Teacher Resume Examples and Writing Tips

Sample Teacher Resume Sections

Most teacher resume examples include the same key sections, including a resume summary, work experience, education, and essential teacher skills. You can already see these in action in our sample teacher resume above.

Let’s take a look at the most important sections for a teaching resume, with realistic examples for each one.

Header

Resume headers must include everything a recruiter needs to contact you, including your phone number and email address. If your teacher resume impresses them, you don’t want them to struggle to contact you.

A strong resume header should include:

• Full name
• Job title
• Phone number
• Email address
• LinkedIn URL
• Location (city and state)

Here’s a teacher resume template header for inspiration:

Veronica Bianchi
Elementary School Teacher
555-6289
veronicabi@gmail.com
linkedin.com/ronniebianchi/
Atlantic City, NJ

Why just city and state and not a full address? It’s no longer common or recommended to put your full address on resumes, except for a handful of circumstances. Read our blog post about addresses on resumes for more insights.

Resume objective or summary

A resume summary is the first bit of information the hiring manager sees, so it needs to be a concise, engaging summary of your teaching abilities and accomplishments. Aim for 2 to 4 sentences, summarizing your top achievements and skills.

Here’s a quick example of a solid teacher summary:

“Exceptional art teacher with 8 years of experience. Proven track record of building student-teacher relationships, developing effective teaching methods, and adapting teaching styles to suit student needs. Looking to support Rose Valley Institution’s goals by building engaging curriculums and nurturing a creative learning environment.”

Are you applying for your first teaching job? Try a resume objective instead. This section is very similar to a summary, but instead of summarizing past achievements, it states your future goals and the skills you’ll use to get there.

Work experience

Your work history is the most important section in nearly every resume. Employers want to see your experience and how it relates to their role, so it’s vital to provide as much detail as possible. What if you’re exactly what they’re looking for, but because you don’t accurately describe your achievements, they pass you by?

Start by putting your job title, then list the company name, location, and date of employment. After that, add bullet points of achievements.

Here’s an example:

Elementary School Teacher
Oakview Elementary School, Trenton, NJ
May 2019 – January 2024

• Worked with over 100+ students, adapting teaching styles to individual needs
• Instructed students in daily lessons, providing expert guidance and raising average grades by 25% in one year
• Collaborated with fellow teachers to build effective curriculums for a diverse group of learners

Education

Most teaching work requires a Bachelor’s degree or even a Master’s degree, so it’s important to include your education. However, this doesn’t mean you have to linger on it.

Make this section concise: provide the information the hiring manager needs but don’t prattle on.

Here’s an example education section:

Bachelor of Arts, Education
The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
September 2012 – May 2016
GPA: 4.0

Hard skills

Now, let’s list your teaching skills, starting with the technical side of things. This shouldn’t be an extensive list of every skill you possess, but ensure you include essential abilities like lesson planning and classroom management skills.

Here are the most common technical skills for a teacher resume:

• Classroom management
• Lesson planning
• Curriculum development
• Test development
• Performance evaluation
• Technology literacy
• Grading school work

Soft skills

Practical knowledge and organizational skills are essential for a successful teacher, as are interpersonal skills that help you interact with students and parents. No matter what type of teacher you are, you work directly with others, so your soft skills are important.

Here are the top soft skills for teachers:

• Emotional intelligence
• Problem-solving
• Leadership
• Organization
• Critical thinking
• Patience
• Verbal and written communication

Optional sections

These sections are optional but help add a little more information to your resume to help it stand out. The most common extra sections are:

• Volunteer work
• Languages
• Hobbies and Interests
• Certifications

The strongest optional section for teachers is certifications – add any relevant teaching association memberships or certifications you possess. Additionally, First Aid Certifications are useful to show you can care for children in an emergency.

These sections have a lot of potential. For more inspiration, check out our diverse resume templates.

Tips for Writing a Teacher Resume

You’ve got the basics, now let’s add the touches to help your teacher resume stand out. Little touches, like quantifying your work achievements, can make a world of difference.

Read our top 3 tips below, but for even more advice, browse our collection of resume articles.

Tailor your resume to each position

Hiring managers need to see exactly how your resume is relevant to their job opening – and you can help them. Tailor your resume to the job description by adding the skills it mentions and mirroring their terminology. 

For instance, if a job description asks for a “BA” instead of a “Bachelor of Arts,” list that in your education section.

This isn’t just for the recruiter’s eyes, it also helps an applicant tracking system (ATS) find your resume. Using the right keywords is crucial to building an ATS resume that gets noticed.

Quantify your work achievements

If you list plain responsibilities in your work experience, your teacher resume will end up looking like every other one. Plain responsibilities don’t tell the hiring manager anything concrete, but quantified achievements show them your true accomplishments.

Here’s how to put a tangible, measurable spin on your achievements:

• Plain responsibilities: Created and delivered tests, graded papers, conversed with students
• Quantified achievement: Created a diverse curriculum based on student needs, leading to a 20% increase in grade averages

Use the right resume format

The right format matters and most professionals use a chronological resume structure. This structures your work history and education reverse-chronologically, starting with your most recent accomplishments and working backward.

We recommend this format for most teachers because recruiters are accustomed to it. However, if you’re switching careers or a recent graduate, a functional resume might be a better fit. For more insights, check out our advice on a variety of resume structures.

Secure Your Dream Role With the Perfect Teacher Resume

Showcasing your relevant, powerful teaching experience doesn’t have to be a chore. No matter what kind of teacher you are, following our tips will build you a strong resume:

• Include crucial contact details
• Write a detailed, yet concise, resume summary 
• Provide thorough work experience using quantified achievements
• Tailor your resume to every job you apply for

Ready to put your plans into action? Jump into CVwizard’s Resume Builder to easily create a basic or experienced teacher resume.