skills for resume entry level teacher

19 Skills a Teacher Should List on a Resume (A to Z List)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Examples of teaching skills needed to be successful in today’s classrooms include: leadership, communication, multitasking, patience, and reflectiveness.

When adding these skills to a teacher resume, you can list these in two categories: ‘soft skills’ and ‘hard skills’. We’ve listed which type of skill each is below.

Be sure your teaching resume highlights some of the skills listed below, and discuss how they will benefit the students in your classroom.

For content specifically about soft skills, see soft skills for teachers .

A to Z List of Skills for a Teacher Resume

1. communication.

Type: Soft Skill

Teachers need to be able to communicate in the classroom as well as with colleagues, parents, and administration.

Show prospective employers that you are able to effectively communicate with parents in-person.  Examples of communication skills include your ability to speak professionally and articulately, as well as your ability to be an empathetic listener. 

Teachers will also be required to communicate through different media formats such as Google Classroom, Canvas, Edutopia, or any other required website by your district.

Be sure you are informing prospective employers that you are savvy in communicating your class objectives, standards, and assignments in an easy-to-use media format for parents and administrators.

A teacher who has dynamic communication skills will stand out as a candidate that school districts can trust to effectively reach all members of a learning community.

You Might Also Like: Teaching Philosophy Statement Examples

2. Computer Skills

Type: Hard Skill

Technology is here to stay in education. Feature how you use technology in your classroom to make yourself stand out on a resume.

If you use a smart board, projector, online classrooms, or technology in general to drive your instruction, make this stand out on your resume.  In the real world your students will be using computer skills in any or all future job opportunities. 

For example, a student might have to access google classroom in order to access a text and assignment for the day. In math, a group might be working on a shared online document to create a graphing presentation. In Science, students could be using project-based learning to demonstrate their understanding of skills or concepts taught in your class.

A resume that doesn’t highlight a teacher’s ability to incorporate and promote computer skills in their classroom will simply be overlooked.  It is no longer a skill you can go without in the classroom.

3. Creativity

Administrators love hearing new ideas for successful lesson planning and teaching. Demonstrating how you provide a creative spin to older teaching practices is a fantastic way to stand out on your resume.

Creativity can be highlighted in many different parts of your teaching style : how you develop unique lessons, how you informally assess students during class to drive your instruction, innovative solutions you have to common behavioral problems in your classroom, how you support students in sharing ideas and communicating, etc. 

Any way you can offer new insights for common practices in the classroom that lead to student success will highlight your ability to be creative.

For example, a teacher who uses a peer learning strategy that allows their students to read multiple examples of their classmates would showcase that you understand that exposure to multiple examples increases student understanding of writing skills. 

Provide specific examples of how your teaching practices go beyond normal expectations in a classroom setting and highlight the benefits of those examples for your students. This will prove your ability to be creative on your resume.

You Might Also Like: Teacher Vision Statement Examples

4. Cultural Competence

Diversity in education cannot be overlooked.  Your resume needs to prove you can connect with and include to a multitude of cultural backgrounds in your classroom.

An English teacher might discuss the multicultural literature they use during their lesson plans to allow their students to see themselves within the stories and topics they are discussing, for example.

Any teacher can include cultural competence by promoting and respecting dynamic cultural differences of their students in the classroom.

Your resume should highlight how you allow your students to share their personal stories and how you, as their teacher, both formally and informally recognize those differences.

One tip would be to outline how you reach out to students at the beginning of the year and allow them to share their cultures and experiences before diving into any given curriculum.

Cultural competence cannot be overlooked on your resume.  You need to prove your ability to be culturally aware, and how you encourage students to be aware and accepting of their peers’ cultural differences. 

5. Goal Setting

Goal setting for teachers involves making sure you have short-term and long-term plans, as well as knowledge of the steps required to get there.

This is required because teachers need to be able to create a coherent unit of work to get students from their prior knowledge to mastery of a topic.

Your resume should outline how you set goals for yourself and your students, the tasks you need to accomplish, how you minimize distractions, and your overall plan for accomplishing your daily activities successfully.

6. Leadership

Teachers are leaders inside the classroom and in the school community. 

In the classroom, teachers lead groups all day long . They need a leader’s negotiating skills with students while also being able to assert their authority in the classroom.

They might also train and mentor younger and less experienced teachers and help parents with child development information that can help them raise their children.

In the school community, teachers participate in school committees where they develop educational programs and school policies. will usually be more sought after than a candidate focused solely on their classroom instruction.

School districts also have many leadership positions that need to be filled outside of the classroom, including:

• school improvement plans,
• curriculum planning,
• policy and procedure development,
• behavioral programs, etc. 

Market your leadership skills on your resume by showing times when you have been a leader in and outside of the school context. Showcasing these leadership skills are sure to get you closer to securing an interview spot.   

7. Lesson Planning

Lesson planning is a skill specific to our profession. It involves the ability to lay out not just what you will teach but how you will teach it.

Many employers now ask to see samples of lesson plans appended to resumes. If this is required, make sure you list your teaching strategies and be aware of the layout of the classroom. Your lesson plan should answer questions like:

• Where is the teacher standing?
• Are the students in groups or working independently?
• What will be the pacing of the lesson?
• How will you transition into and out of phases of the lesson?
• What education theories are you relying on while executing this lesson?

8. Math Skills

Even if you are not a math teacher you can still easily highlight your math skills on a teaching resume.

Data-driven instruction is a major theme in successful classrooms.  Be sure to demonstrate how you collect data from your students in regards to skills they are working on in class. Questions you might get in an interview may include:

• How do you organize student data?
• How do you interpret data to drive your instruction for your next lesson plan or unit? 

Outlining these components on your day-to-day data collection and assessment will showcase your math skills, even if you are an English teacher.

You can even provide an example of your data collection on an anonymous student and describe how you might interpret that data to a parent or guardian so they can better understand their child’s progress in your class. 

Even if you aren’t a math or science teacher, math and data collection should still be a driving force in your teaching.  Prove this on your resume and you’ll easily showcase your math skills!

9. Multitasking

Your resume should lay out your ability to facilitate the many roles teachers play in their classroom.

In a single class, a teacher will take attendance, engage students, provide materials, introduce assignments, give directions, document behaviors, informally assess student understanding, reteach, and the list goes on!

There is no end to the amount of tasks a teacher may or may not perform in a single class period, let alone an entire day. 

Your resume needs to display your ability to handle the ever-changing needs of your students on a daily basis.  This includes both instruction and social emotional needs of your students. 

Be sure your employer knows that you understand the complexity of what happens in a classroom on a daily basis by giving examples of your ability to handle and adapt to the ever-changing environment of your classroom.

See More: 25 Examples of Multitasking

10. Patience

Teaching is the most patient of professions. Often times, you need to sit patiently with a student for a long time before they finally have the ‘light bulb’ moment they need.

A patient educator needs to be able to change up their pedagogy to match the needs of the student. For example, they should identify when a student is struggling with your teaching modalities and switch them up to a modality that is more beneficial for the student.

If you can, provide examples of past experiences where you’ve demonstrated patience and the positive outcomes that came from those experiences.  Real examples of how you can be patient in an academic setting will set you apart from other candidates.

11. Problem Solving

Being able to identify a problem, determine the cause of the problem, and initiate possible solutions to a problem are a prominent skills for any teacher and should be showcased on your resume.

Problems will appear throughout a teacher’s day. Problems with technology, problems with parents, problems with student behaviors, and student learning difficulties are all examples of issues teachers will need to face. 

‘Putting out fires’ and finding solutions for both your own problems and the problems of your students are therefore central skills. 

Showcases this to employers as a way to enhance your resume. Make sure you demonstrate you are capable of finding solutions for a variety of situations that could occur in any teacher’s day-to-day encounters.

Be sure your resume discusses your problem-solving skills with simple examples and solutions to ensure your prospective employer understands you fully acknowledge that all competent teachers can problem solve.

12. Punctuality

A classroom full of unsupervised students can lead to catastrophe. So be sure your employer is aware of your ability to be on time.

Being punctual to your classes at the start of the school day is necessary for the wellbeing of the students within the school. Teacher presence is often seen as one of the most important aspects of keeping students’ good behavior.

Beyond student supervision, you should be demonstrating to your employer that you are a candidate that they can count on to show up. Nothing is worse for administration than scrambling to find a last-minute substitute for a teacher who doesn’t show up on time to work.

Furthermore, nothing is worse for one of your colleagues than being called out of their planned period to substitute because you were a no-show! No one wants a colleague like that.

Your resume should prove you are accountable and that you will be present every day for your colleagues and your students. 

13. Reflectiveness

A reflective teacher is one who pauses at the end of the lesson and reflects on how it went. By being reflective, they can continually learn from their experiences and improve.

One way teachers show reflectiveness is to discuss how the use students’ formative assessments to plan future assessments.

Once learning is assessed teachers then need to plan their next lessons based on student mastery and determine whether they require interventions for greater understanding or enrichment opportunities for continued growth within a skill. 

One way you can accomplish this is discussing how you might incorporate reteaching strategies when students are not yet reaching mastery for a task that you previously planned to move on from.

14. Resilience

Teachers need to be able to quickly recover from difficulties in their day-to-day jobs. 

Things aren’t going to go right for you. There will always be issues that you could have solved better, and prickly parents who you need to deal with regularly.

Much like a teacher’s ability to problem solve and find solutions, teachers need to quickly bounce back after handling problems.

For instance, a teacher may receive an email in the middle of day outlining a parent complaint where their practice or skills are put down or diminished. Oftentimes, teachers must quickly adapt and continue meeting the needs of their students after facing such scrutiny.

Your resume could include a glimpse into how you might recover from such situations and your plan for growth and improvement. If you have specific examples of your previous resilience in your teaching experience, be sure to highlight these on your resume.

15. Social and Emotional Intelligence

Demonstrating your ability to be are aware of your own feelings, including your strengths and weaknesses, will prove your social and emotional intelligence.

Incorporating social emotional intelligence on your resume is simple. It can be outlined in your ability to communicate, problem solve, and self-assess your work.  

Be sure that you offer examples of both what you excel at in the classroom and what you need to work on.  When discussing what you need to improve on, be sure to include how you will make those improvements and the benefits they will have in your classroom and for your students.

Another way to include social emotional intelligence is your ability to be responsive to your students’ social emotional status within your classroom.

Provide examples for when you understood a student was struggling and provided them with resources needed to support them.

A student who may have struggled to pay attention might be struggling with hunger.  As a teacher, you were able to find them resources for free breakfast and lunch at school is a dynamite way to highlight your social emotional intelligence.

Highlighting your own social emotional intelligence and your ability to recognize social emotional cues in your students will give you an edge on your resume.

See More: Examples of High Emotional Intelligence

16. Subject-Specific Knowledge

Subject-specific knowledge is the hard skill of knowing not how to teach, but what you’re teaching .

A math teacher needs to have excellent math skills, a physics teacher must be excellent at physics, and a woodworking teacher needs excellent skills with a lathe!

One way to demonstrate excellent subject-specific knowledge is to show how you’ve used your subject-specific knowledge in your work prior to becoming a teacher.

17. Teamwork

Being a skilled team member is one of the most crucial parts of being a stellar educator. 

In order to efficiently meet the needs of diverse learners, teamwork is crucial.

Current trends in teamwork for schools include just that: teams of teachers who teach the same group of students.

One example is a school who has all core teachers (Math, Social Studies, Science, and English) overseeing the education of the same group of students.

These teachers will communicate on a daily or weekly basis on the needs of individual students including:  their success in classes, behavioral issues, social emotional needs, special education needs, etc. 

Teams of teachers should be able to observe and provide interventions for students struggling when they work together to meet student needs.  A greater impact can be made on a students’ success in the classroom when there’s a team of teachers in that student’s corner.

Exemplifying your ability to work on a team in an educational setting is a great way to increase merit on your teaching resume.

18. Time Management

In teaching you will not be seen as a viable potential employee if you cannot demonstrate your ability to organize and plan your time.

We live in a time where the crowded curriculum means we need to leverage every moment of the day. If we don’t, we’ll never get through all the teaching we need to get done by the end of the school year.

19. Writing Skills

There’s nothing worse than a teacher who sends home a newsletter with spelling mistakes all over it. It undermines your credibility as an educator!

Your resume is the first look your potential employer has of your writing skills. Make sure it’s impeccable.

You could also explicitly discuss your writing skills. For example, you could provide examples of how you model writing in your classroom, regardless of your discipline. Writing is, after all, a general academic skill that all students need. 

Remember, your resume itself will showcase your writing skills.  Be sure you have proofread your resume and that your writing is grammatically correct, formatted efficiently, and is easy to navigate for potential employers.

Go Deeper: Writing Skills Examples

Soft Skills vs Hard Skills

Soft skills are generalizable skills that are difficult to measure whereas hard skills are specific skills required in a profession, which are generally quantifiably measurable.

1. Soft skills are skills that are general in nature and can be transferrable across different professions. They are usually not quantitatively measurable. Examples include communication and leadership skills.

Soft skills also often require use of emotional intelligence to get them done. In other words, they often involve navigating complex social situations (although not always).

2. Hard skills are skills that are specific for tasks rather than generalist. They’re usually quantifiable and relate directly to your profession. For example, creating lesson plans is a measurable skill (you produce something at the end) and one that is specifically for the teaching profession.

Common Interview Questions for Teachers

• How would you handle a disruptive student? I would answer this by highlighting the important to stay calm and patient, show concern for the student’s needs, and work together with the student, parents, and support staff to ensure the student is comfortable in the learning environment to minimize disruptive behavior going forward.
• What is your teaching style? Most teachers would answer this with reference to active learning , placing an emphasis on situated learning , or achieving differentiation (see: examples of differentiated instruction ).
• How do you plan to contribute to the learning culture at our school? Emphasize your ability to support other teachers, demonstrating high-standards to be a good role model to all students, and your enthusiasm to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

While the skills included in this article can seem overwhelming, remember that many of these skills are layered within each other and can be incorporated together in different aspects of your resume. 

Time management, patience, resilience, and problem solving are all skills that piggyback off of one another.  You likely won’t have one without touching on some of the others.

Work to group or highlight skills included in this article together.

Most importantly, remember to always make the forefront of your resume about the students.  Highlight how your skills enhance their learning.

The focus should always be on how you can increase student success in your classroom both academically and as citizens.  Teaching is really about the skills you have that make your students thrive!

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

1 thought on “19 Skills a Teacher Should List on a Resume (A to Z List)”

Excellent Article! Thank you for sharing. Fred

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15+ Teacher Skills You Need On Your Resume in 2024

August 28, 2024

Teaching is a dynamic profession that requires a unique blend of skills to inspire young minds and create effective learning environments. 

As a teacher, you’re responsible for various tasks within a school, ensuring that your class’s learning runs smoothly. This includes lesson planning, curriculum instruction, learner assessment, record keeping, and giving feedback on learner performance and progress.

To stand out in a competitive job market, you must showcase your abilities clearly and concisely on your resume. 

This article highlights 15 essential skills that every teacher should emphasize to capture the attention of potential employers and demonstrate their qualifications for success in the classroom.

Crucial Teacher Skills

Teacher skills are specific competencies and abilities that help you carry out your educator roles effectively and efficiently. They are necessary when creating lesson plans, carrying out learner instruction, and interacting with colleagues, parents, and administrators. 

Some of these will be learned during your teacher education degree program, while others you will acquire as a certified educator. 

Teacher skills will enhance your efficiency in working with children and help you develop their knowledge and critical thinking skills. 

Highlighting your teacher skills on your resume sets you apart from other candidates and can earn you a teaching position. 

Let’s look at the top 15 teacher skills that will make your resume stand out: 

1. Communication

Communication is the art of effectively conveying ideas, building relationships, and creating a shared understanding in your classroom and beyond.

Communication is a critical teacher skill that underpins all aspects of your work as an educator. Whether written or verbal, your employers need to know that you can effectively communicate with all the stakeholders within the institution. 

Practical communication skills will help you to connect with:

• Students: They help you present information, instructions, and concepts. Clear communication also ensures that students understand the lesson’s subject matter. 
• Colleagues: Effective communication enables educator collaboration, where you can share ideas, resources, and best practices. This contributes to professional growth and enhances the teaching approaches of the entire teaching fraternity. 
• Parents: You’re expected to regularly update parents on students’ progress, discuss challenges, and seek parental involvement to support student learning.
• Stakeholders in the education community: Communication with the educational community enables you to access resources,  participate in professional development programs, and engage in collaborative projects.

As an effective educator, you are expected to listen, empathize, and seek to understand the different viewpoints presented by your learners, parents, and other stakeholders. Here are some ways to help develop your communication skills:

• Embrace telephone jobs like calling alums for donations or volunteering for a peer support line. 
• Join a debating society and learn to articulate your opinions thoughtfully while attentively listening to others. 
• Participate in the school magazine or website and engage your creative writing skills or just get ideas on writing professionally.

2. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills involve applying reasoning, analyzing information, and making sound decisions based on logic and evidence. These skills empower you to analyze situations carefully and make informed decisions that enhance the best interests of your learners while considering the institutional goals and standards. 

They also help you balance achieving academic standards and addressing parental expectations for their children.

In class, critical thinking skills will help you in:

• Curriculum design: Teachers critically analyze curriculum guidelines, educational standards, and student needs to design effective and engaging lessons. They consider different teaching strategies and select the most appropriate approaches to support learning among their students.
• Problem-solving: In the classroom, teachers encounter various challenges, such as addressing individual student needs, managing disruptive behavior, or adapting to unexpected situations. Critical thinking enables them to develop creative solutions that balance the students’ needs and learning environment.
• Assessment: Teachers use critical thinking to develop meaningful assessments that measure student learning and progress. They analyze assessment data to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement to help students understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Here are some ways in which to develop your critical thinking skills:

• Assess your thinking : Use tools like self-reflection, journaling, and feedback to examine your strengths, weaknesses, biases, and assumptions. This will help you identify areas of improvement. 
• Seek diverse perspectives : Expose yourself to various viewpoints through reading, listening, and engaging with people from different backgrounds.
• Reflect and act : Document your progress, reflect on outcomes, and apply your learning to demonstrate and improve your critical thinking skills. 

3. Patience

Patience is the ability to remain calm and understanding while guiding students through challenges, fostering perseverance and resilience.

Your learners learn at different rates, have different learning styles, and come from diverse backgrounds. Patience is critical in helping you recognize and respect these differences. It will also help you remain calm when faced with challenging behavior. 

In addition, patience helps you foster an inclusive and safe learning environment that nurtures growth and learning for all students. 

For instance, when dealing with a learner who requires additional explanation, you should patiently offer that extra guidance and practice to enhance understanding. 

When your learners deal with personal challenges that may impact their performance and behavior, patience will empower you to be empathetic and respond calmly. 

Although patience is inherent mainly, here are ways you can develop your patience:

• Practice thinking before speaking: Learners are more open when they know you are listening. Make an effort to listen attentively when they talk and value their perspectives. This will allow you to create a nurturing and engaging learning environment. 
• Take time to understand learners’ underlying issues: This will help you offer suitable guidance and support and determine the kind of environment your learners require to optimize learning. 

4. Leadership

Leadership is the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide students toward their full potential, fostering a collaborative and empowering learning environment.

As an educator, you need to be able to lead a classroom and inspire confidence in your learners. You also need to be able to deal with students with diverse needs inside and outside the school. 

You serve as a leader in the classroom, guiding and inspiring the learners toward academic success and self-actualization.

Beyond the classroom, you also demonstrate leadership when interacting with colleagues, parents, and school administrators, contributing to a collaborative educational environment. You can also demonstrate leadership skills by serving as a mentor and providing guidance to less experienced teachers or student teachers. 

Here are ways to develop leadership skills: 

• Practice makes perfect : Try putting yourself in situations that require you to take leadership roles. For instance, I could volunteer to head a group project or be more involved in societies at and after university. As you head this group, we encourage your teammates to offer you constructive criticism and give feedback to teammates as well. 
• Improve your organizational skills . Leadership roles will demand great organization from you. You can practice organizing your classroom and planning lessons, assessments, and evaluations. Also, learn to prioritize and delegate tasks to avoid being overwhelmed.  

5. Organization

Organization includes the systematic arrangement of resources and time to create a focused, efficient, and productive learning environment.

To perform your duties effectively as a teacher, you must possess excellent organizational skills. 

Organizational skills are also vital to creating and maintaining a productive learning environment. For instance, if your class has around 30 learners, it can be challenging to remain organized, optimize instructional time, and ensure each learner gets personalized attention.

Educators with excellent organizational skills prepare their instructional content beforehand and inform learners of their expectations. This makes it easier for them to manage their assignments and materials. 

Here are a few tips to help you improve your organizational skills:

• To save time, organize your teaching materials and prepare lesson notes and plans for the previous day. This will allow you to focus on delivering the lesson content and ensure you do not miss important information. 
• Determine the lesson objective before the beginning of the lesson. Ensure the learning goals are clearly defined, as this will enhance your focus and help you organize your teaching materials and resources better. 
• Keep a calendar or a planner, schedule lessons, mark essential deadlines, and track assignments. A planner lets you prioritize tasks, allocate time for each learning activity, and avoid last-minute rushes.
• Utilize technology to enhance your organizational skills in the classroom. Learn how to use software applications and online tools, such as Moodle, Google Classroom, and Evernote, to assist you in managing your materials, grading assignments, and tracking student progress.
• Establish consistent routines and tasks to help you create a sense of structure and order in your classroom. This could range from deadlines for assignment submission to access to learning resources. 

6. Time Management

Time management is the skill of efficiently allocating and prioritizing tasks to maximize productivity and create a balanced classroom environment.

Time management skills are critical for educators to remain organized and complete tasks efficiently. A day in the classroom involves:

• Balancing various responsibilities, such as planning lessons.
• Meeting with students and parents.
• Marking and grading assessments. 

This demands a great deal of time management skills, so you must be able to complete your tasks promptly and prioritize them based on their urgency and importance. 

Practical time management skills also allow you to create a healthy work-life balance, which is essential if you want to stay in the field for a long time. Teaching can be a stressful job at times, so you’ll need to prioritize time for self-care.

To effectively manage your time, you need to plan and structure your time to maximize productivity, minimize distractions, and allow for flexibility in case of unexpected events. 

Here’s how you’ll benefit from time management on your teacher resume:

• Efficient scheduling: Demonstrates your ability to plan and prioritize daily tasks, ensuring all educational responsibilities are met.
• Distraction management: This shows you have the capacity to create focused work environments, enhancing productivity in lesson planning and grading.
• Strategic timetabling: Illustrates skill in optimizing teaching schedules to maximize instructional impact and maintain work-life balance.

7. Teamwork

“Teamwork makes the dream work”. John Maxwell. 

Strong teamwork means communicating effectively with others, building positive relationships, and contributing to a collaborative environment.  

When you work well with a team, you can share ideas, develop new approaches to instruction, improve student outcomes, and create a positive school culture. 

Understanding teamwork will also help you teach your students the importance of working well in teams and fostering positive interactions with other school personnel. 

In a classroom, you can grow learners’ collaborative skills by creating group work opportunities and encouraging them to communicate, cooperate, and contribute to shared goals.

8. Listening

Listening is the cornerstone of effective teaching, enabling you to understand students’ needs, build rapport, and provide tailored support.

Listening keenly helps you gather valuable feedback from your learners, colleagues, and parents, which enhances your instructional strategies. 

Excellent listening skills will help you:

• Understand individual student needs and concerns
• Create an inclusive learning environment where students feel seen and heard
• Gather feedback on your teaching styles from students and fellow educators.

Here are ways to showcase your listening skills in your resume and during your teacher interview:

• Maintain appropriate eye contact: Show engagement by making consistent eye contact with the interviewer, demonstrating attentiveness and interest in the conversation.
• Display relaxed attentiveness:   Have a calm and focused demeanor, indicating your ability to create a comfortable learning environment and fully concentrate on students’ needs.
• Respond to nonverbal cues: Demonstrate awareness of the interviewer’s body language and tone, showcasing your ability to pick up on subtle communication cues in the classroom.

9. Adaptability

Adaptability is your capacity to flexibly adjust teaching methods, materials, and environment to meet the diverse needs of students and respond to unexpected challenges.

Although exciting, being an educator can present different challenges that you need to adapt to.

The teaching field is dynamic and continually changing from the approaches to the technologies we utilize in the classroom. 

You also have learners from different backgrounds, learning abilities, interests, and learning styles. 

Your ability to adapt to these changes is vital to providing relevant and meaningful learning experiences. You should also be flexible in adjusting your teaching methods to suit the diverse learners in your classroom. 

Here are a few examples of how you can be adaptable in teaching:

• Adjust your lesson plans and instructional materials based on learner’s feedback, learning abilities, and styles. 
• Consider learners who require more time to understand or have learning challenges and review your pace of instruction.
• Embrace alternative testing methods to provide multiple means of evaluating different learners. For instance, allow learners to choose between projects and class presentations. 
• Switch up the seating arrangements and learning environments to accommodate different learner preferences and needs.
• Integrate new technologies and digital resources to enhance learning experiences and engage learners in new ways. 

Being adaptable will enable you to respond to learners’ evolving needs in a manner that prepares them for success in a dynamic world. 

10. Empathy

Empathy is a fundamental trait that allows you to understand better and connect with your learners. When you are empathetic, you create a place where your learners feel comfortable, confident, and supported in their learning. It is, therefore, an essential component of a positive learning environment. 

Modelling empathy for your learners can help them understand their classmates and others around them. This allows them to build friendships in the classroom and engage in teamwork. 

In addition, empathy helps you build trust and rapport with your learners, which can increase engagement and motivation and improve learning outcomes. 

Investing in your students’ well-being and success can create a sense of belonging and community in your classrooms. 

Teachers can show empathy by:

• Acknowledge and validate your students’ emotions and experiences.
• Embracing patience and understanding when students face difficulties or make mistakes.
• Celebrating and appreciating students’ diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.
• Providing individualized support and guidance to students based on their unique needs and goals.
• Incorporating diverse and inclusive learning materials and perspectives in the curriculum.

Here are several ways you can enhance your empathy:

• Avoid assumptions: Ask questions and allow students to explain their situations before drawing conclusions about their behavior.
• Practice active listening: Give learners the opportunity to open up about their struggles or admit mistakes, modeling respect and understanding.
• Choose empathy over sympathy: Maintain high expectations for students while showing understanding. Demonstrate belief in their ability to excel despite challenges.

11. Self-Evaluation

Self-evaluation is a process by which you can judge the adequacy and effectiveness of your knowledge, beliefs, and performance. It empowers you to exercise autonomy in setting goals and creating action plans for improvement. 

Self-evaluations allow you to be more authentic and connect with your students personally. Bringing your interests, passions, and experiences to the classroom makes learning more relatable and relevant. 

In addition, self-evaluation will allow you to reflect on your teaching practice, identify areas for improvement, and, therefore, take proactive measures to improve your effectiveness in class. 

Here are some ways to practice effective self-evaluation:

• Review your lesson plans and assess whether the desired learning outcomes were achieved and if students were actively engaged in the learning process.
• Identify areas where students may struggle or excel, and reflect on your instructional strategies to meet their needs better.
• Keep a teaching journal to record your reflections, observations, and ideas about your teaching style. 
• Utilize self-assessment tools or checklists to evaluate your teaching methods against established standards or best practices.

Here are some tools you can use for self-evaluation:

• Rubrics : At the beginning of the school year, develop checklists that outline teaching criteria. Use these to measure lesson content, classroom organization, planning, instruction delivery, and learner engagement. Rate yourself throughout the year and identify fifty areas of improvement. 
• Self-assessment tools with structured frameworks : These tools pose questions covering aspects of teaching, such as subject matter knowledge, effectiveness in instruction delivery, and planning skills. By assessing yourself, you obtain personalized feedback. 
• Collaborate with others : Do this by asking your students their perceptions about the lesson, the classroom environment, their level of satisfaction, and engagement. The learners will share feedback through a survey or questionnaire you provide.

Self-evaluation will help you take an active role in your professional development by identifying areas for improvement and setting meaningful goals.

12. Commitment  

Commitment is a teacher’s unwavering dedication to your student’s success by always creating meaningful learning experiences.

Teaching can be challenging at times. However, if you are dedicated to helping your learners succeed, you will learn to keep your energies up to avoid getting discouraged. A good teacher demands a deep sense of dedication and concern for your job and learners. 

Your commitment to your career will require you to invest time and effort to ensure your student’s success. In addition, being committed will help you overcome challenges and engage in professional development activities to enhance your teaching style.

Choosing a field of teaching that aligns with your genuine interests and passions is an excellent way to ensure long-term commitment. This ensures that you always have the expertise, enthusiasm, and ability to inspire learners throughout your teaching career. 

13. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the ability to guide students through disagreements, encouraging empathy, communication, and problem-solving to reach a mutually agreeable solution.

Conflicts are inevitable in any classroom setting, making conflict resolution skills essential for teachers.  

Effective conflict management will set the tone for a positive learning environment and help avoid disruptions that may hinder learning.

For instance, if two learners are conflicting, you should listen to both sides, identify the underlying issues causing the conflict, and facilitate a calm conversation between them. 

You should then guide the students to brainstorm possible solutions and encourage them to find common ground and compromise. It is essential to guide them in reflecting upon the experience and discussing the lessons learned. 

Learners are always watching; effective conflict resolution will ensure a harmonious environment and empower them to resolve conflicts independently. 

Here are a few tips on how to develop conflict-resolution skills:

• Learn behavior management skills : You can attend a workshop or read tips online and apply them in your interactions. 
• Volunteer in institutions serving children and teenagers : Most offer conflict resolution training. 

14. Classroom Management

Classroom management is the art of creating a structured, supportive, and engaging learning environment where students feel safe to learn and grow.

Classroom management skills help you create a high-performing learning environment. Effective classroom management ensures that learning runs smoothly and that teaching materials and activities enhance understanding. 

When you effectively manage your class, it reduces your chances of suffering from work-related stress and anxiety, enhancing your career satisfaction. 

Here are some of the outcomes of effective classroom management:

• Creates an organized, highly functional learning environment
• Establishes opportunities for academic learning and personal development
• Minimizes undesirable classroom behavior and other disruptions
• Creates focused, motivated, and productive learners
• Promotes an inclusive learning environment accommodating all ability levels
• Enhances time efficiency and ensures that learning time is prioritized

Establishing appropriate classroom management skills is critical in realizing these outcomes and ensuring you reap the benefits of a highly effective learning and working environment.

Here are some strategies you can use to manage your class effectively:

• Use proximity: When you stay at the front of the class the whole time, your learners tend to drift to other activities without you noticing. Moving around the class while you teach, standing next to the distracted ones, tends to draw learners back to the learning process. 
• Create a solid lesson plan: Your lesson plan is the foundation of effective classroom management. Ensure it explicitly captures the expectations to establish a safe and productive learning environment. 
• Build positive relationships with your learners: Good classroom management begins with knowing your learners’ strengths and weaknesses and working out their interests and ambitions. Your interest in your learners will help you build trust and positively influence their personal development. 
• Avoid sarcasm: Although many teachers view sarcasm as a way of projecting confidence, it presents you as weak and, in most cases, may cause learners to lose respect for you. Instead of being sarcastic to a disruptive learner, talk to them privately and let them know your expectations. 

15. Creativity

Creativity is a teacher’s ability to spark imagination, foster innovation, and inspire unique learning experiences.

Creativity is the heart of every classroom. It motivates the teachers and learners to express their views and perspectives uniquely. 

Creative teaching results in active learning, leading to engaged and interactive learning. Adding creativity as a skill in your teacher resume shows the learning environment you create is highly effective and productive.

Here are some ways to implement creativity in your classroom:

• Rise above limitations: Creativity is eternal with limitless potential— you can be unlimitedly creative. Work to step outside your creative limits while encouraging your learners to do the same. This will help you create motivated and engaged learners, enhancing the effectiveness of your learning environment. 
• Challenge the assumptions: Teach yourself to ask “how” or “why not?” Question the assumptions about the concepts you teach and guide your learners towards similar introspective learning that seeks understanding rather than recall. 
• Define the problem : This will help you broaden your creative potential and understanding. Defining the problem gets you thinking from different perspectives, enhancing your versatility in solutions. 

Creativity establishes a significantly vibrant learning environment, enhancing the realization of various learning outcomes. These include:

• Motivating students: Research has often linked creativity to intrinsic learning motivation. When learners are focused on a creative goal, they become engaged in their learning and more excited to acquire the skills they need to enhance understanding. 
• Creativity lights up the brain: When you frequently engage your learners in creative learning activities, they are more likely to develop high-order cognitive skills. These include critical thinking, connecting concepts between subjects, and problem-solving. Combining creativity with transformative technology further improves learning outcomes. 
• Creativity awakens hard-to-reach learners: When allowed to unleash their creative juices, hard-to-learn students excel in their interests. This can be transformative in their learning journey as you can guide them into working towards their passions. 

Reasons to Choose a Teaching Career

The teaching career is diverse and dynamic— breaking the monotony of other professions.

For instance, you’ll have sports days, celebrations, holidays, and school trips, which greatly excite your school days. Unexpected events and surprises,such as guests coming to speak with the learners add an element of surprise.

For many teachers, the profession is more of a calling. The fulfillment comes from witnessing these young minds grow into responsible members of society. 

There has been an increasing demand for teachers in the U.S., which means job security for aspiring educators. You can dedicate yourself to building your skillset without the fear of loosing your lob.

You can teach in public, private, or specialized schools without the possibility of replacement. 

The average salary for teachers varies depending on factors such as experience, location, and level of education. 

A table showing the median annual wage for teachers at different educational levels according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2024.

Even though salary is not the primary motivation for most teachers, the competitive pay and benefits of the profession are worth considering.

What is a Teacher’s Skill?

A teacher skill refers to a set of abilities you need as an educator to carry out your roles in the classroom effectively. 

While formal education and qualifications are essential for becoming a teacher, it’s also critical that you focus on developing specific skills vital for working in the education industry.

In today’s competitive job market, schools often receive numerous applications for each teaching position they post. As a result, standing out from the competition can be challenging. 

Acquiring and refining relevant teaching skills sets you apart and demonstrates your readiness to excel as an educator. 

Our alternative certification programs incorporate the development of all these skills, ensuring that you are well-prepared for the modern learner. 

Skills are required for us to evolve and adapt as society and technology advance. For instance, technology plays a significant role in education in the modern era. Therefore, you must be proficient in using digital resources, tools, and platforms to enhance student learning. 

For example, we are using educational apps, online research tools, interactive whiteboards, or incorporating multimedia elements into lessons. 

Embracing technology will help create a learning environment that resonates with today’s digitally connected students.

Final Thoughts

Teacher skills are crucial for effective and impactful teaching. Skilled teachers possess a wide range of competencies that enable them to create engaging learning experiences and cultivate a positive classroom environment.

We offer professional development opportunities that give you skills essential for professional development and ensure that you meet your students’ diverse needs.

In addition, a teacher’s skills significantly impact their job prospects. A robust skill set sets you apart from other candidates when applying for teaching positions. Let’s help improve your skills and keep you relevant in this competitive job market.

How to Become a Substitute Teacher in Florida in 2024

August 28, 2024 by bryan

Texas Teachers Certification Areas

Texas teachers currently offers 50+ certification areas:.

• Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources 6–12 (272)
• American Sign Language (ASL) (184)
• Art EC–12 (178)
• Bilingual Education Supplemental (164)
• Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) Spanish (190)
• Business and Finance 6–12 (276)
• Chemistry 7–12 (240)
• Computer Science 8–12 (241)
• Core Subjects EC-6 (291)
• Core Subjects 4–8 (211)
• Dance 6–12 (279)
• English as a Second Language Supplemental (154)
• English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (117)
• English Language Arts and Reading 7–12 (231)
• English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies 4–8 (113)
• Family and Consumer Sciences EC-12 (200)
• Health EC–12 (157)
• Health Science 6–12 (273)
• History 7–12 (233)
• Journalism 7–12 (256)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Arabic EC–12 (600 & 605)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) French EC–12 (610)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) German EC–12 (611)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Latin EC–12 (612)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Japanese EC–12 (602 & 607)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Mandarin Chinese EC–12 (601 & 606)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Russian EC–12 (603 & 608)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Spanish EC–12 (613)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Vietnamese EC–12 (604 & 609)
• Life Science 7–12 (238)
• Marketing 6–12 (275)
• Mathematics 4–8 (115)
• Mathematics 7–12 (235)
• Mathematics/Physical Science/Engineering 6–12 (274)
• Mathematics/Science 4–8 (114)
• Music EC–12 (177)
• Physical Education EC–12 (158)
• Physical Science 6–12 (237)
• Physics/Mathematics 7–12 (243)
• Science 4–8 (116)
• Science 7–12 (236)
• Social Studies 4–8 (118)
• Social Studies 7–12 (232)
• Special Education EC–12 (161)
• Speech 7–12 (129)
• Technology Applications EC–12 (242)
• Technology Education 6–12 (171)
• Texas Assessment of Sign Communication–American Sign Language™ (TASC–ASL™) (073)
• Theatre EC–12 (180)
• Trade and Industrial (T&I)

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5 Entry-Level Elementary Teacher Resume Examples [& Templates]

• Entry-Level Elementary Teacher (ET)
• Entry-Level ET 2
• Entry-Level ET 3
• Entry-Level ET 4
• Entry-Level ET 5
• Entry-Level Elementary Teacher Resume Writing 101

You strive to help students achieve their full potential. You deliver lessons, grade assignments, and prepare students for standardized tests with expert care.

Is your resume template ready to make your teaching skills shine as you start your career? You can confirm that with this easy-to-use AI resume checker and be ready for a new job.

Many entry-level teaching candidates feel unsure where to start when making a cover letter or creating a resume. We’ve done the research for you and put together some entry-level elementary teacher resume examples that are proven to be successful in 2024.

Entry-Level Elementary Teacher Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Employers know that assistants are given more than just assistant-related work. You’ve probably worked more than what you signed for so why not benefit from it? Craft quantified bullet points to showcase your contribution in improving engagement grades, and most importantly, your impactful involvement with infants.

Entry-Level Elementary Teacher 2 Resume

Entry-Level Elementary Teacher 3 Resume

Entry-Level Elementary Teacher 4 Resume

Entry-Level Elementary Teacher 5 Resume

Related resume examples

• ESL Teacher
• Substitute Teacher
• Preschool Teacher
• Teacher Assistant
• Elementary Teacher

What Matters Most: Your Entry-Level Elementary Teacher Skills & Work Experience

Teachers at the elementary level are helping students build a basis of knowledge that’ll propel them through the rest of their learning years. Therefore, schools will want to ensure you have the right skills . 

This part can be tricky for elementary teaching applicants who don’t have much on-the-job experience. However, you’ve probably gained many relevant skills in your education and other working experiences. 

Think back to what you learned while studying for your elementary education degree or other relevant courses. Many of the same lessons you learned are top industry skills for teachers. 

Here are some popular entry-level elementary teacher resume skills to get you started.

9 popular entry-level elementary teacher skills

• Curriculum Planning
• Group Instruction
• Conflict Resolution
• Learning Assessments
• Interactive Learning
• Microsoft Office
• Google Suite
• Learning Styles
• Lecture Delivery

Sample entry-level elementary teacher work experience bullet points

The next hurdle for entry-level candidates can be coming up with relevant examples from previous work experience. 

If you’ve completed a student teaching requirement for your degree or worked as a teaching assistant, think back to what you achieved during that time to come up with some great numerical examples.

Pulling achievements from your education or work in other fields will also help. For example, conflict resolution skills gained while being a customer service rep can still translate to leading a class.   

Here are a few samples:

• Designed weekly lesson plans as a teaching assistant, putting together PowerPoints and interactive assignments to achieve 65% better information retention.    
• Facilitated learning assessments as a student teacher and used the results to adapt to each student’s needs to improve grades by 48%. 
• Practiced lecture delivery in college courses using visuals and clear explanations to make each presentation 55% more engaging.       
• Attended to customer issues at the service desk, provided friendly answers, and worked to resolve problems to achieve 43% higher satisfaction scores.  

Top 5 Tips for Your Entry-Level Elementary Teacher Resume

• An objective can help entry-level candidates show a more well-rounded overview of their teaching abilities. For example, you could write a few sentences about how you’re a knowledgeable professional with a 3.95 GPA in learning and development courses and are eager to apply your skills in the classroom. 
• You’ve probably gained several skills since you started your elementary education courses. Therefore, presenting your most recent experiences first will be the most relevant to your current group instruction and curriculum planning abilities.      
• Teachers always need accurate curriculums to provide the right information to students. A resume free of grammatical errors is a good first step to showing schools you’re an organized professional.              
• Action words like “designed” and “delivered” will make your examples sound more impactful. For example, you can say you “designed 23 well-researched lesson plans as a student teacher to help students achieve 34% better scores on standardized tests.”             
• You know a lot about learning styles and lesson planning, but hiring managers don’t need to know everything to see you have the right abilities. Aim for short, impactful examples like how you assessed learning styles and deployed small group learning strategies to help students achieve 45% higher grades.           

One page is an optimal length. Keep everything concise and relevant to your teaching abilities. If you’re struggling to fill out an entire page, lean on skills from your elementary education courses, hobbies & interests , or other work experiences. 

Tailor your online resume to the needs of each school and use lots of numerical examples to back up your skills. For instance, if the school wants to focus on interactive learning, you could explain how you deployed interactive projects as a student teacher, leading to 54% higher student engagement metrics.  

Hobbies & interests can be a good way for entry-level candidates to fill in additional relevant skills . For instance, if you held a lead role in your school’s theater production, it would show your ability to speak well in front of a group of people.