When you apply for a teaching position and hand in your teaching portfolio, your resume will likely be the first component that your potential employers review. A résumé is a one- to two-page written summary of your abilities and experiences. It assists prospective employers in considering your potential for success in their school system. Although it doesn’t replace an application, it should be submitted along with it. The overall goal of the résumé is to make it as easy as possible for the person reading it to quickly find the information they need.

How to Organize a Resume

The first section of a résumé should contain your personal contact information. Following your contact information, clearly state your career objectives. Your career objectives should eloquently and concisely state where you want your career to go, what qualifications you have, and what qualifications you need in order to make your goal a reality. As a rule, never use the words I or my. Your objectives should not exceed two lines in length.

Next, neatly list your teaching experience, nonteaching work experience, and education in reverse chronological order. List only your student teaching experience—omit your practicum and observation hours. The purpose of the nonteaching work experience section is to show that you are responsible and can hold a job. This section also may indicate to a potential employer a skill or experience you’ve acquired that may relate to the teaching position to which you are applying. So, unless your previous work experience involves teaching, keep it simple. In the education section, list every college you’ve attended, in addition to where you graduated from high school, again using reverse chronological order.

What A Résumé Looks Like

• In general, a good résumé has the following characteristics:
• concise, bulleted information (instead of paragraphs)
• information is logically organized
• content is free of errors in content, spelling, and grammar
• typed in a 10- to 14-point font
• font uses a nondecorative option, such as Times New Roman or Arial
• whatever format you choose, consistency is maintained
• printed on one side of standard white paper

Once you’ve drawn up a first draft of your résumé, have at least two people look over it. They may catch errors that you won’t notice, and they can help point out any awkward phrasing or unclear presentation of information. You want your résumé to be the best introduction to you possible!

Check out this handy teacher resume sample & writing guide, if you need further assistance.