Teacher's CV and cover letter for school - how to write effective application documents?

Working at school requires many competences, which should be skillfully presented in the teacher’s CV to increase your chances of being employed. In recent years, the trends of writing application documents have changed a bit. Learn how to write a teacher resume, to convince the recruiter. In this article, we’ll look at how to construct a teacher resume that will help you stand out from other candidates by highlighting your unique skills, experience, and contributions to education.

This article explains:

• Teacher CV – what should you know?
• Why is the professional goal of a teacher so important?
  • Professional summary – sample teacher’s CV
• Work Experience in a CV – Example Teacher
  • Pedagogue/teacher CV – how to describe your experience better than other candidates?
  • What else can you write in the responsibilities section of a teacher’s CV?
• How to describe education in a CV for a teacher?
• Resume Teacher Skills – Introduce Yourself as a Professional
  • Presentation of soft skills – teacher’s CV template
  • Description of hard skills – teacher’s CV template
  • Kindergarten teacher CV – why are skills so important?
    • Kindergarten teacher resume skill examples
• Interests in a teacher’s CV – should they be included? + Examples
• How to write a cover letter for school? Five practical tips
  • Cover letter to the school principal – write it effectively
  • How else can you create an engaging teacher cover letter?
• CV teacher and cover letter teacher with little experience – what to write?
• Teacher’s CV – summary

Teacher CV – what should you know?

A CV for a teacher is a basic document that is worth writing in a modern way. In a situation where many candidates will be applying for one position, you can be remembered and gain an advantage. How to do it?

• It is worth writing the teacher’s professional goal.
• To draw attention to your candidacy, a description of the teacher’s achievements will be useful.
• It’s a good idea to think about the interest section of a teacher’s resume.
• Attach a cover letter to your school job with your application.

Why is the professional goal of a teacher so important?

Application documents, such as the teacher’s CV and the pedagogue’s CV, should stand out so as not to get lost among dozens or even hundreds of other applications. An excellent way to do this is the teacher’s professional goal, which is placed at the very top of the resume.

A professional summary on a teacher’s resume (otherwise known as a goal or personal profile) is a key element that allows potential employers to quickly understand your qualifications and intentions. It should fit in a few sentences.

How to create a teacher’s career goal for a resume?

• Write who you are, for example, indicating your specialty (early childhood education teacher, English teacher, etc.).
• Briefly mention the experience, using specific examples that best reflect your qualifications.
• Highlight your strengths in your teacher’s resume , such as classroom leadership, professional teaching methods, and communication skills.
• Include a brief description of the teacher’s accomplishments, such as successful projects, awards, or participation in innovative educational programs.
• Describe your professional goal as a teacher, i.e. what you would like to achieve in a given institution or in which areas you plan to develop.

Writing a career objective on a teacher resume requires you to focus on how your skills and aspirations can fit into the values and directions of the school you are applying to. Be guided by similar considerations when writing your teacher’s cover letter.

Professional summary – sample teacher’s CV

“As a Polish teacher with over 10 years of experience, I always strive to interest students in the topics of lessons. The average grade in Polish in the class I took over increased from 3.8 to 4.3 during the year. The results of the extended Matura exam in my subject among these students were 77% on average. My goal is to continue working in an environment that values creativity and fosters a holistic approach to education.”

Work Experience in a CV – Example Teacher

Experience

05.2018 – 09.2022 Polish Language Teacher (grades 4-8)
Primary School No. 15 in Poznań

Main responsibilities:

• teaching the subject according to the core curriculum
• preparation of original teaching aids and tests
• discussing students’ progress at meetings with parents

Additional responsibilities:

• organizing the activities of the theater club
• active participation in meetings of the Teachers’ Council

Achieve:

• preparation of four students for the Polish Literature and Language Olympiad who qualified for the regional stage
• preparing a student for OLiJP who became a finalist of the national stage

Pedagogue/teacher CV – how to describe your experience better than other candidates?

Many people write only the most important responsibilities, which everyone gives in their CV for a teacher. If you go beyond this scheme, you will have a chance to make your candidacy stand out. Think about which of your activities contributed to the success of your students. Seemingly simple things, such as preparing talented people for competitions or high results in classroom exams, are a valuable entry in the teacher’s CV.

How to describe responsibilities well in a CV – example teacher:

• If you are wondering whether to create a description of the teacher’s achievements, The answer is simple: it’s worth it. A teacher’s resume is where you should present yourself from the best possible side. An employer who sees that you have had an impact on specific results and engaged in the tasks assigned to them will probably want to invite you to an interview to find out more.
• Tailor your educator resume to your specific job opening. Each institution has different expectations towards candidates. Show with your teacher resume that you are the most suitable. To do this, use similar words that you see in the job description and requirements.
• Try not to write too much – choose only the most relevant points, because a teacher’s CV should be concise.
• It is worth taking into account the basic issues, for example, write “conducting educational classes” in the kindergarten teacher’s CV , and also interest the recruiter in your additional activities.

What else can you write in the responsibilities section of a teacher’s CV?

It is good to use terms other than the popular “conducting lessons” or “organizing meetings with parents”. Below are some examples that you can successfully use to enhance your teacher resume.

Additional duties in the teacher’s CV template:

• implementation of the program in accordance with the applicable teaching plans;
• implementing lesson plans with the adaptation of materials to the different needs and skill levels of students;
• conducting interesting and engaging lessons;
• building positive relationships with parents and co-workers;
• monitoring pupils’ progress and regular meetings with parents;
• completing school documentation;
• organizing trips, thematic projects and additional activities;

• involvement in developing students’ social and emotional skills;
• active participation in meetings of the teaching team, sharing knowledge and best practices.

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How to describe education in a CV for a teacher?

To work as a teacher, higher education is necessary. Create this section in a simple and clear way, mention the certificates you have and the courses you have completed. If you are just starting your career, describe in more detail the activities undertaken during your studies.

09.2016-06.2021 University of Adam Mickiewicz Hospital in Poznań
Direction: Mathematics
Title obtained: Master

• 10.2022 Course “How to motivate and awaken creativity in a student?”
• 12.2023 Monthly training “Effective science learning”

Resume Teacher Skills – Introduce Yourself as a Professional

The skills section is a mandatory element of every teacher’s CV, without it the document will not be complete. It is worth describing such qualifications that will show you in a good light. Usually, dozens of people apply for one position, so your job is to stand out.

• Introduce the most important skills while avoiding clichés.
• Remember about soft skills (such as empathy) and hard skills (e.g. knowledge of English at the C1 level).
• Describe the qualities useful in your specialty, for example, in the CV of an English teacher it will be “the ability to use multimedia in conducting classes”, after all, you certainly play audio materials or short films.
• Match your teacher’s resume to the content of a specific job posting using similar keywords.

Presentation of soft skills – teacher’s CV template

• Excellent communication skills;
• effective transfer of knowledge;
• ability to solve didactic and interpersonal problems;
• creative approach to teaching;
• the ability to collaborate with other teachers, school staff and parents to support pupils’ development;
• planning and time management;
• patience and empathy;
• Multitasking;
• warm and friendly disposition;
• good contact with students;
• high personal culture;
• adapting methods and materials to the individual needs of students;
• knowledge of the specifics of working with students with various educational needs (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia).

Description of hard skills – teacher’s CV template

• Very good knowledge of Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook);
• fluency in Skype and Microsoft Teams;
• Google Hangouts support;
• creating PowerPoint presentations;
• creating original teaching aids, in accordance with the basis of the Ministry of National Education;
• knowledge of modern teaching methods and techniques;
• knowledge of English at a level (e.g. A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2);
• first aid;
• using an interactive whiteboard.

Kindergarten teacher CV – why are skills so important?

Working with young children requires many skills, such as empathy, patience and creativity. It is also important to communicate well with parents and teaching staff in order to constantly monitor the progress of children. Soft skills are therefore very important, because they determine how the teacher will perform at work. The qualities associated with a good approach to children are also valuable in the CV of an early childhood education teacher.

Kindergarten teacher resume skill examples

• Patience and empathy;
• planning engaging games;
• the ability to communicate patiently and friendly with young children;
• care for a group of children based on positive relationships and cooperation;
• creating and organizing teaching materials adapted to the age and needs of children;
• effective communication with parents, informing them about the progress and needs of children;
• using teaching techniques and methods appropriate for preschool education;
• planning and conducting trips, performances and theme days.

Interests in a teacher’s CV – should they be included? + Examples

Hobbies are not an obligatory element of a teacher’s CV. If your CV is already very long, you can skip them. However, when you want to include interests in the teacher’s CV, add issues related to activity and willingness to develop. Include information about your professional interests that are relevant to your role (e.g., innovative educational methods, technology in teaching).

Examples of interests in a PE teacher’s CV: personal and fitness training, participation in the organization of marathons, healthy lifestyle and dietetics, running a local football club.
Examples of interests in the CV of a Polish language teacher: writing articles for a local monthly, running a blog on literature, theater, popular science audiobooks.
Examples of interests in an English teacher’s CV: listening to English-language podcasts and radio shows; history of Great Britain, travels around Ireland; A history of American literature, from the classics to the modern writers.
Examples of interests in a biology teacher’s CV: ornithology, ecology and environmental protection, horticulture, nature photography, genetics and biotechnology.

You can also include a hobby not related to work in the teacher’s CV , it will be an interesting variety of content.

How to write a cover letter for school? Five practical tips

1. Create a cover letter for a teaching position that will contain more information than a resume. These are two separate documents, each of which must be valuable to the employer.
2. Cover letter – teacher template – is it worth using ready-made examples? Yes, although you must remember not to copy entire blocks of content. It’s likely that most candidates rely on similar patterns, so it’s best to go beyond them.
3. Base your cover letter for a teacher on a description of skills important to the employer. To do this, read the job advertisement carefully and try to make the document suitable for your requirements and list of responsibilities.
4. Keep it concise. A cover letter for a school should fit on one page, because recruiters usually have little time to read one candidacy in detail.
5. Only the official language is suitable, whether it is a cover letter from an English language teacher, or a cover letter from an early childhood education teacher. Also remember about polite phrases.

Cover letter to the school principal – write it effectively

Sample job offer for the position of English teacher:

Job description:

• conducting English classes in grades 4-8,
• using interactive teaching methods.

Requirements:

• appropriate professional education with pedagogical training,
• minimum 5 years of experience,
• patience and understanding of students’ needs,
• Language certificates are welcome.

Cover letter to the school principal, admission:

“Dear Director,
It is with great enthusiasm that I am applying for the position of an English teacher at Primary School No. 5. I have a master’s degree in English philology and I have pedagogical training . During 8 years working as an English teacher in Primary School No. 15, I was guided by patience and understanding individual needs of pupils. I am convinced that my professionalism and passion fit perfectly into the mission of your school.”

This introduction of the teacher’s cover letter contains a description of the competencies indicated in the job offer. This will allow the employer to quickly notice that you are a good fit for the position.

How else can you create an engaging teacher cover letter?

Later in your teacher cover letter , continue to try to highlight aspects that are important to the employer. Also, mention your motivations and achievements.

“In my work so far, I have focused on creating interactive and engaging lessons that motivated students to acquire the language effectively. My approach is based on the use of modern technologies and teaching methods that allow you to improve the educational process. I have managed to significantly improve the level of English proficiency among my students, which is confirmed by test results and external evaluations.
I have a C2 certificate in English and a TEFL teacher certificate, which, combined with my ability to create inspiring teaching materials, provides a solid foundation for conducting effective classes.”

CV teacher and cover letter teacher with little experience – what to write?

You can create a cover letter and a teacher’s CV in an interesting way, even if your work experience is small.

When you’re just starting out, focus on:

• Education;
• Practices;
• volunteering;
• Internships;
• skills acquired during studies;
• Your motivation and willingness to work;
• positive things you can bring to your new facility.

Teacher’s CV – summary

Each document, including the teacher’s CV, should be tailored to a specific person. Therefore, there is no one, universal pattern. Follow the advice indicated, remembering to keep the content concise.
Many candidates send the same resume to every place because they simply don’t want to waste time changing the content of the teacher’s resume for each ad individually. However, as you know, this is not a waste of time, but a great opportunity to get a good job! Take advantage of this and create an effective teacher resume.