4 Elementary Teacher Resume Examples & Templates [2024]

Elementary school teachers are educators responsible for teaching young children, typically from kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade. Their main responsibilities include developing lesson plans, instructing students in various subjects such as reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, and fostering an environment that supports the social and emotional development of their students. 

Writing a good elementary teacher resume is essential as it highlights your qualifications, experience, and skills, making you stand out to potential employers in a competitive job market.

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Elementary Teacher Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Elementary Teacher Resume Example

An entry-level or junior elementary school teacher is typically new to the field and is gaining experience in teaching and classroom management. They are eager to learn and contribute to the educational development of their students. Here's a resume sample for an entry-level elementary school teacher.

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Middle Elementary Teacher Resume Example

A middle-level elementary school teacher has a few years of experience in the field and is proficient in developing lesson plans, teaching various subjects, and managing classroom activities. They have developed a good understanding of educational practices and can handle more complex teaching scenarios. Here's a resume sample for a middle-level elementary school teacher.

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Experienced / Senior Elementary Teacher Resume Example

A senior elementary school teacher has extensive experience in the field and is highly skilled in managing classrooms, developing innovative lesson plans, and leading educational initiatives. They are capable of handling complex teaching scenarios and ensuring high academic standards. Here's a senior elementary school teacher resume sample that I’ve created:

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Resume Templates for Elementary Teachers

After analyzing 11 million resumes using the Zety Resume Builder, these are elementary school teachers' top 3 resume template choices.

Cascade

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I suggest the Cascade resume template for elementary school teachers due to its clear, dual-column layout. This format neatly separates personal details and professional experience, making it easy for hiring managers to find key information quickly. As a resume template with a minimalistic design, Cascade provides a clean presentation of your teaching credentials, classroom management skills, and educational background, all in a professional format that highlights your qualifications.

Concept

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The Concept resume template is a great option for elementary school teachers looking for a modern and functional design. This single-column layout ensures that your information is presented clearly, with a sidebar dedicated to contact details and key skills. This polished format draws attention to your teaching experience and educational expertise, making it straightforward for recruiters to assess your qualifications. The unique resume style of this template helps to showcase your career achievements effectively.

Crisp

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For elementary school teachers, the Crisp resume template stands out as an excellent choice. Its sophisticated dual-column design offers a balanced layout where personal information and skills are neatly organized on one side while detailed sections on teaching experience and education are presented on the other. The eye-catching resume style of this template makes it ideal for highlighting your teaching abilities and educational background in a professional manner, helping you make a strong impression on hiring managers.

How to Write an Elementary Teacher Resume:

1. Pick the Best Format for an Elementary Teacher's Resume

Without a strong syllabus laid out in advance, teaching becomes a nightmare. Same with an elementary resume—you need a sturdy structure in place to keep your resume organized. Use the chronological format.

This format starts with the most recent work history and education and then goes backward from there. It’s a hit with principals and department heads alike, so you won’t go wrong.

Here’s what to include on a resume for elementary teachers:

• Write a short heading paragraph to introduce yourself.
• Add previous work experience with quantifiable achievements.
• Include your education and relevant teaching coursework.
• List the most important teaching skills.
• Create additional resume sections to stand out.

Fresh graduate teaching for the first time? Place your educational background and teaching certificates above your work history section.

Also, remember to save your elementary school teaching resume as a PDF. The PDF format ensures that the principal is able to read it on any device they choose.

Not convinced using the reverse-chronological format for an elementary teaching resume is right for you? See our guide: Best Resume Format & How to Choose It [Guide with Examples]

2. Describe Your Elementary Teaching Experience

According to the BLS, kindergarten and elementary school teacher positions are projected to grow just 1% between 2022–2032. That’s 10,700 new teachers in the US alone. It’s as competitive as getting into Harvard.

To land an elementary teaching job, your resume has to look like an SAT score of 1600, and you must write a work experience section that beats the others.

Here’s how:

• List your most recent job title at the top.
• Include the company's name along with the dates of employment.
• Provide a brief description of the role.
• Include six bullet points.
• Highlight achievements using the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) approach.

But what if you have no teaching experience? No problem! Show them you still have experience related to teaching jobs. Though you’ve never been an educator, add school-related professional achievements and responsibilities. Babysitting on a resume counts as experience, too. It easily lets them picture you in the teaching role.

And, if you need some inspiration, check out these examples of responsibilities for an elementary teacher resume:

Elementary School Teacher Keywords for a Resume

• Develop and implement engaging lesson plans that meet curriculum standards and cater to diverse student needs.
• Assess student performance through tests, assignments, and observations to guide instructional decisions.
• Foster a positive and inclusive classroom environment that encourages student participation and learning.
• Communicate regularly with parents and guardians about student progress, behavior, and areas for improvement.
• Utilize a variety of teaching methods and resources to accommodate different learning styles and abilities.
• Collaborate with colleagues and school staff to plan and execute school-wide events and initiatives.
• Maintain accurate and organized records of student attendance, grades, and other essential information.
• Manage classroom behavior through positive reinforcement and effective disciplinary strategies.
• Integrate technology into the classroom to enhance learning and engage students.
• Participate in professional development opportunities to stay current with educational best practices and standards.

Also, don’t forget about action words, which are a fool-proof way to showcase your responsibilities and achievements effectively. I’ve prepared some action verb examples for you below:

Elementary School Teacher Resume Action Verbs

• Developed
• Assessed
• Fostered
• Communicated
• Utilized
• Collaborated
• Maintained
• Managed
• Integrated
• Participated

Pro Tip: Don’t have teaching experience? Check out the school board you’re interested in to find some alternative openings, such as supervised classroom teaching. For example, the NYC Department of Education suggests either their traditional prep program or an alternative prep program.

3. Work on Your Education Section

An elementary teacher's resume template without a great education section is like a math teacher who hates numbers—it makes no sense. Here’s what to include:

• Degree obtained
• Relevant courses
• Certifications (if not listed elsewhere)
• Honors and awards (optional)

Even if you don’t have a bachelor’s specifically related to teaching, you probably have relevant coursework. List those courses in a subheading at the end of your education entry. Remember to mention continuing education on your resume as well.

Remember—if you don’t have relevant teaching experience, place the education section above the work history section.

Pro Tip: If you are applying to become a teacher at an elementary school for a particular subject (e.g., science teacher or history teacher), add relevant coursework for those concentrations (e.g., Anatomy & Physiology or Industrial Revolution Studies).

4. Put Skills on a Primary School Teacher Resume

You need a resume that gains attention, not one that gets put in detention. You’ve got to talk up your teacher resume skills. Whether they’re middle school teacher resumes, or special education teacher resumes, show them you have the skills they’re looking for.

But which skills?

First, make a basic list of elementary teacher resume skills. Then, pick the skills that are the most relevant to the job opening.

Finally, you need to please the ATS as well as the principal. An applicant tracking system is software that helps larger school districts handle the barrage of teaching applications they receive. It’s like the old Scantron tests—school administrative staff scan resumes into the ATS, give it keywords to search for, and get results back based on each candidate’s match. To make your resume as ATS-friendly as possible, pick an ATS-friendly resume template and use resume keywords exactly as the job ad requests.

Elementary Teacher Resume Skills

Elementary Teaching Soft Skills:

• Communication Skills
• Compassion & Empathy
• Instructional Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Creativity & Innovation
• Patience & Understanding
• Enthusiasm & Friendliness
• Respectful
• Collaboration Skills

Elementary Teaching Hard Skills:

• Lesson Planning
• Teaching Strategies
• Standardized Testing
• Classroom Management
• SMART Board Interactive Displays
• Learner Assessment
• Hardware (e.g., smartboard, tablets)
• Software (e.g., Haiku Learning, Edmodo)
• Mobile Apps (e.g., Kahoot)
• Child First Aid & CPR

Read more: Top Employability Skills: Definition & Examples

5. Add Other Sections for an Effective Elementary Teacher Resume

Up to this point, you have a solid elementary teacher resume. But—so do all your competitors for the teaching position. To stand out, you have to be unique with your resume by adding extra resume sections that make it your own.

Here are additional sections to consider for your resume:

1. Professional Certifications

Before you become a teacher in the US, there is a certification and licensing process. Here are the most commonly issued certificates to become a teacher:

• State Teacher Certification Program
• National Board Certification
• Alternative Teaching Certification

Check out the US Department of Education website for state-by-state certification requirements.

2. Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is a great way to show those ever-important soft skills teachers need, such as compassion, empathy, and consideration.

3. Foreign Languages

The importance of knowing another language as a teacher can’t be understated, especially if that second language is a “majority-minority” kind, such as Spanish or French.

4. Hobbies & Interests

Adding hobbies and interests to a resume is another way to show your traits and skills on a resume. Just pick relevant hobbies (e.g., after-school program tutoring) rather than irrelevant ones (e.g., weightlifting).

Pro Tip: If your situation allows, you can add an “Awards” section and a “Publications” section to your primary school teacher resume. Each adds only one line to your resume, but they speak volumes!

6. Write an Elementary Education Resume Objective or Summary

Like a balanced breakfast to start your day, a compelling heading statement starts your teaching resume with energy and enthusiasm. But better write it at the end once you summarize your teaching experience.

You’ve got two choices: a summary or an objective.

Use a resume summary when you have teaching experience, even if it’s preschool or high school. The summary statement sums up your time as a teacher, and it gives a quantifiable win to prove you’re the right educator for the job.

Now—what if you’ve never taught professionally? Use a resume objective that states your career goals as a future teacher. Like the summary, achievements with numbers still verify your abilities.

Remember to drop the school’s name—it’s a simple method of scoring extra credit points from the get-go!

Pro Tip: An elementary teacher's resume starts with an objective or summary, but write it last. Saving it for the end allows you to thoroughly consider what you’ll write.

7. How About an Elementary Teacher Cover Letter?

Now that you know exactly what to put on your resume consider adding a killer cover letter to boost your chances further. After all, a teaching resume without a teaching cover letter is like a classroom without supervision—not a great idea.

You need a cover letter when applying to teaching jobs, as many employers expect to receive one along with your resume.

Here is how to write a teacher cover letter:

• Open with an introduction that grabs their attention from the beginning.
• Continue with saying why you are a perfect fit as the next elementary teacher.
• Explain to them why this particular school is the ideal employer for you.
• Close with a strong call-to-action, which encourages them to read your resume.

Remember to add a postscript below your signature on your primary school cover letter. A P.S. is a great hack when writing because it gives you one more opportunity to capture their interest and compel them to read your resume.

To learn more about cover letters, see these articles: 35+ Successful Cover Letter Tips, Advice & Guidelines (With Examples) and How to Write a Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps (12+ Examples).

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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Targeting a different job in the teaching industry? Follow up with:

• Teacher Resume
• Student Teacher Resume
• Tutor Resume
• Music Teacher Resume Sample
• Art Teacher Resume Sample & Guide
• Substitute Teacher Resume
• Special Education Teacher Resume
• Teaching Assistant Resume
• New Teacher Resume
• Teacher’s Aide Resume
• Preschool Teacher Resume
• First Year Teacher Resume
• Kindergarten Teacher Resume
• Education Resume Templates
• Example Resumes for 500+ Jobs

Check also our guide on how to become a teacher, which covers everything from getting a teaching degree to passing a teaching interview.

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Sources

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/kindergarten-and-elementary-school-teachers.htm
• http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/teachrecommend.html
• http://teachnyc.net/getting-started/alternative-routes-to-certification
• https://www.nbpts.org/national-board-certification/
• https://www2.ed.gov/teachers/jobs/reqs/edpicks.jhtml