A personal statement is one of the supporting documents included in your application package when you apply to education positions.
Along with your resume, cover letter, philosophy of education statement, and recommendation letters, a personal statement speaks to your skills and talents as an educator.
If you are a newly qualified teacher or a career changer, a personal statement is even more critical to your application as this provides you with a platform to explain and highlight your related skills and accomplishments. It will showcase how you can benefit a school community where your resume may struggle to communicate these facts. So, knowing how to write a personal statement for education positions is extremely important.
Ideally, you will revise your personal statement for each school you apply to, ensuring it is properly targeted to each position. In your personal statement, you will emphasize your individual strengths relevant to the available teaching position.
Additionally, your personal statement should explain why you are applying to the teaching position, detail your credentials, and mention any relevant professional development or training sessions. It should also mention your relevant teaching experiences, classroom management strategies, and teaching style, as well as any other related skills and interests you have that will benefit the position.
The introductory paragraph of your personal statement needs to start interestingly. You want to draw the reader’s attention and make them want to read the rest of the statement. Beginning your statement by saying something like “I’m writing this statement in an application for the ____ teaching position” is a boring way to start your statement and is also unnecessary to write.
This is already stated in your resume, cover letter, and other application documents. The reader knows what position you are applying to, so find a more interesting opening line that will stand out among the other applications. Instead, you can use the opening paragraph to discuss your interest in education and teaching and why.
The personal statement should focus on your experience and skills and how they would benefit the teaching position. If you are a new teacher, it will primarily focus on your educational background and what you learned from your degree and student teaching experiences.
If you are a seasoned educator, you should highlight your relevant teaching experiences in the specific age level and subject area of the position you are applying to. You should also mention any involvement in extracurricular activities, community activities, and leadership initiatives.
Your personal statement should aim to end on a positive note. It should sum up why you are an excellent candidate for the teaching position. You will enhance your application by showing your enthusiasm for the teaching position and education in general.
