Teacher - Learn How To Write The Best Resume You Can
It should come as no surprise that there is a currently a
shortage of teachers in the United States. This unfortunate
trend has been seen for well over a decade. To compound the
issue, recent labor studies have predicted that teaching
positions will likely continue to grow faster than the national
average for the next several years due to recent government
regulations to reduce class size and increase educational
accountability. The need for teachers has never been greater.
Though this trend is good news for teachers on the job market,
it does not diminish the fact that competition will remain tough
for the most desirable teaching positions. Competition is
especially fierce for English, Social Science, Humanities, and
Elementary grade positions. Teacher will need to pay close
attention to the presentation of their credentials, as detailed
in their resume, in order to ensure that they can compete in the
race for prime positions in the educational system.
To write a solid resume tailored specifically for teaching
opportunities, consider the following guidelines:
Highlight your Educational and Licensure Qualifications
In addition to including the details of your teaching or
academic degree (school name, when you graduated, your degree),
you should mention any academic honors, grants, scholarships, or
fellowships awarded during the course of your studies.
If you are an experienced teacher, you should include any
relevant continuing education courses or seminars you have taken
to demonstrate to prospective employers that you are keeping
your skills sharp.
If you are a newer graduate or have limited teaching experience,
a list of related education courses and any completed student
teacher or mentorship rotations will enhance your qualifications
to prospective employers. Graduates who completed their degree
with an impressive grade point average should highlight this
fact by including their GPA in the Educational section of their
resume.
All teachers who have completed the process and testing
requirements to get their teaching license will need to provide
details of their license(s) in this section. Include the
state(s) and subject area(s) in which you are licensed to teach
and the date that your license went in effect. Since your
employer will ask for a copy of your license once you are made
an offer, you do not need to include your licensing number on
your resume unless otherwise requested.
Emphasize your Teaching Expertise and Key Skills
A quick 10-second scan of your resume should reveal important
keywords that summarize your teaching experience and give school
administrators an overview of your qualifications. The most
effective way to do this is to incorporate a section of your
resume dedicated to teaching expertise and key skills. Include a
bulleted list of your subject area specializations (such as
biology, mathematics, special education, or K-3) and any
pertinent teaching skills, such as curriculum development or
teaching to style, that will enhance your resume presentation.
If you have several years of teaching experience, it may
beneficial to list your years of experience in each area. For
example, indicate that you have three years of experience
teaching high school biology, two years of experience teaching
middle school general science, and one year of experience
teaching high school earth science.
Entry-level teachers and teachers with limited experience should
also include this section in their resume, highlighting those
areas and schools acquired from schooling, student teaching
rotations, working as a student aid, and teaching mentorships.
Detail Your Teaching Experience
Since most school administrators hire teachers based on their
previous experience in (or knowledge of if you are a new
teacher) a particular subject area or grade level, prospective
employers will need to know the details of your teaching
experience.
If you are an experienced teacher, you should detail your
subject area expertise, the type of educational system you
worked in (public, charter, or private school), the grades you
taught at each assignment, and your class size for each of your
previous employers.
If you are an entry-level teacher just out of school or a
teacher with limited work experience, you should detail any
practicums, student teaching, student aid work, volunteering,
tutoring, mentorships, or other unpaid work you were involved in
during your schooling.
Demonstrate You're a Top Performer
Employers love to hire the cream of the crop, and educators are
no exceptions. School administrators will be looking for
teachers who are willing to contribute to the betterment of the
school outside of just their day-to-day teaching
responsibilities. In fact, many experienced teachers would argue
that a significant part of the teaching career was went doing
things outside of the classroom. Therefore, it is imperative
that you demonstrate that you are a top performer.
Your resume will be more memorable and better received if you
can detail specific contributions you made to each of your
previous employers. What have you done that was above and beyond
your basic responsibilities? How have you helped make a positive
impact on your students and their families, your fellow
co-workers, your school or school system, or even your community?
Consider your possible involvement in:
--Committees or review boards
--After school programs including school sports, academic teams,
or clubs
--Fundraisers
--Community education drives
--Literacy board
--New teacher mentorships
--Cross-training in different subject areas
--The launch of a new school or program
--Outside education
The more details you can provide about your involvement in the
educational community and your accomplishments, the better job
you will do at impressing your value as a team member to
potential employers.