Teacher - Learn How To Write The Best Resume You Can

 by: Laura Adams

It should come as no surprise that there is a currently a shortage of teachers in the United States. This unfortunate trend has been seen for well over a decade. To compound the issue, recent labor studies have predicted that teaching positions will likely continue to grow faster than the national average for the next several years due to recent government regulations to reduce class size and increase educational accountability. The need for teachers has never been greater.

Though this trend is good news for teachers on the job market, it does not diminish the fact that competition will remain tough for the most desirable teaching positions. Competition is especially fierce for English, Social Science, Humanities, and Elementary grade positions. Teacher will need to pay close attention to the presentation of their credentials, as detailed in their resume, in order to ensure that they can compete in the race for prime positions in the educational system.

To write a solid resume tailored specifically for teaching opportunities, consider the following guidelines:

Highlight your Educational and Licensure Qualifications

In addition to including the details of your teaching or academic degree (school name, when you graduated, your degree), you should mention any academic honors, grants, scholarships, or fellowships awarded during the course of your studies.

If you are an experienced teacher, you should include any relevant continuing education courses or seminars you have taken to demonstrate to prospective employers that you are keeping your skills sharp.

If you are a newer graduate or have limited teaching experience, a list of related education courses and any completed student teacher or mentorship rotations will enhance your qualifications to prospective employers. Graduates who completed their degree with an impressive grade point average should highlight this fact by including their GPA in the Educational section of their resume.

All teachers who have completed the process and testing requirements to get their teaching license will need to provide details of their license(s) in this section. Include the state(s) and subject area(s) in which you are licensed to teach and the date that your license went in effect. Since your employer will ask for a copy of your license once you are made an offer, you do not need to include your licensing number on your resume unless otherwise requested.

Emphasize your Teaching Expertise and Key Skills

A quick 10-second scan of your resume should reveal important keywords that summarize your teaching experience and give school administrators an overview of your qualifications. The most effective way to do this is to incorporate a section of your resume dedicated to teaching expertise and key skills. Include a bulleted list of your subject area specializations (such as biology, mathematics, special education, or K-3) and any pertinent teaching skills, such as curriculum development or teaching to style, that will enhance your resume presentation.

If you have several years of teaching experience, it may beneficial to list your years of experience in each area. For example, indicate that you have three years of experience teaching high school biology, two years of experience teaching middle school general science, and one year of experience teaching high school earth science.
  (continued...)

Teacher - Learn How To Write The Best Resume You Can
  Page 2

About The Author Laura Adams is a qualified careers advisor with 11 years experience. Teaching Jobs Information - Resources, News, Tips and Views to help Teachers find their dream jobs. http://www.Teaching-Job.info. Copyright Teaching-Job.info This article may be reproduced as long as the resource box and live links remain intact. info@cinneide.net

Additional Resources

category - Education Grants

2012 University Center Economic Development Program Competition
The Economic Development Administration has recently established the 2012 University Center Economic Development Program Competition wherein they intend to solicit grant applications from higher education institutions stating their intent to establish and operate special University Centers that are focused on leveraging university assets in order to create regional economic ecosystems that will support high-growth entrepreneurship.

---

USAID University Engagement through Higher Education Institution Program
The United States Agency for International Development has recently constituted the USAID University Engagement through Higher Education Institution Program wherein it seeks to hone the knowledge, research skills, and creativity of higher education campuses.

---

National Institutes of Health: Expanding the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements in Human and Model Organisms
The National Institutes of Health, in cooperation with the National Human Genome Research Institute, has established a funding opportunity to support the Expanding the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements in Human and Model Organisms project.

---

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Program
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has established a funding opportunity to support the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Program wherein they intend to provide the African American museum staff with added knowledge and ability in all the areas of management, operations, programming, collections care, and other museum skills.

---