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The Professional Educator Resume
posted by: Alix | April 19, 2012, 06:22 PM   

If you are a classroom teacher searching for a new job, or if you are thinking about a career in education, perfecting your resume should be at the top of your to-do list. Just like in any other skilled profession, an educator's resume should incorporate elements specifically designed to appeal to administrators or other hiring managers. Incorporating both traditional elements and some added pizzazz can be just the ticket to landing your dream teaching position!

Remember, your resume is a professional reflection of you. What is included and how it is presented truly depends on your education, experiences, achievements and the position itself. Administrators are looking for passionate teachers who are professional, collaborative, exhibit teacher leadership potential, know their content, and understand serving a diverse demographic.

First, start with the correct order of resume elements:

  • Personal Contact Information
  • Career Objective (Optional)
  • Education Information
  • Certifications/Professional Licenses
  • Special Skills (Optional but may show other ways you can contribute to the organization)
  • Education Experience (paid and non-paid)
  • Other Work Experience
  • Thesis Title and short summary
  • Honors
  • Professional Affiliations
  • Presentations
  • Publications
  • References
For an experienced educator, it is not uncommon to see a resume resemble a curriculum vita. The teaching profession has become much more sophisticated over the past 15-20 years and a resume that reflects this sophistication will stand out. It's not uncommon for teachers who have truly grown with the profession to have resumes that reflect extensive technology and data-driven decision making education, action research, presentations at professional conferences, and significant professional organization, committee and leadership experience.

Just as the teaching profession has become more complex, so have teacher education programs. Increased field experience, internship requirements and high expectations for data use, action research and serving diverse students using a variety of instructional strategies and technology have required colleges of education to raise program expectations. A new teacher's resume should reflect all field experiences, internships, organization leadership roles and affiliations, action research project titles and any other significant experience that might show a good fit for the position. In addition, titles of major presentations completed for course requirements should be listed.

Regardless of level of experience, there are certain elements all teachers should consider. Job seekers should do their research and incorporate the organization's language into their resumes. Nothing stands out more to a hiring manager than using the same language as the school's mission statement, for example. Never use a "one-size-fits-all" resume. Also, don't forget to keep professionalism in mind. Cute fonts, colors and clip art do not belong in a professional educator's resume.

For additional resources and tips, check out your college's career services office. Education professors and school administrators are also great resources for resume feedback. Another great resource used by AAE staff is the K12 teacher resume booklet. Click here to download a copy.

Dr. Michele Linch is the Executive Director of AAE's state partner, the Arkansas State Teachers Association.


Do you have any thoughts to add about creating a modern and effective teacher resume?
Comment below.

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