English Teacher Resume Examples + Guide for 2024

Elizabeth Muenzen
By Elizabeth Muenzen, Career Advice Expert•Rated 4.5/5 Stars
Editor: Maria Ratcliff
Last Updated: November 16, 2023
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English Teacher Resume Template

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English teachers create lesson plans, develop curriculum, grade assignments and provide feedback and support to their students. They also help students improve their critical thinking and communication skills, prepare them for standardized tests and encourage them to develop a love for reading and writing.

To land a job as an English teacher, you need a compelling resume that showcases your communication, lesson planning and interpersonal skills. This guide provides a collection of professionally designed English teacher resume examples and expert writing tips to help you land your dream teaching job.

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English teacher resume example (text version)

Dale Hemsworth

Portland, OR 97202
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com

Professional Summary

Qualified English teacher with five years of experience and passion for teaching students. Possess excellent communication and presentation skills and solid knowledge of teaching methods to ensure students are learning the instructional materials. Energetic and approachable person with a positive attitude, maturity and patience.

Skills

  • Instructional techniques
  • Curriculum and training design
  • Online and virtual education
  • MS Office expertise
  • Instructional software
  • Verbal and written communication
  • Leadership
  • Conflict resolution

Work History

January 2018 – Current
Portland Public School District – Portland, OR
Secondary English Teacher

  • Instruct through lectures, discussions and demonstrations.
  • Adapt instructional materials and teaching methods to meet students’ needs and interests.
  • Maintain 100 student records as required by law and district policies.
    Enforce rules and policies governing students.
  • Prepare, administer and grade assignments and examinations to evaluate students’ academic progress.
  • Establish behavior rules and enforce procedures to maintain order in the classroom.
  • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children’s progress, priorities and needs.

July 2013 – December 2017
North Clackamas School District – Portland, OR
Secondary English Teacher

  • Developed instructional materials and objectives for an average of 80 students.
  • Evaluated, planned and revised curricula, course content and instruction methods as needed.
  • Guided classroom discussions and assigned homework and papers.
    Evaluated student work and maintained student attendance and grade records.
  • Attended meetings and training sessions for professional development.
  • Assisted students requiring extra coursework help outside of class.
    Maintained order and established acceptable behavior for students.

September 2012 – June 2013
Greenways Academy – Portland, OR
Student Teacher

  • Collaborated with colleagues to develop lesson plans.
  • Tailored lessons according to students’ needs, interests and strengths.
  • Incorporated technology into 50% of lessons and discussions.
  • Communicated with parents during conferences.
  • Participated in team processes to help implement special education services.

Education

  • June 2017
    George Fox University Newberg, OR
    Master of Arts Teaching
  • June 2013
    University of Oregon Eugene, OR
    Bachelor of Science English
  • Minor- Secondary Education Licensure

Licenses

Oregon Teaching Credential – English Licensure – (Updated 2024)

5 essentials of a top English teacher resume

  1. Contact details

    Add your contact information to the top of your resume; otherwise, hiring managers won’t know how to contact you for an interview. You must display your contact information like so: Your full name, then your city, state and ZIP code, followed by your phone number and professional email address. Add your LinkedIn profile and professional website (if you have them) last. You can refer to our sample resume for English teachers as an example of what to include in this section. 

  2. Personal statement

    A personal statement is also known as a professional summary. This is where you introduce yourself and highlight your top qualifications for the job in three to five sentences. A resume for an English teacher must include a professional summary with appropriate skills and one or two notable accomplishments, and it should touch on how long you’ve been in the industry. 

    Take a look at this English teacher resume summary example: “Dedicated and enthusiastic English teacher with over five years of experience teaching literature, grammar and writing to high school students. Skilled in developing engaging lesson plans that incorporate technology and hands-on activities to enhance learning and retention. Strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills and a proven track record of encouraging student participation and success.”

    To write a resume for a job as an English teacher with no experience, we recommend using an English teacher resume objective instead. Your resume objective should note the skills you learned during your teaching credential program and what you hope to accomplish as a new teacher. 

  3. Skills

    It is essential that you let potential employers know what skills you bring to the table. Create a separate section for your job-relevant skills and display them with bullet points to make them easy to read. As our sample English teacher resume shows, include hard skills and soft skills, such as your ability to explain complex topics and listen actively.

    Looking at job descriptions for teaching positions is a great way to pinpoint English teacher skills for resumes. You can identify keywords from the job description to include in your resume, such as “differentiated instruction,” “inclusive classroom practices,” or “reading comprehension.”

  4. Work history

    Your resume must include an employment history section, whether or not you have professional experience as an English teacher. In reverse-chronological order, list current and previous employers. Provide the names of the schools, their locations and the dates you worked for each one. 

    Include three bullet points of measurable achievements for every job you list. Here’s an example: “Developed and implemented a new writing curriculum for 11th and 12th-grade students, resulting in a 20% increase in writing proficiency scores on state standardized tests over the course of two years.” 

    If you’re applying for your first job as an English teacher, it’s acceptable to highlight any extracurricular activities, coursework, presentations, volunteer experience and community service. Refer to our English teacher resume samples and resume writing guide for guidance.

  5. Education

    Hiring managers want to see your education credentials, so a resume for an English teacher job must include an education section. Add all the educational institutions you’ve attended after high school. Display the name of the schools and your graduation years in reverse-chronological order using bullet points. 

    Most English teaching positions require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in English or a related field, such as education or literature. Depending on the state or school district, a teaching certification or licensure may be required. 

    While not always required, some school districts may prefer or require English teachers to have a master’s degree in education, English or a related field. 

    Many school districts require English teachers to participate in continuing education courses or professional development workshops to maintain their teaching certification or licensure. Make sure to include these on your resume. 

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Action words for a stand-out English teacher resume

Action words strengthen resumes because they tell the hiring manager exactly what you did and convey confidence. Use them with numbers to make a more substantial impact. 

Here’s a short list of effective action words for an English teacher resume:

  • Evaluate
  • Explain
  • Motivate
  • Present
  • Mentor
  • Train
  • Assess
  • Instruct
  • Plan
  • Organize
  • Lead
  • Develop
  • Create
  • Demonstrate
  • Assist

Want more inspiration? We have more than 800 resume examples to help you create the best English teacher resume. 

Top skills for an English teacher resume

Review the job description carefully and match the required skills to the ones that fit you. 

Your skills might include:

  • Empathy
  • Goal setting
  • Motivation
  • Persuasion
  • Presentation
  • Leadership
  • Verbal communication
  • Active listening
  • Written communication
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Adaptability
  • Patience
  • Positivity
  • Critical thinking
  • Planning
  • Decision making
  • Conflict resolution

Need the perfect resume for an English teacher job now? Our resume builder has all the tools you need to craft a professional resume in minutes! You can make edits as you go, download your finished resume and save it in multiple file formats.

Certifications for an English teacher resume

After earning a bachelor’s degree in education or English, English teachers in public institutions are required to be certified by their state. Teaching certificates are important because they ensure all educators in that state hold the same credentials. 

The United States Department of Education lists teacher certification requirements by state. Here are some additional certifications English teachers can get to give their credentials a boost:

  • National Board Certification
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 
  • Reading Specialist Certification
  • Gifted and Talented Certification
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Certification

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English teacher resume FAQ

  1. 1. What does an English teacher resume look like?

    There is no standard English teacher resume template; you can use any of our templates and customize them for your desired job. 

    A good resume for an English teacher will look much like the English teacher sample resume on this page and will contain the job seeker’s contact information, skills, employment history, education and certifications, if applicable.

    An English teacher resume might also contain sections for awards and honors if the job candidate has them to display.

    The look of your English teacher resume will also depend on the resume format you use. We have a variety of professionally made resume templates in chronological, functional and combination formats to fit your needs.

  2. 2. What to put under skills on a resume for an English teacher?

    When creating a resume for an English teacher, it’s important to highlight the skills that make you an effective educator.

    A resume for an English teacher should highlight skills such as classroom management, curriculum development, technology integration and interpersonal communication. 

    See our skills list on this page for top English teacher resume skills, or review our sample English teacher resume for additional guidance. 

  3. 3. How to make a resume for an English teacher job?

    Not all resumes are created equal. Here are our top tips for crafting a perfect English teacher resume:

    • Review English teacher resume examples for inspiration.
    • Add separate sections for extra training, certifications, licenses and awards.
    • Keep your resume short and to the point. If you have less than 10 years of experience, it should be one page long; if you have more than 10 years of experience, then it’s acceptable to have no more than two pages. 
    • Ensure your resume is formatted correctly, meaning margins should be one inch on all sides and line space should be single or 1.5 inches. 
    • Only use appropriate fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial or Helvetica, in 11-12 points on the body and 14-16 points on headers.
    • Proofread your resume more than once before sending it to potential employers.

  4. 4. What does an English teacher put for a resume objective?

    When writing a resume objective as an English teacher, it’s important to showcase your skills and experience while also expressing your goals and career aspirations. Here are some examples of resume objectives for an English teacher:

    • Seeking a position as an English teacher where I can utilize my strong communication and instructional skills to help students develop a love for reading and writing.
    • To obtain a challenging position as an English teacher in a dynamic academic environment where I can apply my passion for literature and writing to inspire and engage students.
    • To secure a position as an English teacher where I can use my extensive experience in curriculum development and instructional design to provide high-quality education to students.

    Experienced teachers can see our English teacher resume examples to reference a sample resume for an English teacher with experience, which uses a resume summary instead of an objective. 

Do’s and don’ts for building an English teacher resume

  • Use measurable achievements to describe your English teaching abilities and experience. For example, “Developed and implemented a comprehensive writing program for high school students, resulting in a 30% increase in standardized writing test scores over a two-year period.”
  • Use action words — such as graded, planned, motivated and evaluated — to make an impact on your English teacher resume.
  • Tailor your resume to your target English teacher job.
  • Use keywords from the job description throughout your English teacher resume. For instance, “classroom innovation,” “student-centered approach” and “reading comprehension.”
  • Format your English teacher resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
  • Lie about your English teacher experience and skills.
  • Boast that you’re the “best English teacher ever.” Instead, provide concrete examples of your experience with student engagement, lesson planning and other relevant job duties. 
  • Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
  • Add skills and experience that do not pertain to teaching English.
  • Forget to proofread. An English teacher resume with errors is unprofessional.

Top 4 tips for acing an English teacher interview

  1. Learn about the school.

    It’s vital to take the time to learn about the school’s goals, values and people before the job interview. Doing so conveys interest, passion and commitment — traits that can set you above the competition. Plus, a glimpse of the company culture early on will help you know what to expect and can boost your confidence.

    Learn about the student population, including their academic and behavioral needs, cultural backgrounds and interests. Understand the school’s curriculum and how it aligns with state standards and best practices in English education.

    Find out about the resources available to teachers, including technology, professional development opportunities and support staff. Learn about the school’s expectations for English teachers, including class size, teaching load and extracurricular responsibilities.

    By learning as much as possible about the school, you can demonstrate your interest and commitment to the position, as well as tailor your responses to the interviewer’s questions.

  2. Practice at home.

    Practice really does make perfect. To practice for your interview, start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as: 

    Some possible behavioral questions include:

    As well as some job-specific questions to consider: 

    • How do you approach lesson planning and curriculum development?
    • What teaching methods do you use to promote student engagement and critical thinking?
    • How do you manage classroom behavior and create a positive learning environment?

    Write down two or three possible answers as you review potential questions, then review them with a friend or a family member in a mock interview so you can get comfortable with the questions and memorize your answers.

  3. Ask questions.

    You should always have at least three questions ready to ask every job interview you encounter; those who do tend to get hired more often than those who don’t because they show motivation, keen interest and thoughtfulness. 

    Some questions you might ask for an English teacher job are: 

    • What is the school’s approach to professional development for teachers?
    • What type of support and resources are available to English teachers?
    • How does the English department collaborate with other departments in the school?
    • How does the school encourage creativity and innovation in teaching?
    • Can you tell me more about the school’s culture and community?

  4. Gather references.

    You’ll need professional references quickly if the hiring manager offers you the job after the interview. Having them ready will save you stress and time, so prepare a list of two former colleagues and a former manager who are willing to speak to your abilities to perform the job of an English teacher and who you know will give you a stellar review.

How we reviewed this article

Since 2013, we have helped more than 15 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process.

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Editor: Maria Ratcliff
Elizabeth Muenzen

Elizabeth Muenzen

Career Advice Expert

Elizabeth is a content writer for My Perfect Resume. She is passionate about delivering information that empowers job seekers to achieve their professional goals.

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