Every teaching position is essential to society and all are highly-rewarding career paths. A career in the education sector can begin with teaching positions such as being an elementary or middle school teacher and can lead to becoming a high-school teacher or even a university lecturer. Average salaries in the education sector vary greatly due to the wide range of experience levels required. Labor statistics in the US suggest that depending on the position, an annual salary in the education sector could reach as high as $97,000 but could also be as low as $32,000.
Sandra Jones sandrajones@outlook.com +1234567899 Professional Overview Talented and personable teacher with 8 years of classroom instruction experience. Highly skilled in implementing specific individual assessments in lesson planning and in a variety of learning methodologies.
Work History
Teacher at High School New York City
Department of Education 02/01/12 - Present
Planned innovative lesson plans for a variety of student levels.
Utilized positive behavior techniques and PBIS methods of discipline to maintain student-teacher respect throughout the school.
Implemented a hands-on approach to teaching art and art appreciation to encourage students to explore different forms of art.
Education
Teachers College, Columbia University, South Carolina (1999-2005) Dreher High School, Columbia, South Carolina (1995- 1998)
These jobs vary greatly and cover teaching children as young as 5 up to adults of any age, and means that the work experience and qualifications that you will need will vary greatly. The result of this range is a career path that can often be highly competitive!
Don’t worry though - we recognize that this experience can be stressful so we have put together this guide to all elements of writing the best teacher resume possible! It will include a sample experienced teachers resume, a general teacher resume template to follow and more!
A job in the education sector offers a wide variety of average salaries depending on the level of education you are teaching. Below you can find an overview of average annual salaries for a variety of education jobs in the US based on labor statistics:
Teacher at Elementary School: $47,000
Teacher at Middle School: $49,000
High School Maths Teacher: $50,000
School Principal: $92,000
Your first steps into the education sector as an elementary school teacher could result in an average salary as low as $32,000, whereas university lecturers or principals could be earning closer to $100,000 annually! Check out the following examples of annual salaries for different education employers:
The Clark County School District pays an elementary school teacher: $46,000
The salary of a Teacher at Middle School in Clark County is: $58,000
The salary of a Teacher in High Schools at the Department of Education of New York is: $78,000
Director of High Schools at Achievement First: $92,000.
How to make an Experienced Teachers Resume
In order to compete as an experienced teacher in the education sector, you will have to create a teacher resume that is personalized and that demonstrates passion and experience relevant to the position you are applying for. You should avoid generalized information and the resume should be concise and clear in addition to providing the following details:
The resume should summarise all relevant skills to the position you are applying for.
Your teacher resume should avoid any form of terms that are generalized for the education sector
You should include a cover letter to explain why you want the job and what you will bring to the workplace
Expert Tip You should always be careful not to include irrelevant keywords on your own resume as employers will often use automatic keyword recognition software to filter out irrelevant resumes. As a result, it is imperative that you carefully read the job descriptions and be sure to include the relevant skills in your application.
The layout of Experienced Teacher Resume Samples
Although there are multiple ways to approach the layout of your teacher resume, you should consider using the reverse-chronological order. This means that you will first list your most recent teaching experience to provide information on your latest job in the education sector, allowing the hiring manager to get an immediate overview of your most recent career experiences.
The structure of the Teachers Resume
Generally, as an experienced teacher, you will want to show your vast teaching experience to future employers. So a reverse chronological resume format will always be best. This showcases your valuable experience that schools are desperate for. Start with your current position at the top, and work backwards to your first position.
Inexperienced teachers would use the functional resume format where they put their education and skills at near the top to focus on their biggest asset which is their education. Since you have experience which is more valuable than just education alone, you don’t need to do that.
Sometimes structuring an education resume can be difficult, so you should check out a teacher resume template on our website. Viewing a teacher resume sample is super useful to get some inspiration and to give you a good overview of what your employers will expect from your resume.
Start with the Header of the Teachers Resume
When hiring managers first pick up your resume, the first thing they will see is your teacher resume header. This is why it is so important to format the section correctly to avoid any immediate red flags. Your resume header should include your full name, current teaching job or profession, contact information, as well as any other important information you consider relevant.
Example of a good header for an Experienced Teacher
CORRECT
Leroy Green
Principal of Educational Establishments
987-654-321
leroy.green@gmail.com
Seattle, Washington
linkedin.com/in/leroygreen
Example of a bad header for Experienced Teacher
INCORRECT
Leroy Daniel Green
I have experience as a principal at many schools in addition to as a maths teacher
987-654-321
885 Fort Street
98109
Seattle
Washington
leroydanielgreen@yahoo.com or principalleroy@hotmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/principalleroy
This good and bad sample teacher resume header should give you a good idea of how to write yours. However, feel free to check out a teacher resume template on our website to get further examples.
Is a photo required for Experienced Teaching Positions?
For many career paths, including a photo on your resume is a bad idea. 80% of US companies claim that they would not consider an applicant who had a photo in their resume as it can appear unprofessional and informal.
Choosing your Experienced Teachers Title
When writing a teacher resume title, you should always ensure that it is tailored specifically to the job you are applying for. Avoid any vague or general terms as this could raise red flags to hiring managers and leave a bad first impression!
Professional summary for Experienced Teachers
CORRECT EXAMPLE
Accomplished High School Teacher with 11 years of experience teaching large classes of students. Proven ability to teach both small and large groups and establish positive relationships with students. Effective communicator with emphasis on academic and individual growth.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
A really good teacher with tons of experience teaching students about many different topics including maths, English and music.
Your professional summary is a great place to provide an overview of your teaching experience. You can also use this space to provide information regarding any relevant training and qualifications that your potential employer may need to know about.
Work Experience in the Teachers Resume
The work experience section of your education resume will be hugely important to your potential employers. All levels of teaching require some form of experience so this is a great opportunity to show off your hard work!
Always remember to use a reverse-chronological format when writing your work experience section! If your potential employer takes a quick look at the section and immediately sees your earliest experience, they may assume this is all you have achieved and not read any further to learn of your higher-education experience for example!
Introduction of the Professional Experience section
Before you start listing your qualifications, you will need to begin your professional experience section with an introduction. This is your chance to give an overview of past jobs, work experience and any other experiences that you feel are relevant to your teaching resume.
Describe your professional experiences on your Teachers Resume
Writing your professional experience section should consist of stating the particular school you worked at, job title and a brief description of your responsibilities. This could include describing your teaching responsibilities, assessment methods, how you improved the curriculum etc. For each job title you should write 3 to 5 bullet points describing these points.
Examples of professional experiences for Experienced Teachers beginner/junior
High School Teaching Assistant
Achievement First, Inc
Implemented a hands-on approach to teaching art and art appreciation to encourage students to explore different forms of art.
Promoted educational growth and success for students by introducing philosophical subject matter.
Maintained a clean and safe learning environment for small groups and individual learners.
Examples of work experience for a Senior Teacher Resume.
High School English Teacher, California Springer High School
Assessed students strengths and weaknesses by administering and interpreting standardized tests.
Promoted cutting-edge learning methods to encourage cooperation among students and meet their individual needs.
Collaborated with peer staff members to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of Arts programs.
Education in a Teachers Resume
Considering that working in the education sector involves teaching, it should come as no surprise that the education section is very important. All teaching levels require some form of education, so this is your chance to show off your educational background including everything from your higher education to your early childhood education! Don't forget to use the reverse-chronological method to highlight your higher education first, otherwise your employer may focus on your early childhood education!
Should you start with education or work experience?
You should think hard about whether you want to begin writing about education or work experience. If you have plenty of teacher experience already, you should definitely have this as the focus. However, if you are still in training and don't have much experience to show off yet, it will probably be wise to begin with your education first.
How to properly list your education in a Teachers Resume
For every listing, you will want to include the education establishment, subject/major and your qualification grades/GPA. However, if your GPA is average or below average then it’s probably worth giving that a miss!
Example of the education section of a Teachers Resume
Teaching and English
University of Chicago
2008-2011
GPA: 3.8
If you want to see another teacher resume example to help you structure your educational history properly, check out our examples for guidance!
Skills to put in the Resume for Experienced Teachers
The next must-have section on your teaching resume is the skills section. Application websites will make use of ATS (applicant tracking system) that will search through every submitted teacher’s resume for relevant keywords. Any teacher resume that does not include these keywords or includes irrelevant skills could be filtered out by the system. Therefore, it's essential to optimize your skills list according to the job posting in order to improve the likelihood of your teaching resumes making it to the top of the pile!
What are the main skills sought for in a Teachers Resume.
The main skills required for a job as an experienced teacher greatly depends on the specific teaching position that you are applying for. Furthermore, this can also depend on the level of education you are planning on teaching..
What skills for a mid-level experienced Teacher
Experience in an elementary classroom
Classroom engagement
Camp counselor
General teacher skills
Excellent feedback as a new teacher
Classroom maintenance and cleanliness
What skills for a qualified senior teacher
Higher education teaching experience
Special education
Improving test scores
Advanced teaching skills
Teaching credentials
Creation of curriculums
Awareness of differences between school districts
Writing lesson plans
If you need any more guidance when it comes to writing your skills section, check out a teacher resume example and templates on our resume sample website for further information. The resume samples are available in a variety of formats, so you can choose the resume template that's right for you!
Write the Ideal Resume Hook for a Teachers Resume.
It's really important to ensure that your education resume begins with a strong resume hook. This is your opportunity to provide a succinct overview of your experience in the field, your passion for education and any other information you want your potential employer to know about!
Example of a tagline for a mid-level experienced teacher
Dedicated Teacher's Aide with exceptional ability to motivate students and support teachers. Proven skills in English Language and teaching assistance. Facilitates environments conducive to student learning by implementing versatile teaching methods.
Sample tagline for a senior level teacher
Professional High School English teacher with 15 years of experience. Ensured that students are provided with effective leadership and that their progress is carefully monitored. Promotes students' learning and personal growth.
Additional Headings for Your Teachers Resume
Your teaching resume should always be customized for the specific teaching job that you are applying for, and this means you can feel free to add any additional headings that you feel need addressing. However, don’t get carried away - always ensure that you double-check these headings to ensure that they truly are relevant to the job that you are applying for.
Computer skills and certifications in a Teachers Resume
Computer skills may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to teaching, but almost every teaching position will require at least some form of computer skills and certifications. Examples of relevant experience in this area include:
Using grade management software
Experience in using virtual learning environments
E-learning and remote teaching
Certification in education software
Awareness of software used in your specific teaching area
Interests in a Teachers Resume
Whilst it may be tempting to include a section dedicated to your interests, this is a rookie error. It’s very rare that this will be beneficial to your teaching resume and can distract employers from important aspects and even result in your resume being rejected by use of ATS.
Languages in a Teachers Resume
You will always need to have qualifications and experience in the English language when it comes to teaching in the US. However, some teaching positions (for example languages) will require you to be fluent in other languages. If a job description specifies that you must speak a certain language, you should always provide certification evidence of this:
IELTS or TOEFL are both acceptable for English (with a 30-point or higher score).
German proficiency certificate (65 or above)
DELF for French (with a score of 70% and above)
Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Teachers Resume
We’ve gone through a lot of information throughout this article, so let's summarise everything that has been covered:
Always ensure that you follow a professional teaching resume format and double-check to ensure everything is looking clean and concise.
Don’t forget to optimize your keyword usage when it comes to your skills section. The last thing you want is for your resume to be automatically filtered out by ATS systems!
Always personalize your resume for each job you apply for. Nothing screams ‘red flag’ like a generalized teaching resume.
Never rush a resume - this will be very noticeable to your employer as they will have tons of experience reading through excellent and terrible resumes.
Most importantly, if you find yourself continuing to struggle with writing your resume, don’t forget to check out a teacher resume sample on our website to gain some further insight
Write a Cover Letter That Goes With Your Teachers Resume
Finally, it is almost always worth writing cover letters to support your resume! This is your opportunity to write lengthier paragraphs to explain any other information that you didn’t have space to provide in your resume. Outline why you want this job, your passions in the subject, and all the relevant information. It’s best to keep the resume concise and leave any other information for cover letters.
Frequently Asked Questions for A Teachers Resume
How do I describe my relevant teaching experience on a resume?
You should describe your relevant teaching experience and work history in the employment/experience section of your teacher resume. Keep it concise and ensure you mention anything relevant to the job position.
How do you write achievements on a resume for a teacher?
Generally, you should write any achievement as bullet points under your education section. However, if you have a lot of non-education related achievements then you could consider writing an additional skills section for this.
What is a good resume objective for a teacher?
You shouldn’t need a resume objective being an experienced teacher - you need a professional summary. However, a resume objective would be suitable for a teacher with less experience, and gives them a chance to show their enthusiasm and passion. While also including a concise summary of information relevant to the job including work experience, education and skills.
What is the best resume format for teachers?
You shouldn’t need a resume objective being an experienced teacher - you need a professional summary. However, a resume objective would.
CORRECT
INCORRECT
