Resume Advice for Student Teachers

You’ve taken all of your classes and now it’s your turn to be the teacher. Once you have started your student teaching, it's time to begin thinking about applying for your first teaching job. To do this, you need a killer resume. Your resume is the first impression your future employer will get of you. This means what goes into it is extremely important.

Identification Heading

The very first thing on your resume should be your identity. Your name should be front and center in an easy to read font. This heading should also include your mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. Be sure the email address you use is professional and not some silly nickname you had in high school. 

Experience

The experience section is the most important part of your resume. For a teaching resume, the experience will be split among teaching experience and work experience.

Teaching Experience

This is where you show your experience working with children. You can list your student teaching position(s) here. You can include details such as the school district, time spent in the classroom, and subjects/grades taught. You should also include any paid or unpaid experience that you have working with children, including tutoring, coaching, or any job you held supervising children.

Other Work Experience

You can include any other job experience under this heading. Be sure your job descriptions focus on classroom skills like organization, training, management, and public speaking

Education

The first school listed under this heading should be the school you were most recently associated with. If you are still in school, list it along with your expected graduation date. Other schools should be listed in reverse chronological order. Your high school should be last. Your middle and elementary schools are not necessary, and should not be included.

Academic honors can also be listed here. Your GPA isn't necessary; however, feel free to flaunt it if you have a particularly high GPA.

Optional Sections

Adding additional items to your resume is perfectly acceptable, but only if it pertains to the position you are applying for. Hobbies and interests that involve working with children or show leadership would work for an early childhood education resume. However, keep in mind that some hobbies could be a turn off for a potential employer.

Other optional items that may appeal to a prospective employer could include honors like Dean's list, related coursework, special certifications, and professional memberships. You may also consider listing any special skills you have, such as fluency in a second language or advanced computer skills.

How Many Pages?

Most people will tell you a resume should be just one page. However, a two-page resume is fine for a teaching position. This is because you need to list any and all past education and employment experience that fit with working with children. You need more room to talk about your work with coaching sports, leading youth activities, volunteering for scouts, or serving as a camp counselor.

To Fold or Not to Fold

In this day and age, you will apply for many positions online and either upload or email your resume. However, some employers still prefer the tried and true method of receiving your resume by mail. Your resume and cover letter are reflections of you, so you want them to appear polished. Consider mailing them in a large manila envelope so they do not need to be folded. A large envelope will also give you plenty of room to mail other documents, like an application or transcript, with your resume.

Consider this piece of paper the key to your first teaching job. You want to make sure your resume is an impressive reflection of the person you are and the teacher you will become.

Considering a career in education? Need help knowing where to begin? Athena Career Academy can help. Contact us today to get on your way to a great teaching career.