The best skills to put on a resume for teachers include those that relate to classroom management, instructional technique, and learning assessment. In this guide, you’ll find examples of teaching skills for resumes and tips on how to present your qualifications.

Why the Best Teacher Skills Are Essential for a Strong Resume

Highlighting your specialized skills shows the hiring manager that you have the qualifications for the position and can handle a variety of teaching environments. Whether you’re updating your resume for a new job search or identifying skills for a teaching curriculum vitae (CV), positioning yourself as a strong candidate and experienced educator is key.

Key Skills To Put On a Resume for a Teacher

1. Classroom management skills

Effective classroom management skills are essential to fostering a positive learning environment and should be one of the skills on a teacher’s resume. Key terms like “behavior management,” “student engagement,” and “discipline strategies” can help you demonstrate this.

2. Lesson planning and curriculum development

Teachers must create and adapt lesson plans and curricula to their students’ learning needs. To highlight these teacher skills on a resume, use terms like “curriculum development,” “lesson planning,” or “individualized instruction.”

3. Communication and interpersonal skills

Listing communication and interpersonal skills on a teacher’s resume shows you can collaborate well with students, parents, and colleagues. Examples of phrases that can help you highlight this competency include “parent-teacher communication,” “collaborative teamwork,” and “conflict resolution.”

4. Classroom technology skills

Schools are increasingly adopting technology in the classroom, so it’s important to list these technical teacher skills on your resume. Get specific with what programs and tools you are familiar with, including “Google Classroom,” “Microsoft Teams,” or “Smartboard proficiency.”

5. Assessment and evaluation

Evaluating students’ understanding and retention of the material is critical to tracking progress. It also lets you know when you need to adjust teaching strategies. Show these skills on a CV for teaching by listing terms such as “student assessment,” “formative assessments,” or “standardized testing.”

Action Verbs To Highlight Teaching Skills for a Resume

Using strong action verbs to highlight skills on a CV for teaching can strengthen your descriptions and make your achievements more impactful. Begin each bullet point in your experience section with an action verb such as “developed,” “mentored,” “coordinated,” or “facilitated” to show how your skills relate to your accomplishments.

Tailoring Your Best Teacher Skills for Specific Roles

Elementary teacher resume skills

The best teacher skills to use for elementary positions include “classroom organization,” “basic literacy,” and “early childhood development.”

Special education teacher skills for a resume

Special education teachers should include specific terms showing experience in this role. These may consist of “Individualized Education Plans (IEP),” “behavioral intervention,” and “adaptive learning strategies.”

Teacher assistant resume skills

The best teacher assistant or teacher aide skills for a resume center around supporting the main teacher. Consider adding abilities such as “one-on-one assistance,” “student supervision,” and “administrative support.”

Substitute teacher skills for a resume

Substitute teachers need to be able to adapt quickly to unfamiliar situations and deal with challenges. Relevant skills for this position include “flexible instruction” and “classroom adaptation.”

Skills for a preschool teacher resume

The most important preschool or day care teacher skills for a resume include “basic care and safety,” “first aid,” and “early childhood education.”

Examples of Teaching Skills for Resumes (With Sample Bullet Points)

Here are some examples of bullet points and skills to put on a resume for teachers

Sample 1: Classroom management and discipline


Key Skills

  • Cross-functional coordination
  • Curriculum development
  • Differentiated learning
  • Process streamlining
  • Student counseling and mentoring
  • Test preparation and delivery

Professional Experience

High School Science Teacher, The STEM School, San Diego, CA
August 2020 to Present

  • Adapt lesson plans and teaching methods to students with different learning styles.
  • Introduced new ways to prepare students for standardized tests, resulting in higher average scores
  • Organized annual tennis fundraiser that generated $5,000 for the math department
  • Designed and implemented a new science curriculum

Sample 2: Curriculum development


Key Skills

  • Advanced teaching methods
  • Conflict management and resolution
  • Cross-functional coordination
  • Differentiated learning
  • Lesson planning
  • Reporting and documentation
  • Student engagement
  • Technology integration

Professional Experience

Student Teacher, Hollywood High School, Los Angeles, CA | February 2022 to March 2022

  • Supported mentor teacher by preparing materials and answering student questions for art classes of up to 30
  • Co-developed and executed dynamic and engaging lesson plans
  • Integrated Photoshop, Illustrator, and other design software programs with traditional art education

Sample 3: Adaptation for special education


Key Skills

  • IEP development
  • Behavioral intervention
  • Differentiated instruction
  • Collaboration with support teams
  • Classroom management

Professional Experience

Special Education Teacher, Phoenix Unified School District, Phoenix, AZ
August 2017 – present

  • Develop and implement personalized IEPs for students with diverse learning needs, leading to measurable academic and social growth
  • Work collaboratively with parents, therapists, and school administrators to create an inclusive learning environment
  • Conduct regular assessments to track student progress and adjust teaching methods to support academic improvement

How To Format Teaching Skills on a Resume

Best layout options for teaching resumes

The right layout can help emphasize skills for a teacher’s resume. Experienced teachers can use the traditional reverse-chronological format to highlight their extensive classroom experience. Recent graduates may benefit from the functional or combination format that emphasizes the skills on a CV for teaching.

Using a dedicated teacher skills resume section

Listing your key skills in a separate section can make it easy for the hiring manager to quickly skim and determine if you fit the criteria for the role. Separating skills on a CV for teaching into technical and professional skills can make the lists more manageable.

Incorporating your best teacher skills into work experience bullet points

If they have advanced skills, the teacher can write these into bullet points describing past roles. This ensures enough room to provide context and match skills with measurable outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Skills for Teacher Resumes

What are the best skills to put on a resume for a teacher?-

The best capabilities to include on a teacher's resume are those related to general teaching and specialized roles. All teaching positions require classroom management, curriculum development, and lesson planning. Still, a teaching position for AP chemistry in a high school may also require extensive knowledge of chemistry concepts and lab skills.

How can I show my teaching skills if I have limited experience?+

If you're a recent graduate with limited experience, the best teacher skills for a resume include transferable skills that you have gained from other opportunities. For example, if you earned a certificate in education, worked as a substitute teacher, or volunteered in another education role, you can use these achievements to show you have the skills to succeed in a teaching position.

How should I order my skills on a teaching resume?+

There are multiple ways to organize teacher skills on a resume. The first is to put them in alphabetical order on a skills list. However, listing relevant skills for a teacher's resume first may be better. Moving the most critical skills to the top of the list and incorporating them in other sections to highlight your strengths may be helpful.

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