Instructing students is a valuable role that teachers play in our society. A teacher's resume needs to convey both the knowledge they possess as well as their skills.
In this article, we're going to cover the topic of resumes for teachers. This will start with a review of the three most common resume styles, and how to choose one that will highlight strengths and not draw attention to any weakness. We'll also briefly explain what a Curriculum Vitae, or CV, is and the difference between a CV and a resume. Finally, we'll finish up with a resume example to download.
Resumes Styles for Teachers
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The resume writing process begins with a quick review of resume formats. There are three styles that a teacher may choose from, depending on richness of knowledge, and work experience:
Chronological: provides a historical account of where the job candidate taught in the past, and the types of teaching assignments held. The main feature of the chronological resume is work experience or history.
Functional: a good choice for teachers with less work experience, the functional resume emphasizes what is known more than where an individual has been teaching. The main feature of the functional resume is the skills and knowledge section.
Combination: the most marketable of the three styles, it leads with a functional format and ends with a chronological style. The combination resume is the best choice for teachers that have a lot of good experiences to draw from.
The resume example written for teachers is in the combination format. The example can be transformed into the two other styles mentioned above.
Curriculum Vitae
While many in the United States have never heard of Curriculum Vitae, the term is more familiar in the teaching profession. A Curriculum Vitae is commonly used by teachers when applying for a research grant, fellowship, or for a research position at a college or university. Just like a resume, a CV contains contact information and work history. Unlike a resume, a CV will include research experience, articles published, grants received, and more detailed information on professional associations and awards.
If anyone is looking for more information on this topic, there is an article dedicated to this subject: Curriculum Vitae Writing.
Experience and Knowledge Examples
Typical experience and / or knowledge possessed by teachers can include:
Enforcing rules and behaviors to maintain order in the classroom.
Maintaining accurate student records, preparing reports as required by local and district policies as well as the law.
Teaching students acceptable behaviors using techniques such as positive discipline.
Preparing, administering and grading of tests and homework assignments required to evaluate a student's knowledge and progress.
Meeting with parents, guardians, counselors and school administrators to discuss and resolve a student's educational, social, or behavioral opportunities.
Sample Resume
The resume example written is in the combination style, and is a good example for someone looking for a secondary teaching position. We've selected the secondary school level as an illustration because of the relatively large population of teachers represented by this area.
The following is a link to a downloadable Word document in the combination format: Sample Teacher Resume.
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