Elementary Teacher Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Elementary Teacher resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Elementary school teachers are some of the most highly regarded professionals in their field. They’re the ones who ignite a child’s love of learning, help them develop critical thinking skills, and guide them through the many challenges of growing up.
And it’s not just kids who benefit from having an elementary teacher in their lives. Parents appreciate having someone who can help their child grow academically while also fostering important social skills like teamwork and collaboration.
So if you’re looking to make a difference in the lives of young children and their families, here are some tips plus an example resume to help you write an effective elementary teacher resume that will get you noticed by recruiters.
How to Write an Elementary Teacher Resume
Here’s how to write an elementary teacher resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will read. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
But many candidates make the mistake of using generic bullet points that don’t really tell a story or provide any context about their experience.
Instead, you should use your bullet points to tell a story about your experience. And that story should be about how you helped students or contributed to the school community in some way.
For example, rather than saying you “taught math classes,” you could say you “taught math classes to a diverse group of students, including those with special needs, and helped them achieve higher test scores in just one semester.”
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit an application for an elementary teaching position, it is likely that your resume will be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This system looks for terms that are commonly used in the job description, like “teaching experience” or “education” to determine whether your skills and experience match the job opening. If you don’t have enough relevant keywords on your resume, the ATS might discard your application before a human ever sees it.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common elementary teacher keywords to help you optimize your resume:
- Classroom Management
- Curriculum Development
- Lesson Planning
- Educational Leadership
- Educational Technology
- Teacher Training
- Staff Development
- Elementary Education
- K-12 Education
- Special Education
- Differentiated Instruction
- Classroom Instruction
- Literacy
- Elementary Education Teaching
- Higher Education
- Public Speaking
- Teaching
- Organization Skills
- Technology Integration
- Lesson Planning & Design
- Research
- Education
- Elementary School
- Staffing Services
- Event Planning
- Public Relations
- Customer Service
- Sales
- Management
- Marketing
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Elementary school teachers need to be proficient in a variety of technologies in order to be successful in the classroom. This might include experience with common classroom software programs, such as Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and iPads, or with specific content areas, like math or language arts. Additionally, elementary school teachers need to be comfortable using technology to differentiate instruction and reach all students in the classroom.
If you have experience with any of the technologies listed above, be sure to list them on your resume. And if you’re not familiar with them, now is the time to learn them!