Writing a teacher cover letter is more unique than writing a traditional cover letter. There are a few job application assets that you should reference in your letter. And reassurance to the hiring manager or principal who’s hiring that tells them you comprehend the school district requirements and faculty needs.
A cover letter for a teaching position not only refers to experiences you’ve had as a teacher. But refers to accolades you’ve been able to unlock as an educator (your true teaching experience).
How to Write a Teacher Cover Letter
Here are some examples of references and guidelines you can follow when writing your cover letter. Or sometimes referred to as an application letter. For any teaching position.
Teaching cover letter format
First paragraph: Your first paragraph should set up the body of your cover letter. The best way to do this is to reiterate to the reader what you’ve researched regarding the school district’s needs. And the needs of the teaching position. For example, as an elementary teacher, you should refer to the school districts’ requirements and technology capabilities. And mention how that might impact your teaching methods. This will flow into your cover letter’s body paragraph. That should contain accomplishments that support you as the job seeker having the requirements for the position.
Student achievements: Your body paragraph should contain a healthy amount of achievements that help you stand out from the other job candidates. Referencing any student achievement can be your method of showing your teaching experience. For example, as an elementary school teacher, median standardized testing scores are something that might be useful to mention. The same goes for a high school teacher. Though, if your role is specific, like an English teacher, for example. Then you may want to mention parent or student feedback as part of your accolade.
Your educational background: Unlike many other jobs, your educational background can signify how much you’ve spent toward your education as a teacher. Receiving special certifications toward your teaching style and speaking to those certifications can present a very professional cover letter for a teacher.
Your last paragraph: The last paragraph of every cover letter should contain a call to action. Either a reference to your resume or other application assets. Something that helps the reader continue forward. A good cover letter should have at least one call to action, if not multiple. The second call to action could be available times you can interview the following week, for example.
Optional to include
Your philosophy of education or sample lesson plans: Referring to your philosophy of education can show your teaching experience. Doing so in your body paragraph can be impactful. And can allude to your teaching skills simply by stating how you have decided to educate. This is great for any teacher to mention. From a student teacher, substitute teacher, ESL teacher, and special education teacher. Faculty, principals, and hiring managers to care about how you educate and what your methods are for doing so.
Look through the job description
By thinking through what your principal or faculty member may want to see. You can target your letter to both the education system and the educator. Turning a generic cover letter into a highly tailored and targeted one.
Optional Mentions in Your Cover Letter
You may want to mention either the presence of or some aspects of these assets in your teaching job application:
- Your current teacher resume
- Philosophy of Education Statement
- Copies of your degrees, transcript, licenses, or certifications
- A list of any professional development courses you’ve taken
- Sample lesson plans
- Examples of students work
- Demonstrations of your technology knowledge
While it’s not required, it can tell your potential employer to refer to those assets. Especially if you mention an achievement, accolade, or professional story in your resume and cover letter.
Sample Teacher Cover Letter
Below is a sample elementary teacher cover letter and general teacher cover letter example. Use this cover letter sample to get an idea of what to write in yours. This cover letter style can get used for specific teacher jobs and positions, like an art teacher or an English teacher. Specific grade levels, like a 3rd-grade teacher. Or substitute positions like a student-teacher. Be sure to replace all information in this sample cover letter with your own. And based on the education system, hiring manager, principal, or faculty/staff.
Elementary Education Teacher
400-500-5008
linkedin.com/francisbush
May 1st, 2020
Principal Jefferson
Anderson Elementary School
Dear Principal Jefferson:
I reviewed what your district requires in terms of an educator. And I noticed that your faculty were more than equipped with the latest teaching technology, including smart boards. This really excites me because I know students are far more engaged with technology than ever before. As a new teacher, I started my career, gaining student teaching experience to become a more seasoned educator later.
I feel would complement your school well is my strong track record of success amongst students and parents. I’ve received high ratings from faculty, students who have graduated, and their parents. As well as achieving a median 98% acceptance rate from standardized tests.
I’d love to learn more about how my teaching experience and methods can benefit your school. I’ve attached my resume and philosophy of education statement.
Sincerely,
Francis Bush
First Year Teacher Cover Letter Sample (No Experience)
Below is a first year or “new” teacher cover letter.
Elementary Education Teacher
400-500-5008
linkedin.com/francisbush
May 1st, 2020
Principal Jefferson
Anderson Elementary School
Dear Principal Jefferson:
I reviewed what your district requires in terms of an educator. I noticed that your faculty were more than equipped with the latest teaching technology, including smart boards. This really excites me because I know students are far more engaged with technology than ever before. I’m looking to begin my career as a primary educator. I’ve completed my bachelor’s degree in May and have had previous experience as a teacher’s assistant while completing my education.
I value the relationship between students, faculty, and parents. I graduated from Columbia University with a 3.8 GPA. And have been involved in the local community, primarily assisting young children through the community center offering free tutoring courses and assistance.
I’d love to learn more about how I might be able to apply my prospective teaching methods to the school. My methods are enclosed in the resume and philosophy of education statement.
Sincerely,
Francis Bush
ESL Teacher Cover Letter Sample
ESL Teacher
400-500-5008
linkedin.com/francisbush
May 1st, 2020
Principal Jefferson
Anderson Elementary School
Dear Principal Jefferson:
I’ve reviewed what your district requires in terms of an educator. I noticed that your faculty was looking for an ESL teacher to assist in Spanish, German, and French. I’m familiar with these languages and fluent in more than English. I’ve completed my degree. And I am searching for a faulty that aligns with my values. Providing care to Individualized Lesson Plan’s (IEP’s). Respecting the student body through making education fun and exciting. And keeping parents informed on students’ progress.
I value the relationship between students, faculty, and parents. I graduated from Columbia University with a 3.8 GPA. And have been involved in the local community, primarily assisting young children through the community center offering free tutoring courses and assistance.
I’d love to learn more about how I might be able to apply my prospective teaching methods to the school. I’ve attached my resume and philosophy of education statement.
Sincerely,
Francis Bush
High School Teacher Cover Letter Sample
ESL Teacher
400-500-5008
linkedin.com/francisbush
May 1st, 2020
Principal Jefferson
Anderson High School
Dear Principal Jefferson:
I reviewed what your district requires in terms of an educator. I noticed that your faculty was looking for a High School educator to assist with English courses. I’ve taught for nearly 6-years now, primarily in English and language arts. Personally, my approach to teaching consists of providing care to Individualized Lesson Plan’s (IEP’s). Respecting the student body through making education fun and exciting. And keeping parents informed on students’ progress.
I value the relationship between students, faculty, and parents. My goal would be to represent the High School with honor. I graduated from Columbia University with a 3.8 GPA. And have been involved in the local community, primarily assisting young children through the community center offering free tutoring courses and assistance.
I’d love to learn more about how I might be able to apply my prospective teaching methods to the school. I’ve attached my resume and philosophy of education statement.
Sincerely,
Francis Bush
Teacher Cover Letter Tips
Follow the guidelines below when writing a teaching cover letter.
Consider the employer and school system
Most schools have a wealth of information about their values and staff culture in their careers portal or “about us” page. Read through the school’s website to gain useful information on what each employee should value from their work. And what characteristics create an all-star teacher or faculty member. Use this to position the cover letter and target the writing to the principal or school board.
Mention key teaching skills
Communication skills, verbal communication skills, coordination, in-classroom coordination, and other teaching skills apply to the hiring manager or principal. References to accomplishments or experiences in previous jobs that utilize these skills can be useful for faculty. It can assist in helping the hiring manager better comprehend core competencies and characteristics that align with the job opening.
Follow the job description
The job description or job advertisement commonly includes insights into the position’s requirements and what an ideal candidate looks like. Use the cover letter to speak to those qualities and tell stories of previous work experiences that are defining characteristics of the ideal candidate.
If the position doesn’t have a job posting or job advertisement available online, using a sample job description can be sufficient. Below are sample duties and responsibilities sufficient for a teacher, high school teacher, special education teacher, and preschool teacher.
- Develop assignments and classroom curriculums that are on par with our state board educational requirements.
- Turn the classroom into an environment conducive to education.
- Build, assign and grade homework assignments.
- Build, assign and grade classroom projects.
- Attend parent-teacher conferences and address children’s needs with their mothers and fathers.
- Evaluate students’ progress and ensure each student is meeting goals you have for them.
- Plan and implement educational activities.
- Perform the regular administrative duties required to conduct a healthy classroom.
- Deploy multiple teaching methods to ensure students receive world-class education.
- Work closely with students to ensure the student needs are put as a first priority.
- Ensure each child or student clearly understands the purpose of your lesson.
- Provide general instruction and guidance to students and create a classroom environment conducive to learning and education.
- Instruct students on homework assigns and classroom projects.
- Comfortable conducting meetings with parents to review a student’s progress and student performance.
- Reviews lesson plans for the week and ensures that the classroom is prepared for the needs of the lesson plans.
Strategize the first paragraph
The first paragraph of the cover letter should leave the faculty or hiring manager feeling impressed. Using previous work experiences or defining experiences that make the candidate “unique” can be a great way to do this. If the job candidate has any career accomplishments, the first paragraph will be the place to reference them. By doing this, it encourages the hiring manager to read the resume of the teacher and potentially offers the candidate a job interview.
Have questions in the second paragraph
Being inquisitive with the cover letter can leave the manager feeling as though they’ve been “spoken with” in the letter. Doing this encourages the manager to reach out to the candidate and inform them of the candidate’s questions. It’s a way of building a bridge between the candidate and the employer. Use questions like, “I’m curious what subject areas this position is focusing on.”
Address the reader by name
Addressing the cover letter’s recipient by name will always be more effective than using a generic greeting like “Dear Hiring Manager,” for example. Find the hiring manager’s name on the job description (job advertisement). Or through LinkedIn. Or by asking the faculty member who is hiring for the position in advance of writing the cover letter.
Speak about teaching objectives
Writing about teaching aspirations can make the faculty and staff feel like they’re hiring a candidate who has a passion for teaching. Passion is an important aspect of any successful candidate. Jared Brox describes, “passionate employees are engaged employees. They believe in the work they do and that they have a vested interest in the success of their company.” As Jared alludes, passion is what makes a great employee. When it comes to teaching positions, passion is far more important as the role has a direct impact on our youth.
Refer to outside activities
Teaching is more than a job. It should be a passion. To display a passion for teaching, refer to outside activities, like community involvement or volunteering. This might include referring to tutoring or providing free book reading to the local library. Any type of community involvement, grants, or other activities will be useful for the principal and staff.
Refer to being published
In some academic positions, being published is a qualifier for the role. Include the authors, date published, volume, page, and DOI number. This will allow for the principal and faculty to refer to the published piece and understand the candidate on a deeper level.
Refer to references
References can be impactful for teaching positions. Include professional and academic references as part of the cover letter. Include the references on a new page and not within the cover letter. References should include faculty, staff, administrators, and other professional colleagues who can vouch for the professional’s work experience and academic achievements or merits.
Below, you’ll find a teaching cover letter template for you to use in your job application.
Teacher Job Boards
When applying for a teaching position. It’s best to search for teaching positions using a “niche” job board. Rather than national job boards like Indeed, Monster, or Career Builder. Using a smaller job board can assist in finding a more passionate and higher caliber employer. Browse through the job advertisement (sometimes referred to as a “job ad”) on a smaller job board. Investigate each potential teaching position.
Community job boards consist of local city and village Facebook groups or community center bulletin boards. Many teaching positions get filled on a local level rather than on a national level. These local job boards can be a great place to find available teaching positions.