Write a teacher cover letter that grabs the reader’s attention and lands an interview with these writing tips. As I am sure you know, your application letter and resume will form a first impression with a school district’s hiring representative. It needs to be targeted and top-notch to get the reader to move to your resume. 

If your cover letter and resume are visually attractive and include the right keywords, and contain relevant information, it will increase the odds of landing an interview. These documents need to show the value you can bring to the school community to generate interest.

Your application letter targeting a teacher position should complement the resume by showing your personality and teaching passion.

A teacher cover letter or letter of interest, or letter of introduction is your chance to explicitly tie these qualifications to the specific duties and responsibilities of the particular job for which you are applying.

Demonstrate that you’ve done your research on the school district and convey your enthusiasm and commitment. Balance professionalism with personal warmth, passion, and friendliness.

Tips to Write the Perfect Primary Teacher Cover Letter

Tip 1: A Strong Introduction of Who You Are:

Write a teacher cover letter to say more than “here is my resume.” It’s your chance to convince the hiring manager that you’re the best person for the job; sell yourself. It’s essential to introduce yourself and explain why you want to work for their school community.

Tip 2: Get the Reader’s Attention:

The letter needs to do this immediately, or you risk losing it for good. Make it clear right from the outset about which teaching job or administration position you’re applying for and why you have the necessary expertise to fill the post. Talk about your passion for education, relevant experience, a significant achievement, and the value you would bring. Keep it short and concise – make sure it fits on one page.

Tip 3: Research the School

Research and find out the name of the hiring manager, recruitment manager, principal, superintendent, and address the message directly to them. Keep in mind the job’s specifics and give concrete examples – which are accomplishments of how you’ve excelled in these areas. Find out as much as you can about the school to which you are applying and demonstrate how you share their vision.

A hiring manager is more likely to want to meet you in person if they feel connected with your teacher cover letter. Show that you understand the school’s vision and explain how you can contribute to meet the needs of the community.

Tip 4: Be passionate about your work and expertise:

Passion and enthusiasm are infectious. Communicate to the reader your passion for the teaching position or the education job you are applying for. Talk about how you love a challenge and are driven to succeed, but whatever you choose to say, write it with passion, the zeal you feel about teaching.

Tip 5: Show you are creative and innovative:

Show your creativity, innovation, problem-solving,  and you approach things in a new and unique way to get results. Give examples in your cover letter of some creative projects you’ve been involved in and had to overcome obstacles.

Tip 6: Check and recheck your teacher cover letter:

This writing tip might sound a little strange, but if time allows, finish writing your cover letter and put it away; don’t read it for a day or two. Then take it back out and reread it.

101 A+ Teacher Resume and Cover Letter Writing Tips is the ultimate resume and cover letter writing tips and hints for educators. Transform your teacher or school administrator resume and cover letter into an interview generating tool!

Included are eight free resume templates you can use to make the process easier. Learn invaluable information to make the resume and cover letter you submit stand out and communicate you are the right teacher for the job.

Do you need to ensure you get more education interviews? Let us help you land an excellent position by writing your resume and cover letter for the perfect teaching job.

We have helped clients around the globe for 16+ years to move their education careers forward. Take the time to review and order one of our resume packages or individual services.

Learn more about Candace Alstad-Davies by reviewing this about me page. From that page, you can review testimonials and frequently asked questions.

Have questions, please connect by sending an email to Candace or call toll-free at 1 877 738-8052. I would enjoy chatting with you.

Preparation is key if you aim to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Targeting ESL teaching jobs can be an excellent way to jump-start your teaching career if you think you have what it takes to help students in this area.

As English has become one of the most important languages to know to conduct business, connect to literature, and attract tourist dollars, demand for English instructors for non-native speakers has skyrocketed.

Unfortunately, there are still children and adults who never learn the language due to lack of education or isolation. There is an ever-increasing need for qualified individuals to teach English as a second language, also known as ESL. ESL teachers can find ESL teaching positions locally or abroad due to the global demand for English skills.

If you think you have patience and what it takes to help people learn to speak and read English, you might consider entering this field.

ESL Teachers in English Speaking Countries

If you are interested in teaching English to non-native speakers but aren’t ready to fly around the world yet, your dream job might be closer than you think. Many schools in English-speaking countries employ ESL teachers to help educate students who speak very little English or do not speak any English.

It is quite common for schools to accept students who have emigrated from a non-English speaking country or who live in a household where English is not spoken.

Often, instructors who are qualified to teach English as a second language are in high demand due to the need to work with diverse learners with a wide range of English skills.

There might find native speakers of multiple languages in your classroom, and you might not be able to speak all of those languages. Develop alternate means of communication with them while you try to instruct them in the English language. Some schools have students who speak the other language who can help teachers with interpretation.

In some regions, you will need to be certified to teach ESL in addition to a generalist or subject-area certification for your age group. Teachers with an ESL certification can teach in both generalist classrooms and classrooms populated by English language learners. In other places, there is no official ESL teaching certification.

In these cases, schools are willing to employ anyone as an ESL teacher as long as they have a Bachelor’s degree and speak English as their native language. If you hold a teaching degree but have been unable to find a job in your subject area, you may increase your chances of obtaining a job by temporarily teaching ESL.

If your goal is to teach English as a second language closer to home, but you don’t want to specialize in a school-aged population, you still have options.

In addition to teaching elementary, middle, or high school students, there are opportunities to teach adult classes, work with private schools or work independently as a tutor. These are just a few options that could help you advance toward the goal you want to achieve, even if it isn’t English as a second language (ESL) instruction.

Teach English in a Non-native Speaking Country

ESL teachers are frequently in high demand in countries where English is not the most commonly spoken language. English is the most common language for business transactions worldwide, and many schools require their students to learn English.

If you want to teach English in a school outside of your home country, it is quite helpful to know at least a bit of the language spoken in that country. A few schools require you to speak the country’s dominant language while others strongly prefer it. Schools may offer an interpreter or a student who speaks both languages to help you.

If you teach English as a second language (ESL) in a foreign country, you will likely have classes that vary in size. In some areas, ESL teachers will find themselves instructing up to 40 students at a time.

This tends to occur mostly in areas that have a high population density and overcrowded schools. If the class size is a concern for you, make sure you request information regarding the average class size from any school in which you would like to work before committing.

Often, ESL teachers who work in a foreign country will be provided housing, airfare to and from the host country, or related benefits by the school where they are working.

Teaching overseas can be an excellent opportunity for those interested in seeing the world. Just be confident you can stand away from home if you commit to an English as a second language (ESL) position abroad. Some schools require a commitment of up to two years.

ESL teaching is an ever-expanding field, and as an ESL teacher, you will have the pleasure of seeing your students grow and develop daily. There is a diverse selection of English as a second language teaching opportunities, as far away as the other side of the globe and as close-by as your neighborhood elementary school.

If ESL teaching interests you, explore your opportunities carefully before committing to one choice. ESL teaching can be your chance to make a difference. Are you ready to take the chance and embark on a new career direction?

Start preparing for a career to teach English to students who are learning the language? Are you an English as a second language (ESL) teacher hoping to move up to manage a program?

Education resume keywords make an enormous difference in whether you will get an education job interview or be screened out.

When a school district has 300+ resumes submitted for a single position within two days of placing an advertisement for a job, the chances are they will not plod laboriously through all of them.

Modern technology – applicant tracking systems, a digital filtering method of all resumes and often cover letters to screen which job candidates are eligible for a closer look.

Education Resume Keywords are Used to Filter Job Applicants

This job application screening method means teachers’ resumes need to include specified core competencies and related education resume keywords that the district or interviewer selects to screen applicants. If your resume contains these specific teaching or school administrator keywords, you will make it to the human eye. It sounds harsh, but unfortunately, this is the process for many school districts,  higher education learning facilities, or other organizations.

Let’s discuss how you can include pertinent keywords related to a school teaching or administrative position to get your resume selected. One of the best places to identify keywords to be featured on your resume and cover letter is the job advertisement. Pay close attention to the job description detailed in the announcement and note the main criteria.

You can also check out job descriptions or education postings similar to the one you wish to secure. This process will help to find up-to-date education resume keywords to use in your documents.  If the school district has a website, spend some time reviewing the content and jotting down what is relevant. In particular, pay attention to their goals and education philosophy – if the website includes their mission statement, read it carefully and identify the significant points.

How to Use Education Resume Keywords

The biggest mistake you can make is copying and pasting chunks of text from job postings or descriptions directly into your resume. Of course, you need to show how your skills as an educator relate to those detailed in the job description. Don’t use the language of the advertisement verbatim.

Not only will this hint at a distinct lack of imagination, but it is copyright infringement. Furthermore, it will leave the prospective employer wondering whether you know what is included in your resume. The trick is to weave the selected education resume keywords into your resume in a natural way. (It may help if you viewed our education resume samples)

If you end up with a list of 50 words after doing your initial research to identify keywords, don’t be tempted to try and shoehorn them all in. This strategy can easily backfire, and it’s unlikely to impress the district hiring committee.

Be selective about the words you include when writing your resume. Your resume should read naturally while adding the most important and relevant keywords.

Use descriptive keywords when describing your past work experiences and accomplishments. Start your phrases in the past tense, listing them in a bulleted format. This method will make your statements dramatic and descriptive. Example descriptive words include: achieved, decreased, planned, produced, restructured, transformed, initiated, supervised, and managed.

Showcase your competence in a particular field by using keywords that highlight your competencies and expertise.

Examples of teaching keywords include classroom management, curriculum design, and implementation, educational program evaluation, IEPs, and assessments, cooperative learning, growth mindset, personalized learning, reflective teaching, research-based practices, instructional strategies, collaborative environments, teacher-based teams, data-driven analysis, blended learning, coding, digital literacy, embedding technology, and flipped classroom.

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What kind of support would you need from the administration and teaching staff to help adjust to the new teaching position? A job interview question about administration and teaching staff support could be phrased as follows: 

To be a well-rounded and adaptable teaching professional, you must be willing to work with colleagues, share best practices, and attain new information to refine your teaching techniques and enhance the learning process.

Do not say that you are self-dependent and already possess the resources and skills necessary to succeed. The school administrator tests your ability to be a team player, openness to suggestions, and willingness to learn from and help fellow teachers.

Understanding the school principal and assistant principal’s role will be important to prepare for the interview properly.

This is a fabulous opportunity for you to show an eagerness for attending courses, workshops, in-services, and other professional development sessions. Furthermore, this is a wonderful chance for you to express your desire to continue learning, thus conveying that you will pass this ideal onto your students.

A common goal for all school community members should be to keep the school safe from violence.

Ask questions. Gain an understanding of colleagues’ instructional methods, available technology, and resources, and types of students that will be in your class.

By asking questions, it shows you care about your job and the school. Don’t ask too many questions. You do not want to be seen as someone who can’t think for themselves. Instead, demonstrate enthusiasm, interest, and commitment to making the school a better place, via any available means.

Writing an attention-grabbing resume for a teaching position will be an important part of planning your future career and knowing where it is headed. Before you take the plunge into the world of job searching, I would like to give you one word of caution.

Creating a resume for an effective, stress-free job search can be harder than you think. It’s important not to get overwhelmed.

If it has been a while since you have updated your resume, you will certainly want to refresh your resume to maximize results.

Writing Tips to Get Your Resume is Up-to-date And Top-notch

1. Check your career objectives. Are they the same as your last job search?

Ensure your resume will reflect the industry or profession that you are seeking. A resume mustn’t be simply a history of your employment. Your job search documents should target the position you are seeking.

Writing a resume to apply for special education teaching positions is different than creating a resume for a literacy coach.

Most job seekers making a career change have a tough time uncovering and communicating transferable skills and accomplishments. Don’t make the mistake of using the same resume and objectives for each job. If the job posting states, they’re looking for someone with administrative experience, listing your time as a student-teacher won’t do much good.

Weed out any old information, and keep different resumes to target particular jobs. Each resume would highlight various skills and attributes.

2. Is your resume format outdated and uninspiring?

As you grow in your profession, you must have a resume to reflect your professionalism and current resume style. There are many amazing sophisticated formats today to highlight your career achievements.

The days of the old boring standard resume formats are history. Stand out from the hundreds of resumes received by an employer daily with a unique resume with powerful content. Creativity, eye-catching formatting, and the ability to use keywords effectively are what will get you in the door.

Explore new, clean fonts that are much easier on the eye than the standard Times New Roman. Add a primary-colored border if it feels right. Be creative while still maintaining a polished appearance.

Review our teacher resume samples.

3. Have you added new employment, skills, and accomplishments?

Refreshing your resume and keeping it up-to-date is essential. A career opportunity may spring up, and you need to be prepared to act quickly.

Keep your resume current to ensure you don’t miss out on any career opportunities. Ensure your added responsibilities — or even promotions — have been reflected on your resume. Career accomplishments are critical to include in your resume, don’t miss this essential ingredient.

 Update your resume as soon as you complete any major projects to showcase your accomplishments. Don’t let too much time go by before documenting your successes or you risk omitting them altogether.

4. Job lingo and keeping keywords up-to-date

It is probably unbelievable to most people, but industry jargon, buzzwords, and technology change almost daily. Incorporating relevant keywords in the content of your teacher resume will be paramount to landing interviews.

Review job postings and even school district websites to keep updated on the latest trends in keywords and even in interviewing techniques. Browse around job sites, even if you’re not on “the hunt” right now, to see what’s new in the industry. Professional development is a proactive way of staying up-to-date on new key phrases. Attend seminars, webinars, conferences, talks, and meetings whenever possible.

Keeping your resume and cover letter updated and “ready to go” is a fabulous way to ensure you don’t miss career opportunities that may arise during the year. When your resume is prepared, there are many things to consider when posting your resume online.

Do you need help polishing up your resume? Reach out to Candace via phone at 1 877 738 8052 or email. 

If you liked this article, feel free to comment and share it below! We’d love to hear any job search tips you can offer fellow job seekers.

Happy hunting!

Classroom management strategies for teachers are critical to minimizing student disruptions and keep high expectations for student behavior in the classroom.

Holding students accountable for their actions will serve as a reminder of the classroom rules and will raise your students’ expectations of themselves. If they see that you hold them to a high standard, they will begin to believe that they can achieve high levels, thus increasing their self-esteem and confidence.

You should not expect that your students will misbehave; you should expect they will behave appropriately. This should be reinforced when you speak to your students to know what your expectations are. You might say, “During this group activity, I expect you to raise your hands and wait to be called upon before you answer aloud. I also expect you to respect each other’s opinions and listen to what each person has to say without interrupting.”

When classroom disturbances occur, you must deal with them instantly and with as little interruption as possible. You don’t want student learning to be interrupted because of the actions of a few disruptive students.

If students discuss something non-related amongst themselves and are trying to teach a lesson or have a classroom discussion, ask one of the disruptive students a question to encourage them to get back on track. This will also encourage the rest of the students to perk up and pay more attention as they won’t want to be caught off guard with a question they aren’t prepared to answer.

If you have to interrupt the flow of the lesson you are teaching to handle a disruptive student, this distracts students who genuinely want to learn. Additionally, this wastes time since it takes a few moments for you to get all the students and yourself back on track with the lesson you are trying to deliver.

As well, there may be times when you have been instructing a class only to notice that your students start to drift away from the lesson. If you have had this type of experience, you may know that asking a student a question that requires an answer is effective in this situation. Keep your lessons interesting to engage all students.

During the lesson, you can bring back your students’ attention by directly addressing an individual with a question that demands an answer. For instance, you can say, “Do you understand Peter?” or “Mary, do you see how this works?” or ask a specific question about the content of the lesson. This method is not a trick to puzzle the student but only brings their attention back to the class. Once you use this technique in your classroom, you will find that the rest of the students will pay attention also because they don’t want to be caught off guard.

By establishing high expectations for your students and making classroom learning the primary focus of your lessons, you will be better able to deal with small disturbances and keep your students on track.

Reflect and determine what you have achieved in your classroom? Classroom management accomplishments are an integral part of writing your teacher resume. If you are thinking of a job search, really think about the environment you created for the students and the impact on learning.

Educators are using an autobiography in their career portfolios more today than ever before. Find out why an autobiography should be a part of your job search toolkit.

Including an autobiography with your CV or resume will apply to those submitting applications to higher education jobs. These may include college instructors, corporate trainers, superintendents, directors, or school principals.

Job seekers making a career change frequently use an autobiography in their portfolio to show why they are making the transition into education. Mention your reasons for making a career transition in your cover letter.

Benefits of Autobiographies

Autobiographies have tons of benefits to a job seeker and the potential employer. For one, not everyone will submit an autobiography, making including one unexpected and attractive to potential employers.

An autobiography will help the reader remember you; it provides more in-depth information about your background and led you to a career in education. An autobiography can be an added job search marketing document that could set you apart from the other candidates.

How Do you Write an Autobiography?

When writing an autobiography, you want to highlight your unique and meaningful life experiences and summarize them in one or two pages. An autobiography is usually written in the third person and can be written by you or by someone else. While crafting your paper, make sure you don’t include any negative details. Think of the readers’ perception of what you’ve done.

Start to Write an Autobiography – Introduction

Grab the reader’s attention right from the opening. Start by telling the reader where you were born and raised, how you came to the city you currently call home, and then get into your schooling. Include your areas of study when talking about the college you attended.

To make a great impression, conclude your introduction with a passion and strong statement about your career goal. If you’ve had an employment gap of some sort, like taking five years off to raise a child, this is the time to address it. You’ll get into your qualifications in a bit.

Autobiography Body Paragraphs

Next, write one or two paragraphs about your previous training and employment history. Depending on your experience, the first paragraph may go into a deeper description of your schooling history. The second paragraph should go into detail about your job history and identify your strengths. Be sure to include your present and future goals and any accomplishments you have made.

If you have an employment gap, here is the time to talk about what you did during that time to further your professional goals even though you weren’t actively employed. Mention seminars and webinars you attended, conferences, or any other form of extracurricular professional development that sustained your skills during the gap.

Closing Paragraph

The final paragraph should include your unique selling points and what makes you stand out as an individual and job candidate. Showcase your personal philosophy toward teaching, and restate your career goals and how you plan on making a difference in your field.

To address a gap, reiterate that you’d like to get back into the workforce and briefly summarize the information you listed above. Don’t harp too much on the topic, but assure the reader you’re prepared to come back and give them 100%.

As a final note, remember this autobiography is yet another marketing tool to sell you as a teacher. Every word and sentence need to count, be careful not to ramble to make your statement precise.

Use white space, as this has been proven to keep a reader’s attention longer. By creating short paragraphs of 3-4 sentences, you will gain white space and lead the reader’s eyes downward to ensure they read the whole autobiography. Check out this sample of an autobiography.

If you need assistance composing your autobiography or any of your essential job search documents, reach out to Candace Alstad-Davies directly via email or toll-free: 1-877-738-8052.

Please share any tips for writing an autobiography with fellow educators by leaving a comment below.

Incorporating these phone interview tips will increase your chances of securing a second interview for the education position you desire. Preparation is the key component to ace the job interview. Get ready now if you are in an active job search.

More and more schools are deciding to interview candidates over the phone, especially if the prospective teacher lives in another city or state. Telephone interviews have unique advantages and disadvantages.

Even though a phone interview may seem easier than a regular interview on the surface, it can actually be quite hard. Projecting your personality without having the advantage of face-to-face contact can be challenging. You must rely solely on your voice to make a connection with your interviewer.

If you are properly prepared for the conversation with these phone interview tips, you have the advantage of being able to have notes right in front of you. The comfort of familiar surroundings could work to your advantage. As well, most tips that apply to face-to-face interviews can assist you in telephone interviews. That being said, there are extra things you can do to ensure a successful phone interview.

Phone Interview Tips to Show You are a Serious Candidate

Eliminate Distractions

Settle in a quiet place away from people, TV, pets, etc. If you have a home office, use it and close the door. Not only will these things distract you, but the interviewer may hear them through the phone and find them distracting, or if they hear a TV for, for instance, wonder how seriously you are taking the interview. Eliminating distractions will enable you to keep 100% focused on the job interview.

Be Energetic and Smile While Speaking

Enthusiasm should project into your voice and validate you are excited about the position. Your goal should be to convey to the interviewer that you are an upbeat and outgoing person. In a phone interview, all an interviewer has to go on regarding your personality is your voice.

Bring your enthusiasm, professionalism, optimism, and friendliness through the phone. Pay close attention to your tone because a note of irritation or frustration in your voice will be much more noticeable over the phone.

Tailor Your Responses

You are apt to get many scripted questions in a phone interview, so try to answer each question in a specific way to that particular school or teaching position. Your goal should be to show how your skills and teaching philosophy will benefit the specific position. Please read up on the school/district to determine their goals, objectives, and mission during the preparation stage. In the interview, you can have notes on the school in front of you to refer to when necessary.

Personal Connection with the Interviewer

Getting a personal connection via the phone can be harder than in person. It’s necessary to make a lasting impression to move ahead in the hiring selection process. Marketing yourself to the school will involve talking about how your specific skills and personality will solve problems and build the school community. Attempt to change the interview tone from a question-answer situation to a discussion of the present situation of the school and what you can bring to the table to improve things.

Be Confident and Leave the Interview with an Open Invitation to Continue Talking

Express interest in continuing the conversation at a later date. This will help the interviewer to know you want to get to know them better.

If you follow these phone interview tips, you will likely successfully set yourself apart from the other prospective teachers.

What is the role of the student council? What challenges do students face? Prepare your responses. You could be asked these two job interview questions in either a teacher interview or a school principal interview.

Here are ideas to help you tailor your answer to increase your chances of receiving a teaching job offer.

What Role Does Student Council Play in the School?

A safe and structured student council is an excellent place for cultivating leaders of tomorrow. The roles and responsibilities of the student council will differ slightly from school to school.

Observing the student council activities will allow teachers to recognize and nurture students’ unique gifts while at the same time choosing those who are truly gifted in the areas of leadership.

In addition to helping students as individuals, the student council is a fabulous way for organizing school-wide activities, student orientations, special events, fundraisers, and other events that educational institutions rely on to establish a well-rounded school community.

Furthermore, they provide the student body with an opportunity to voice their questions, concerns, and ideas, thus making the school a truly student-focused and student-driven entity.

What is the Greatest Challenge Facing Students Today?

Start responding with several challenges facing students.

 For example:

There are several serious challenges facing students today. For all students, a serious challenge is learning responsible, caring behavior in the face of all the irresponsible behavior shown, and even promoted, by the media – television, radio, the Internet, and magazines. Blended learning is a modern way to keep students balanced when it comes to learning tools.

Unfortunately, too many adults base their behavior on what they see and hear in the media and provide poor role models for students. Besides, many students face the challenge of learning English as a second language. And, finally, many students struggle with learning difficulties that inhibit their ability to become literate.

However, since each child is unique, they will face their own batch of problems and challenges. The key to helping all students reach their fullest potential is assessing and accommodating their diverse needs.

If it is discovered that one or more children need additional one-on-one support, the teacher must provide extra-curricular help or encourage them to work with their child at home more.

On the other hand, the home situation may by itself be part of a child’s struggles. Some do not receive adequate support and positive reinforcement from family members, while others cannot afford the latest technology to keep on top of school projects and research.

If the latter is the case, students of lower socio-economic backgrounds are automatically at a great disadvantage. Helping students with productive programs in place to paramount to help these students succeed.