No matter if you’re a recent graduate applying for your first teaching job or an experienced teacher looking for your next opportunity, you’ll find game-changing tips for writing your teaching resume here.
We know you’ve had a hard time these past few years.
The education sector is fiercely competitive. Throw in budget cuts, mandatory certifications, a limited number of local opportunities, and increasing demands in the post-Covid reality and you get a hot mess.
The least we can do is make wiring a teacher resume easy for you. That’s why we created this guide.
Inside, you’ll find:
Let’s start with two teacher resume examples you can use as inspiration (or steal, slightly modify, and make your own).
Heartbreak High | Portland, OR | 2018–Present
Biology Teacher
Cleveland High School | Portland, OR | 2015–2018
MAT in Science Education, Oregon State, 2014
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Oregon State University, 2012
Certifications
OSHA Classroom Safety (2018)
STEM Education
First Aid, American Red Cross (2016)
Biology 7-12, State of Oregon (2017)
Conferences
Publications
Volunteer Work
Why this works:
It’s simple: the candidate communicated their skills and accomplishments clearly. The Professional Summary section is crisp and includes hard numbers and quantifiable results. The same goes for the Work Experience section, where they focused on superspecific achievements rather than merely describing their day-to-day tasks and duties. The Conferences and Publications sections act as proof that the teacher is actively seeking professional development and is following new trends in the field. Finally, their Volunteer Work is relevant to the position and puts focus on the candidate’s commitment and drive.
Schmitt Elementary | Denver, CO | 2022
English Teacher
Teach Away Volunteer Program| Vietnam | 2021
Summer Camp Counselor
Camp Granite Lake | Golden, CO | 2011-2014
Master of Arts in Teaching, MSU Denver, CO (2020)
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, MSU Denver, CO (2016)
Certifications
Volunteer Work
Colorado Young Leaders (2017)
Denver University and CCESL: Reading Partners (2010-2013)
Why this works:
Although Miles has little hands-on classroom experience, his resume is strong and convincing. The resume objective follows the writing rules to a tee – in 3 simple, yet achievement-packed sentences, Miles manages to convey the idea that he’s a great fit for the role. He added his internship experience to the work section, and also remembered to include the relevant Camp Counselor gig he enjoyed doing while in high school. The state-level and First Aid certifications definitely add credibility, while his volunteer work helps him come across as a person who practices what he preaches.
When I say “format and structure,” here’s what I mean:
Let’s see what this means in practice.
Good design elements and font choice go a long way. Here are some easy-to-follow rules that will keep recruiters and administrators interested.
Save Comic Cans and other fun fonts for your 1st-grade posters. Instead, go for a classic font that’s legible and doesn’t distract the reader. Some great fonts to use on a resume (in no particular order):
As for resume font size, we recommend 11 or 12pt for normal text. Your section titles and headers should be 14–16pt. In case your resume spills over to the second page by just a few lines, you can opt for a 10pt font size, but make sure it doesn’t look cluttered.
Line spacing is the vertical white space between each consecutive line of text. A paragraph looking too dense? This means the line spacing could be increased. Stick to the optimal line spacing, between 1.15 and 1.5 points – this will help the hiring teams scan your resume more easily.
This may sound like overkill, but we promise margins are important.
Margins that are too big may sound an alarm among the hiring managers – Is the candidate using white space to cover the obvious lack of experience? You definitely don’t want that. On the other hand, margins that are too small will leave your resume looking cluttered and visually overwhelming.
That’s why all resume coaches suggest adjusting them to one inch on each side.
Remember that hiring decision-makers start their selection by bulk-skimming the resumes (or using Applicant Tracking Software, but more about that later) and you want yours to be clearly laid out and super skimmable.
To make the section headings stand out, use larger fonts (14-16pt) and bold for your headings. That way, the reader will find the most important bits of information at a glance. Points for you.
Again, there are two things to keep in mind:
Now let’s clarify this through some examples.
There are a few different resume formats to choose from, but most resumes today use the reverse-chronological format. (PS It’s a fancy name for something you’ve seen a million times.)
What’s typical of this format is that, in the Work Experience section, you start from your most recent job, and then work backwards from there . The same goes for the Education section, in case you attended multiple schools or have two or more degrees.
This resume format is great because, as your career progresses, you’ll logically have your best and most recent accomplishments listed at the top of your resume (alongside another vital section, the Resume Profile ). This will allow you to list your most impressive and recent work experience first. Both human recruiters and ATS systems love having essential information in the top third of the page, so here’s an extra reason to go with this format.
| 🔮 Bonus tip: You’ll also want to describe your skills and experience using bullet points so that things are easy to read and split up with nice spacing. |
Your resume needs to include a few standard sections and follow a particular order (this is non-negotiable):
There are some optional (but recommended) additional sections to include:
Let’s break these sections down and see how to make the most of them.
This is a no-brainer. You want to include relevant contact details so that the HR department can get in touch.
You should include:
This is how one candidate did it:
| Lena Peters Primary School Teacher Portland, OR • (404) 123-0000 • lenapeters @email.com • linkedin.com/in/lpeters |
This is the part that sits right under your contact information and has a few versions and names. You’ve probably seen it as Resume Profile too.
Despite the confusion, it’s fairly simple. You’ll write a resume objective if you’re an entry-level candidate. If not, you’ll go with the resume summary . (Check out our in-depth guide on Resume Profile to learn how that’s different).
Whichever one you pick, there are a few things to keep in mind :
| 🔮 Bonus tip: Drop pronouns, articles, and full sentences. |
Here’s what Jonah, an experienced biology teacher, wrote in his resume summary:
| ✅ Driven biology teacher with 9 years of experience in teaching middle schoolers. Skilled at and passionate about teaching and engaging students through different pedagogical methods, and improving their knowledge and social skills. A member of the school board and a winner of the Teacher of the Year Award 2021. Would love to expand duties and take on challenging responsibilities with vigor and superb pedagogical skills at Bloomington High School. |
Why this works:
Let’s analyze this well-written teacher resume summary. Remember the rules? With four short, condensed sentences, Johan managed to distill his entire career into a short killer paragraph. He conveyed his passion for teaching, knowledge of pedagogical methods and sealed the deal with an award. In the last sentence, he clearly communicates what he’s looking to bring to the High School he’s applying for.
And here’s what not to do (I’ll give you two bad examples, one worse than the other):
| ❌ Energetic, compassionate, and results-oriented teacher. Implements effective teaching strategies to meet the unique needs of all student learners. Develops engaging and creative lesson plans to stimulate the minds of students and delivers effective classroom management strategies in order to address behavioral concerns and maintain a productive learning environment. Demonstrates the ability to work closely with school stakeholders, including students, parents, staff, and community members. |
Why this is good, but not great:
At first glance, this looks like a solid summary, but experienced hiring managers won’t be impressed. Here’s what can be improved:
And here’s another lackluster example:
| ❌ Great and energetic teacher. Implements teaching strategies to meet the needs of students. Develops lessons and handles classroom management strategies. Works closely with school stakeholders. |
Why this absolutely sucks:
Look twice and you’ll see that this is actually the same example. The previous version was filled with overcomplex, powerful, and (we dare say) pretentious language. And yet, this version is even worse because it describes the candidate in a way so basic that their unique dynamic abilities got lost in translation.
Remember: aim for clarity, be brief, and quantify wherever possible.
If you need more help, check out our in-depth resume summar y guide .
Let’s examine this well-written teacher resume objective by Alexandra.
| ✅ A teaching professional with strong interpersonal and communication abilities, looking for a full-time teaching role at Kalani High. Bringing in 2 years of tutoring experience and knowledge of basic ed-tech. Looking forward to supporting collaborative learning and helping the Kalani High students reach their full potential. |
Why this works:
Instead of pulling your hair out because you lack work experience or are a recent graduate, think about how you can craft your resume objective to show that you’re driven and that you have transferable skills that will come in handy. In the example above, the candidate mentions key skills for a teacher – strong communication and people skills. Her tutoring experience (similar to volunteer work) also sends good signals to the hiring managers. Finally, the resume objective is short and to the point, with zero fluff.
And here’s a teacher resume objective style to avoid:
| ❌ I am a motivated recent graduate from Science Education, looking for a teaching position in K-6. Great organizational skills. Looking to make a difference. |
Why this is wrong:
Yikes! This candidate surely kept their objective short, but made some serious faux pas. If I were looking at this resume, I’d have no idea which courses this person could teach, whether they’re certified or not, and the “motivated” with “great organizational skills” isn’t telling me much either. Remember the golden rule – actionable, quantifiable, with as much relevant info in 3-4 sentences.
| Bonus tip: When coaching job seekers, I always advise them to work on this section last. It’s often a lot easier to write a summary once you have everything outlined in your work history or skills section. Pick the best bits from there and make a “best-of” style bio. You can follow this simple formula: A/an [2-3 DESCRIPTIVE, SOFT SKILLS ADJECTIVES] [YOUR CURRENT ROLE] looking for a [NEW OPPORTUNITY]. Looking/ready/excited/seeking to apply my [TOP TECH SKILLS] to help [COMPANY NAME] reach [THE DESIRED OUTCOME]. |
Also, check out our resume objective guide for more ideas.
Now this is the part that will make up the bulk of your resume and that you really want to nail. The summary/objective and work history should go hand in hand – the ideal work history should reinforce any skills and qualifications you claimed to have in your summary.
To put your best foot forward, you’ll want to follow these basic rules:
Here’s how you can improve a mediocre work experience section in a few simple tweaks:
B. Smith High School
Teacher | Charlotte, NC | August 2017-Present
Why this is wrong:
Another unimpressive example that many candidates think is actually good. Here are some problems:
Here’s how you can improve it in just a few minutes:
B. Smith High School | Charlotte, NC | August 2017-Present
In case you need more information on how to write your work history section , this guide will give you all the answers.
This should be fairly simple. When listing education in your teacher resume, there are some basic rules to stick to. Make sure to include:
And some bonus bits to be aware of:
Here’s an example you can use as inspiration:
Master of Early Childhood Education
Boston University | Boston, MA | 2015-2017
BSc. in Elementary Education
To find more examples and tips on how to organize this section, check out our curated guide on how to list education on your resume .
Next, let’s tackle the Skills section. This is where you list a few relevant skills and abilities to send extra “I’m the one” signals to the hiring team. Sounds easy, but there are two common pitfalls to avoid:
| 🤔What’s an ATS system? ATS (Applicant Tracking Software) systems are bots that scan resumes for specific keywords that describe the ideal candidate the organization is seeking. When a bot reads a resume that has “good candidate potential,” it will flag the resume for further review. If your resume doesn’t get flagged by a bot, it will likely not be given another glance. Don’t be discouraged by this. Many teacher resumes don’t actually go through ATS, especially if you’re applying for a smaller, less sought-after districts. However, it’s another story if you’re aiming for a popular school that gets tons of applications. |
Take a look at this example job ad and just how many keywords they’ve listed as relevant.
You can list 5-10 skills in total . It’s best to have a mix of hard skills (like classroom software) and soft skills (e.g. your amazing knowledge transfer abilities).
Finally, here’s our ultimate list of teacher resume skills that you can use as guidance.
Soft skills for teachers
Technical (hard) skills for teachers
| Pro tip: If you need to save space, you can divide your skills into Soft and Hard Skills and display them in two columns. |
Once you have listed all relevant work experience and a comprehensive overview of your education, you’ll have the option to include additional sections.
Although frequently referred to as “optional,” these teacher resume extra sections can earn you some extra points. Towards the end of your resume, include things like certifications, volunteer experience, conferences, awards, hobbies, and any foreign languages you may speak.
Remember you’re up against dozens of other candidates with similar skills, backgrounds, education, and work history, so these sections can really help you stand out.
In your teaching career, there are plenty of certifications you’ll obtain, but here are some that hiring managers love to see in a resume for a teaching position.
There are 3 ways you can present your certifications:
You don’t have to be a contender for the National Teacher of the Year Award to show off in your resume. And if you think the award you won isn’t worth mentioning, think again – it may be the only differentiating factor between you and another candidate.
Here are some of the awards you can add to your teacher resume:
As a teacher, you have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the world and help others. The same goes for volunteering. That’s why any volunteer work you’ve done will only reinforce the other qualities you mentioned in your teacher resume.
If you’ve volunteered as a teacher abroad during your studies or gap year, definitely add it to your resume (especially if you’re an entry-level candidate). That year you spent teaching English in Cambodia? It will signal the recruiters that your intercultural skills are solid, that you have an open mind and are able to connect with others – all highly-prized qualities in a teacher.
Teachers often attend workshops and conferences, and some of them are worth mentioning in your resume, especially if you engaged as a speaker or panelist. If your work has appeared in a journal or if you have an article published in The Language Magazine, then definitely add that too.
When teaching in a diverse setting, foreign languages come in handy. That’s why you should list all the languages you speak, along with the level of proficiency and any certifications you’ve received.
No job ad is the same, so don’t expect to have a single, generic resume version that you’ll just blast-send to recruiters. This is where going the extra mile really pays off.
If you’d like your teacher resume to hit all the right notes, you’ll have to tailor it so that it reflects the requirements from the job description.
This literally means reading through the job ad, underlining keywords and phrases, and then using those keywords in your resume. It also means customizing your resume summary to include the name of the school you’re applying to.
If this sounds like too much work, there are tools that can help.
For example, use the Resume Builder to create an ATS-friendly resume in under 30 minutes. Once you’re done, AI goes through your resume and looks for room for improvement. Neat.
You should also check out the 8 video lessons covering the best practices of resume writing, section by section, with top career coach, Pamela Skillings .
It gives more detail about what we discussed in this article + gives you a step-by-step process you can follow.
And then, when you land the interview, you can prep to ace the big day.
You can check out the tool here or get in touch with us on LinkedIn for more info.
In summary, here are some key things to remember when writing your teacher resume:
