account, right? right?
So yes, I do think it's important. I'm going to be putting him on payroll.
Hey, listen, he deserves it. If you got a husband, let's put them on payroll.
By following the tips that I gave you, making sure you've got a way of pulling
(19:48):
people in, making sure you have an interview process.
I failed to mention that throughout this episode is that I have a very.
Just low invasive, but important process that I go through when I am vetting
our applicants, seeing, we call it qualifying in, qualifying out.
(20:08):
Okay, these people are candidates. These people, we need to go ahead and kindly decline.
Now, after we get our really important stack of papers of who it is that we
want to hire, actually, it used to be a stack of papers, but we don't even do that.
We don't even we download the resumes we put it into our
project management system which i'm going to teach you at micro school
(20:30):
masterminds it's a free project management system you've
got to be there get in april 1st you
can start just consuming and and just being able to understand and get yourself
in a good position of learning and growing i'm excited to be with you guys and
micro school masterminds until then head over to our facebook group that is
(20:53):
teacher let your light LightShine micro school community and check us out.
The micro school masterminds at teachers light your light shine.com slash masterminds.
Parents and teachers, the time has come the time for us to gather together and
create the ultimate learning environment for those of us leading the movement
and education by creating micro schools and homeschool hybrids.
(21:16):
Now introducing micro Microschool Masterminds, the one and only program for
those of us who are dedicated to making a change and creating such incredible
opportunities, not only for our community,
for our own families, for our own life.
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and isolated in your journey of building
(21:39):
a microschool or homeschool hybrid.
Microschool Masterminds is here to support you through the frustration, the uncertainty.
Music.
The building business task, the direction, the vision, the time constraints,
the fumbling through your finances, the wondering how to grow what you already
have. Your answer is here.
You've been asking for this and we've created it. Microschool Masterminds,
(22:02):
the one and only ultimate solution to transform your dream into your reality.
Boost your success with efficient time management, financial planning,
strategic marketing, and systems and processes to streamline all your wild and
amazing ideas so you can actually move the mountains standing in your way of your greatest success.
(22:23):
We know what it's like to struggle with analysis paralysis, financial insecurity,
and marketing challenges in your micro school or home.
Music.
Current micro school owner, and the person who is ready to grow their existing business and mindset.
(22:44):
With micro school masterminds, you'll receive monthly group coaching sessions
with me, Mackenzie Oliver, private support, community access,
and weekly content filled with templates, videos, and printables to help you
with all of your business building tasks.
If you're feeling stuck in a rut, battling time management issues,
needing clarity over your budget or your finances, If you're struggling to hire
(23:07):
the dream team or craving accountability and inspiration, Microschool Masterminds is your answer.
We've helped hundreds of teachers pave the way to their microschool or homeschool hybrid dream.
We've created 733% of growth in our own microschool.
We're not letting stagnation, overwhelm, or missed opportunities hold you back.
(23:29):
Act now and join Microschool Masterminds to unlock the tools,
the guidance, and the community you need to thrive.
Don't miss out on this chance to transform your educational business and secure your success.
Visit TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds to sign up today and lock
in introductory pricing for life.
(23:50):
Again, that's TeachersLetYourLightShine.com slash masterminds.
Music.
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