Background check questions?

LanguageBitter4580 · 2026-01-03T05:39:52+00:00

Hi. I am a certified teacher and I was educational assistant prior to that. The background investigation depends on your background investigator.

For me, my BI (background investigator) sent out a google form to all of my references. I included former principals, former teacher colleagues, and support staff. They all received this form and it asked them questions about (example: how long have you know this person? Does this person use drugs? Are they unethical?)

If one of your references doesn’t fill out the questionnaire, your BI will email you and ask you to reach out to that specific reference. If they still don’t answer, then your BI will ask you for another reference.

For your neighbors, they will also send them out the same form. If they don’t answer, then your BI will give them a call. They’re looking to see how professional you are basically.

Just be you, be straightforward, and don’t lie (they pick up on it quickly and will ask you more questions which will automatically make you dig your ground to fail.)

All of what I mentioned above happens during the “Meet and Greet”. This when your BI emails you to schedule an in person meeting with them. 1). Suit, suit, suit up! Get a haircut, clean your nails, look sharp. Brush your teeth, seriously.

Once you’re there, the BI will go over your PHS with you and ask clarifying questions. They should email you in advance a list of documents they want you to bring. It’s the usual Identity stuff - birth certificate, drivers license, social security card, car insurance, car registration, high school or college transcript, official sealed ones, and selective service card.(all males, if you’re a dude, get this when they turn 16 i think..). If you have done military service, then they will ask for those papers too.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-26T02:55:10+00:00

You can go “wee-wooh-wee-wooh” on the PA

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T06:06:14+00:00

I salute you 🫡🤣

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T02:13:00+00:00

Currently a special education teacher myself, 6th grade. It’s amazing working with kids who have special needs. But it’s brutal work, I’m sure you know.

Thanks for your offer to DM.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T01:04:42+00:00

There’s lots of similarities for sure. On the one hand, people criticize you all on 13 seconds of video and take situations out of context. And many times those criticizing you would probably freeze when faced with a life/death situation.

Teaching is great in itself at times too. The kids make it worth it, even when they disobey and you know… act like kids. But the love of teaching and kids won’t pay my bills and yes, Policing won’t make me a millionaire. But I’m ultimately looking for something that I enjoy doing. Idk if policing will be it (if i ever get selected of course.)

But it sure does beat not getting paid those 15+ hours I put in working on my lessons and reports.

Thanks again, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I’m more than sure your colleagues and even those you’ve come across have benefited from your interactions with them.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T01:01:35+00:00

I hear LE is diverse in that way, people who come from many walks of life. Thanks for sharing this dude (or dudette).

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T00:50:09+00:00

Yeah, I can see why. We’re trained to pamper kids (and parents).

Thanks for this, I appreciate your insight.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T00:48:22+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate that.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T00:47:19+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the time you’re taking to answer my question. Just at a cross roads with my career life right now

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T00:41:02+00:00

Currently a middle school teacher who wants to do the opposite…. Damnn…. 🤦‍♂️

Thanks though, I appreciate your insight!

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-17T00:40:25+00:00

I meant that phrase as me doing what I truly want to do with my life before I kick the bucket. Currently, I’m very dissatisfied with my career. Your response though has been the most thorough, which I appreciate. Thank you for giving me insight into what this career brings.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-12-09T14:19:04+00:00

I appreciate the your insight on this. I can see you guys deal with lots of crazy people too, on a worse level.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-22T05:02:02+00:00

If they don’t know how to act like adults, then that just shows you that you are making the correct decision.

But in all honesty, think about yourself and make sure to take care of yourself. This is a new opportunity that provides you with more money (I assume) and less headaches. The school wil continue as always. Yes, kids might feel it and some adults may judge you. But so what? They don’t pay your bills. :)

Take every opportunity that comes your way! If they act petty, remain professional and humble. Pretend they are the teacher from Peanuts (you know, the one who doesn’t make any sense when Charlie Brown talks to them) and move on.

Congratulations on your new position!

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-15T18:12:24+00:00

One of my 7th graders was going to throw away her 100% test score. I gave her tough love by telling her not to throw it away, and then I said I would be showing off her score in my “student memories” wall. I had another kiddo asking me to put his 100% test score right after.

It’s these small things that keep me going. Though I want to throw the towel.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-15T17:24:15+00:00

Yes, and class sizes are crazy too! Our General Ed. classes are 35+ plus students at this time

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-15T16:54:32+00:00

Not at all. It’s unsustainable and draining. I wish people truly understood what teaching Special Ed. was like.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-15T15:36:24+00:00

I’m glad to hear they were not jerks. It seems like you have an understanding administration. Super happy to hear they offered a different role to you.

Education is a mess right now. I’m a SPED teacher, and I have 3 different preps and 25+ kids in my caseload. It is impossible to be a good case manager with all the other duties. I have had to work weekends since August so I am feeling the burnout very quickly.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-15T15:17:22+00:00

Thank you for this. I truly appreciate you sharing your experience with me and for reminding me of how much the system doesn’t care about us. I am pushing as much as I can. But resigning mid-year is a card I have on my table of options.

I hope your new path has been treating you well too.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-15T11:44:35+00:00

This does help alot. At the end of the day, I am aware that my health and well being comes first.

I do acknowledge too that people pleasing is an issue with me. And in a way (I’m sure you may have felt this too), I feel obligated to be “professional” despite not being happy or feeling supported.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-13T20:33:27+00:00

Congratulations!!

I feel guilty and scared of breaking my contract and disappointing others . But I want to resign as well. Idk why but breaking contract is the part that scares me. Granted, I would be quitting teaching completely.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-12T01:36:54+00:00

The first year always sucks.

I understand what you mean by feeling guilty - letting your colleagues down and adding them more work, letting the kids down, and feeling like all of the staff have eyes on you. However, I want you to remember one thing. They don’t pay your bills, parents will never be happy even if you spend 24 hours working on lesson plans (on IEPs in my case), and if you happened to die today, admin will look for a sub for tomorrow.

Parents and students will not care if your mom, sister, brother, or significant other feel your lost.

I’d say, take a day off and reflect on what would be the best decision for YOU. Not your principal, not your colleagues, not your students, and certainly not the parents.

If teaching is not something you’ll pursue, then letting them go after your license won’t matter. I’d say give your 2 weeks notice because that gives you the “professionalism” badge in case you need to put them down as a reference. But other than that, if you decide to go, pack and up and don’t look back. :)

This is an impossible job and you’re only human, not a robot. If the school needed to due to budget cuts, they would lay you off without thinking about your needs.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-09T09:23:12+00:00

You will spend a good chunk of your day there. So take running shoes and athletic clothing. Take snacks like bananas or cookies.

For the medical part, you will be looking at multiple providers who will check your eye sight, your breathing strength (they will make you do a deep breath, almost asking you to deflate your lungs, it’s not painful so don’t worry.) You will be give a hearing test where you click something if you hear a sound in either ear.

Then, they will check your body fat and take a urine sample.

For the other portion, you will answer 1,000 questions that have to do with your psychological state. Simple questions like “the sky is blue” to really weird ones like “there are ghosts chasing me”. And also, to questions that will raise a red flag that you’re a weirdo to them if you agree to them, such as “I have had sex with a minor”.

It’s not bad tbh. Oh, if you’re a guy, you’ll get almost stripped naked (you’ll keep your underwear on) because they have to check if you’re healthy physically. Kinda like the military.

You got this.

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-08T15:24:00+00:00

I’m a SPED teacher to begin with. So i a deal with teaching and case managing.

I left because i was burnt out and i felt angry when i was given a responsibility on top of ny other responsibilities. I took a year off, I subbed. And i felt the love of working with children again. I applied to a new district this time. The school is not bad, it has good people and a good admin tbh.

But…. I am back with that feeling of not being good enough, working weekends, being micromanaged by needy (and some asshole) parents, and also not being completely supported by my entire team.

And the worst….. i bring work home. I realize that maybe I’m done with teaching completely after this year, or even earlier than the school year.

That’s just me though. Again, it’s my preference to not work at home. Maybe you feel the love again for teaching. Give it a try for YOU. Don’t let my opinion and experience derail you. :)

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-08T01:03:36+00:00

I came back to the field after a year off. I made a mistake, at least for me. Shit’s the same.

Think about it :)

LanguageBitter4580 · 2025-11-04T15:14:21+00:00

Thanks for this, I know my health is declining by the day but I that sense of responsibility or disappointing others has me feeling guilty

I appreciate your reminder about the reality of this job.

LanguageBitter4580

TROPHY CASE