Teacher Resume Example

Also called Classroom Teacher, Elementary Teacher, High School Teacher.

A principal reading a teaching resume checks certification and grade levels first, then looks for evidence that students learned. Duties every teacher has, like planning lessons and grading, tell them nothing new.

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What this example does well

  • The headline gives the grade levels, and the summary ends with the license and endorsements.
  • Student results are stated as a change, with the method that produced it.
  • Class size and the share of English learners tell a principal how demanding the classroom was.

Updated

Emily Carter

Elementary School Teacher, Grades 3 to 5

Summary

Elementary teacher with eight years of experience in grades 3 to 5 at Title I schools. Last year 78% of her fourth graders met or exceeded the state reading standard, up from 54% the year before they joined her class. Tennessee license with K-5 and English as a second language endorsements.

Experience

Fourth Grade Teacher, Cumberland Elementary School

Aug 2021 – Present · Nashville, Tennessee

  • Teach all core subjects to classes of 24 to 27 students, a third of whom are English learners.
  • Raised the share of students meeting the state reading standard from 54% to 78% in one year through daily small-group instruction.
  • Lead the fourth grade team of five teachers, planning shared units and reviewing assessment data every two weeks.
  • Started a family reading night attended by 60 families each semester.

Third Grade Teacher, Shelby Park Elementary School

Aug 2018 – Jun 2021 · Nashville, Tennessee

  • Taught classes of 22 to 25 students, including students with individualized education programs.
  • Moved instruction online within a week in 2020 and kept attendance above 90% through the spring.
  • Mentored two student teachers from a local university.

Education

MEd Curriculum and Instruction, Vanderbilt University

2020 – 2022 · Nashville, Tennessee

BS Elementary Education, Middle Tennessee State University

2014 – 2018 · Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Skills

Small-group reading instruction, Differentiation, Classroom management, Assessment data analysis, English learner support, Family communication, Google Classroom, Team leadership

Certifications

  • Tennessee Professional Teaching License, K-5 — Tennessee Department of Education
  • English as a Second Language endorsement, PreK-12 — Tennessee Department of Education
An example: Emily Carter is not a real person, and the details show the kind of thing to write rather than a real career. Shown in the Linen template. Words that postings for this job often use are marked in yellow.

How do you write a summary for a teacher resume?

Two to four lines at the top that say what you do, for how long, and what you are best at. Here is one for each stage of a career.

  • Entry level

    Newly licensed elementary teacher who completed 16 weeks of student teaching in a second grade classroom of 23 students. Planned and taught full days by the end, and ran a phonics group whose students gained an average of 1.2 reading levels. Warm, organized and ready for a first classroom.

  • Experienced

    Teacher with five years of experience in grades 3 to 5. Plans from assessment data, runs a calm classroom and communicates weekly with families. Students have consistently met or beaten district growth targets in reading and math.

  • Senior

    Teacher leader with fifteen years of classroom experience and six as department head. Coaches eight teachers, led the adoption of a new math curriculum across three grades and has presented on small-group instruction at the state conference.

How to write a resume summary, with more examples

What are good bullet points for a teacher resume?

Each starts with a verb and says what was done. Change the details and numbers to your own; a number you cannot explain in an interview is worse than none.

  1. Taught reading, writing, math, science and social studies to a class of 25 fourth graders.

  2. Raised the share of students reading at grade level from 52% to 74% in one school year.

  3. Planned lessons from state standards and adjusted them weekly using assessment results.

  4. Ran small groups every day so that each student worked at the right level.

  5. Supported six students with individualized education programs alongside the special education teacher.

  6. Built routines that kept office referrals to two for the whole year.

  7. Held conferences with every family twice a year and sent a weekly update home.

  8. Led the grade-level team and its data meetings.

  9. Mentored a student teacher through her final placement.

  10. Ran an after-school math club for 18 students.

Which skills should a teacher put on a resume?

Pick the ones the job posting asks for and that you can back up with an example from your work.

Hard skills

  • Lesson and unit planning to state standards
  • Differentiated instruction
  • Formative and summative assessment
  • Classroom management
  • Literacy and numeracy intervention
  • Special education collaboration (IEPs, 504 plans)
  • English learner strategies
  • Learning platforms (Google Classroom, Canvas, Seesaw)

Soft skills

  • Patience
  • Building relationships with students
  • Communication with families
  • Organization
  • Teamwork with colleagues

Licenses and certifications

  • State teaching license or certificate
  • Subject or grade-level endorsements
  • ESL or bilingual endorsement
  • National Board Certification

Which keywords belong on a teacher resume?

The words recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for.

  • students
  • state reading standard
  • small-group instruction
  • English learners
  • assessment data
  • individualized education programs
  • grade
  • families
  • classes of

Use the ones that are true for you, written the way the posting writes them, and put each where it shows something you did. A list of keywords with nothing behind it helps nobody. To keep them readable by software, choose an ATS-friendly template, and read how applicant tracking systems read a resume.

How do you show student results on a teaching resume?

Use growth. Where students started and where they finished is fairer and more convincing than a single pass rate, because it does not depend on who was in your class. State tests, district benchmarks and reading levels all work.

If you teach a subject without standardized tests, use what you have: course completion, exam scores, portfolio results, participation in competitions or how many students chose to continue the subject.

What should a first-year teacher put on a resume?

Student teaching is your experience. Give the school, the grade, the weeks, the class size and one thing students achieved while you taught them.

Add any other work with children, such as tutoring, coaching, camp counseling or substitute teaching, and list the exams you have passed and when your license will be issued.

What do schools look for in a resume?

  • Lead with what you are certified to teach and for which ages, because a school has to check that before anything else.
  • Describe results for learners, not only duties: reading levels, exam pass rates, attendance, or how many pupils you supported one to one.
  • Academic posts ask for a CV, not a resume. It is longer and lists publications, teaching, grants and talks in full.

All education resume examples

Questions about a teacher resume

How long should a teacher resume be?

One page for new teachers, up to two for experienced ones. Schools that ask for a longer CV will say so.

Where does certification go?

Near the top. Principals cannot consider you without it, so put it in the summary and in its own section with the state and endorsements.

Should I include my teaching philosophy?

Not on the resume. Save it for the cover letter or the application question, and use the resume for evidence.

Do extracurricular activities matter?

Yes. Schools need coaches, club sponsors and committee members, and a candidate who has done those jobs is more useful.

Make this teacher resume yours.

Start from the example, swap in your own jobs and numbers, and switch to any template without retyping a word.

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