INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, High School Teacher positions are at a 7% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 598,500 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 44,800 to 643,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the High School Teacher jobs was $60,810 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $40,930, and the highest 10% more than $98,840.
Our conclusion? The High School Teacher job market is wide open for candidates.
Top high school teacher sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a high school teacher resume experience section.
High school teacher resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- Taught English to over 360 students per semester
- Redesigned English curriculum to better meet the needs of students, resulting in average test results increasing by 7% over two years
- Implemented a rewards system that encouraged good behavior and increased participation by 40%
- Advised students on study abroad options for English language study
- Created and taught original curriculum for AP Computer Science, freshmen study skills, game design, programming, robotics, animation, web design and computer applications courses.
- Implemented and monitored on-going formative and summative student learning assessments to drive instruction and differentiation.
- Coached Middle and High School Robotics Teams, resulting in multiple first place rankings at regional competitions.
- Planned, prepared and delivered lessons as a Grade 4 classroom teacher
- English Language subject teacher from JHS 1 -JHS 3
- Assessed, recorded and reported on the development, progress, attainment and behaviour of students to Head of School
- Nominal Head for the Pre-school department
- Promoted the general progress and well-being of students entrusted to me
- Provided guidance and advice to students on educational and social matters on their further education and future careers
- Designed and taught original curriculum for AP Computer Science, freshmen study skills, game design, programming, robotics, animation, web design, and computer applications courses
- Collaborated with teachers in all departments to integrate technology activities and align to national and domain standards
- Implemented and monitored ongoing formative and summative student learning assessments to drive instruction and differentiation
- Coached Middle and High School Robotics Teams, resulting in multiple first place rankings at regional competitions
- Taught at-risk teenagers in multiple subject areas.
- Advised students regarding behavioral issues, overall program performance, and job placement.
- Worked with parents, caseworkers, and probation officers to offer students wrap-around support.
- Ensured that all students comprehended the curriculum and supported students who required extra guidance, resulting in test scores increase of 13% in a year
- Worked closely with other teachers to ensure all avenues of the curriculum are met and lessons delivered to students
- Meet with parents and school administration in a professional capacity to present information gathered during fact finding missions in an effort to improve student participation and elevate performance.
- Provide informative presentations to students regarding different areas of studies, assist students to prepare for examination.
- Developed innovative curriculum to instruct individual students, small groups, and classes of more than 30 students
- Facilitated creative interdisciplinary teaching techniques through thematic units
- Collaborated on curriculum and exam development, met with students upon request, and graded all work
- Identified students’ individualism and developed curriculum to accommodate different learning styles, maximizing students’ comprehension
- Taught 15-18 year old high school students Economics, History, Sociology, Psychology, Leadership
- Created curriculum from the ground up for multiple courses
- Awarded Teacher of the year 2012 at John F Kennedy American School in Queretaro, Mexico
- Started own business, English Solutions, providing at work English classes to multinational companies. Sold company after 2 years.
- Taught Spanish Grammar and Spanish Literature to students aged 13 and up
- Prepared classes and teaching material
- Coordinated the Yearbook of the school
- Coordinated the Spanish Department during the school's innovation week
- Created a rubric for evaluating reading and writing processes.
- Four years working in the same school where I graduated
- Address Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry questions outside of class hours
- Main Accomplishments:
- Helped many young students to enter higher education careers such as law and engineering
- Had the opportunity to give back to my community
- Taught English to over 180 students per semester
- Redesigned English curriculum to better meet the needs of students, resulting in average test results increasing by 7% over two years
- Implemented a rewards system that encouraged good behavior and increased participation by 40%
- Advised students on study abroad options for English language study
- Established clear objectives, performance metrics and evaluation methods for effectiveness and impact analysis of lessons
- Taught students to utilize problem solving methodologies and techniques during tests
- Customized lessons plans along with general plans for a diverse class
- Administered and graded tests in order to evaluate students’ progress
- Designed three differentiated curricula for Religious studies and English studies curriculum and for 250+ students based on English and content literacy levels -- reassessed on an bi-annual basis and improvements implemented after survey responses
- Advised and mentored 5-10 international high school students weekly regarding academics, college, career planning, and personal issues who have become student council leaders and honor students, and have all mentored other students
- Served as regular public speaker at middle and high school chapel services twice a week
- Led weekly high school chapel services
- Oversaw weekly calendar, manage speaker schedules, and provide necessary communication channels and other logistics
PRO TIP
The person reading your High School Teacher resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action verbs for your high school teacher resume
Recommended Reads:
High school teacher resume: the skills section!
How to write a strong high school teacher resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top skills for your high school teacher resume
OpenOffice
Microsoft Office
Simulations (Monte Carlo
GoToMeeting
Adobe Connect
MindTouch
Dropbox & Sharepoint
Learning Management Systems
ConstantContact
Salesforce
Communication
Leardership
Empathy
Problem solving
Team work
Listening
Influencing
Mentoring and coaching
Motivating
Emotional intelligence
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Recommended reads.":
High school teacher resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your high school teacher resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your High School Teacher resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
A career summary for your high school teacher resume
Things to include in your high school teacher resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
When writing a resume summary or objective, avoid first-person narrative.
Recommended reads:
High school teacher resume: the education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your high school teacher resume
Complete Teacher Wellbeing in Schools
Creating authentic teacher wellbeing in any school
High School to College
Preparing high school students to be college ready
Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance
Master Course for Teachers to improve Quality of Teaching Strategies & Methods to achieve outstanding Learning Outcomes
Virtual School Readiness For Teachers
Towards Excellence
Teacher Training: Teachers Can Be Great Speakers
Teacher Training: Learn to present content in a more engaging manner for your students
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the right format for your high school teacher resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your High School Teacher resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your High School Teacher resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your High School Teacher resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical High School Teacher resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections suitable for your high school teacher resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your high school teacher resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great high school teacher resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
High School Teacher resume examples
Explore additional high school teacher resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Role
High School Science Teacher
The High School Science Teacher role is largely about translating complex scientific theories into relatable, understandable concepts for students. Thus, certain teaching methodologies affect the teaching industry trends in science.
Here are a few tips to boost your resume for this role:
- Highlight any experience with established teaching methodologies, like differentiation, scaffolding, inquiry-based learning. Schools often follow such methods to enhance their students' learning experience. Feature relevant experience with this in your resume.
- Emphasize your background in science that is essential to the role. A lot of high school science teachers have a solid grounding in the subject; so, make sure your qualifications are front and center.
- Rather than just listing technical skills, showcase how they helped improve your teaching and the students' learning. For example, 'Improved students' performance in practical classes by incorporating…’ Follow the 'skill-action-results' cycle.
View High School Science Teacher Resume
Middle School Teacher
Middle School Teaching is about making learning a fun process while laying a solid foundation for high school. Thus, tips to make your application more successful for these roles are:
- Exhibit any experience with age-specific teaching strategies like visual learning, cooperative learning. Schools at this level often adopt teaching techniques that cater to the unique needs of this age group. Ensure to showcase relevant experience.
- Highlight the background in the subjects you specialize in. Many middle school teachers have a broad teaching background, but excelling in a specific subject can give you an edge.
- Don’t just enlist your pedagogical skills. Illustrate how they enhanced your teaching and the impact on students. For example, 'Increased student engagement through gamified learning…' Stick to the 'skill-action-results' principle.
View Middle School Teacher Resume
