Selling your teaching expertise is critical. School districts receive thousands of resumes for just a few available teaching positions. The sear volume of teacher application allows school administrators to have more candidates to choose from, except in certain areas with a teacher shortage.
Make your resume stand out from the other candidates by correctly formatting the document, incorporating keywords, and communicating relevant accomplishments. Don’t focus on duties – including achievements is critical. Potential principals will take 10-15 seconds to scan a cover letter and resume. These documents need to grab their attention and leave them wanting to read and learn more about you.
The first item that must catch their eye is your name. If you leave a memorable impression, they will recognize your name down the road when they are finalizing their list of interviews. The second item must be your job title. An employer does not want to hunt through a document to figure out which position you are looking to obtain. Make your current or desired job title stand out. If you seek the position of secondary English teacher or elementary school teacher (K-5), then specify this at the top of the resume.
Next on the list of attention grabbers is a list of areas of expertise or core competencies. These are the hard or technical skills you use every day in the classroom to establish an inclusive, enriching, and rewarding learning environment. Focus on methods that allow you to reach out to all students and help them reach their full potential.
Highlight up-and-coming trends or keywords to prove your current knowledge in education. For example, growth mindset, blended learning, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Gardner’s multiple intelligences, multiculturalism, etc. Let your areas of expertise shine through, letting the school district know that they will be gaining a true asset to their learning community by hiring you.
With your eye-catching teacher resume, you have made the reader want to know more. Focus on holding their attention. The next 15 seconds could make or break your marketability. If written correctly, your professional resume profile should kick in and demonstrate you are indeed a candidate worthy of a teaching interview.
In between your job header and the core competencies should be a brief profile or summary. Since you have already caught the reader’s eye and drawn them to your header and list of competencies, it is only natural that they will focus next on your career profile.
This should be a short paragraph consisting of approximately 5-8 lines, highlighting your years of experience, relevant personality traits, and innovative instructional and disciplinary strategies. Take the opportunity to use this space wisely and sum yourself up as a teacher. If you have 5+ years of teaching experience, make that your opening line and bold it.
If you are a newer teacher, explain how you are dedicated to helping the school community and every student succeed. By showcasing your commitment to the learning community, a potential school will be aware of your passion and willingness to help others.
Below each job position, take the time to describe innovative and effective methods you have used and highlight relevant accomplishments or extracurricular/additional duties. Use bullet points to showcase key information that you want to stand out the most.
By following these simple guidelines, you are sure to stand out from the rest and earn your resume a closer read!
Have a look at these teacher resumes and cover letter samples.
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