What Should I Include In An Elementary Teacher Resume?

Knowledge is the key to success. That’s something, as an educator, you believe to your core.

You have gained the knowledge necessary to teach – having earned or currently in the process of earning your teacher’s license, and through work experiences. 

But, to find that perfect elementary school teacher position, you must show how the knowledge you have gained can transfer into your own classroom.

Creating an eye-catching and informative resume is critical in landing an interview for an elementary school teaching position - whether you’re:

• a recent college graduate with a degree in elementary education
• an alternative teacher certification program enrollee or graduate
• a current teacher with several years of teaching experience under your belt

After all, a resume is a principal’s first glimpse into what ideas and experience you bring to the classroom. Without a powerful resume, the school administrators responsible for bringing you in for an interview may flip to the next resume, never knowing the skills and knowledge you possess that would make you an excellent elementary school teacher.

Here’s what you should include in your resume when applying for an elementary teacher position to ensure you end up at the front of the class.

Basic Information

Every resume, no matter what position you’re applying for, needs to include the necessities. However, not all basic information has to be … basic.

Amping up even the most routine information can make your resume stand out from the pack, especially if several applicants are responding to the same job description. In addition to your address, phone number and professional email, include:

• An objective statement or resume summary statement: If you have years of experience as a teacher, you’re probably going to want to use a resume summary statement, since this type of opener allows you to tie together an overall theme of your work.

An objective statement, on the other hand, works well for resumes that address a specific need in a district - for example, your qualifications match perfectly with an opening. Read more about when you should use an objective versus a resume summary statement in our article, What Is A Resume Summary Statement?

• Certifications: Include every certification that is relevant to your teaching career. These can be neatly displayed using bullet points. Make sure you include any subject test(s) you have passed in Texas and alternative certification programs such as ECAP.
• Education: While most include their degree and institution in their resumes, don’t forget about any relevant certifications or minors. Minors can be a major plus when it comes to your degree because they show you are well-rounded and have supplementary skills and knowledge.
• Targeted skills: If you are a computer whiz, describing how you have experience using software can be a big benefit to a district that regularly uses technology as part of the curriculum. Other skills to highlight include research, coaching, management and training.

Teaching Experience

If you are a certified elementary school teacher and are looking for a change or promotion in another school district, your experience will be the most important item to highlight on your resume.

If you’re new to teaching, but have student teaching experience in an elementary school setting, this will be the main focus of your experience section.

In either case, be sure to include the school and dates when you taught. Also, keep the following in mind:

• List accomplishments. Avoid listing duties. Accomplishments show how you went above and beyond duties. Be specific as possible, such as “Developed curriculum that resulted in a 50% improvement in the students’ state test scores.”
• Use action verbs. When describing your experience, use words such as “collaborated,” “created,” “developed” and “motivated.” This creates an impactful assessment of your work.
• Tailor your resume to the position. When deciding what to include in your resume, tailor what you highlight to the environment you’ll be teaching in. For example, if you’re applying for a position located in a district that has a high percentage of English as a Second Language (ESL) students, experience that would make sense to highlight would be:
  • Any additional languages you are fluent in
  • Any experience you have collaborating with ESL students
  • Examples of how you individualized lesson plans to meet the needs of students
  • Assessment experience

Classroom Management Approach

School leaders want to know you can create a positive learning environment where students feel safe, respected, and ready to learn. A strong classroom management section shows how you establish order while still nurturing young learners’ social and emotional growth.

Highlight strategies that demonstrate your ability to guide behavior, foster engagement and create a classroom community built on trust. Examples include:

• Clear expectations and routines you developed and implemented
• Use of positive behavior supports or restorative practices
• Techniques that encouraged collaboration and minimized disruptions
• Systems you created to help students self-regulate or transition smoothly
• Any measurable outcomes, such as improved participation or fewer behavior issues

This section helps hiring committees see not just what you taught, but how well you managed the environment students learned in.

Instructional Methods and Teaching Philosophy

Your instructional methods and teaching philosophy give hiring managers insight into the type of learning experience you’ll create in their building. This is especially important for new teachers who may not yet have a long list of professional accomplishments.

Use this section to highlight:

• How you differentiate instruction to meet diverse learning needs
• Ways you incorporate small-group work, hands-on activities, project-based learning or inquiry-driven lessons
• How you use formative assessments to guide pacing and support students who may need additional help
• Strategies for integrating literacy, math, science and social studies concepts into interdisciplinary lessons
• Techniques you use to foster curiosity, creativity and a love of learning in young students

A brief teaching philosophy can be a powerful touchpoint as well—whether you focus on whole-child development, inquiry-based learning or building strong relationships as the foundation for academic success.

Technology Integration

Technology plays a major role in today’s classrooms, and districts are looking for teachers who can use it to enhance – not replace – student learning. This section should reflect your comfort with both the tools and the instructional purpose behind their use.

Consider including:

• Learning management systems you’ve used (such as Google Classroom or Canvas)
• Smartboard tools, educational apps or interactive learning platforms
• How you incorporated technology to differentiate instruction or provide enrichment
• Examples of digital tools used for assessment, feedback or progress monitoring
• Experience supporting students in responsible digital citizenship

Whether you’re skilled at designing engaging multimedia lessons or using apps to help students master early literacy and math skills, showcasing your ability to integrate technology effectively can set you apart in a competitive applicant pool.

Additional Experience

Any additional experience working with young children or developing curriculum can be helpful in showcasing skill sets on your resume. Whether they are 

paid or unpaid, relevant experience may include:

• Tutoring
• Camp counselor positions
• Sports coaching
• Volunteer work
• Teaching musical instruments
• Developing curriculum for a group of people or children

Make sure you include how each of the items you mention is relevant to the position you are applying for, including how you worked or developed curriculum for students and what you accomplished.

Unique Content

Don’t overlook impressive honors and experience that can make your resume stand out among the others. For example:

• Professional development: Conferences and workshops you have attended relevant to early childhood education
• Professional memberships: Any associations you belong to, especially those that relate to early childhood education
• Unique coursework: Foreign language, management, computer science classes
• Honors: Dean’s List, scholarships or any other honors related to education

Final Note

When you think you’ve compiled as much relevant experience as possible for your resume, don’t be afraid to send it to someone you know before submitting it to the principal or hiring committee.

A professor, a teacher you worked under as a student teacher, or a peer may provide feedback that you hadn’t considered - or even prompt a recollection of something else you accomplished that would be beneficial to include on a resume.

They may also spy a misspelled word or other mistake that could tank any effort you made to ensure your resume stands out.

Need more help writing your resume? Check out our articles, How To Write a Teacher Resume and 7 Teacher Resume Tips To Make You Stand Out for more writing tips