Substitute Teacher Resume: The Ultimate Writing Guide [+25 Examples]

These substitute teacher resume sample, tips, and tricks will help you to land a job as easy as ABC. We have combined resume writing tips allow you to accurately describe your skills and teaching experience, along with your education and achievements.

Even after years of experience, tons of workbooks, and certifications, you still need to apply for the job like everybody else. In the competitive field of teaching, you still need to show off your ability to learn and stay on top of industry trends. A well-written excellent resume can make or break your job searching game. You have only a few seconds to make an impression, and it’s better to take that chance.

Here you will also find teacher resume samples which you can use to get the overall idea of formatting and tone of your resume.

Substitute Teacher Resume Job Description

A substitute teacher is a person who is assigned to work in the absence of a regular teacher. He or she should have an understanding or a subject matter and possess the skills required for particular lessons.

The job description is the very first touchpoint which goes between a school and your new job. With thousands of people looking for a job at the same time as you, the excellent job description can make you stand out.

In the job description, you need to outline your duties and functions within the company. Here are some samples of substitute teacher duties you can mention:

• Assign homework according to a lesson plan;
• Consistently follow a lesson plan and encourage students to participate;
• Modify teaching styles in accordance to different students;
• Supervise students out of class, on schoolyard, cafeteria, and hallway;
• Maintain a clean and healthy learning environment;
• Respect students confidentiality and personal school information;
• Return keys and instruction materials to a proper place;
• Crete homework, lesson plans, and tests.

Use some of these points for your resume, and you’ll increase your chances of getting hired.

2. What’s the Best Format for a Substitute Teacher Resume?

You can use different file formats and formatting for your resume. It all depends on the situation and your role. In some cases, it would be better to make a printed resume. But when you need to send a resume via email, it’s better to consider PDF or Microsoft Word versions.

For a substitute teacher position choose the functional format for a resume. It means a reverse chronological order which puts your latest jobs and achievements in the first line.

Keep it an open mind and don’t hesitate to choose a modern resume formatting. Make every section pop using subheadings.

Give preference to sans-serif fonts. They are clean, and most importantly, they are scannable. An average recruiter spends about 10-20 seconds on every resume which means it’s essential to pick a readable font. You have a few seconds to make an impression.

3. What Includes in Contact Information for a Substitute Teacher Resume?

When you write a resume, ensure to include all your contact information on top of the page. With incorrect contact info, or without info, your potential employers will not be able to get in touch with you.

So, what to include in a contact section? Add your full name, mailing address, city, state, and phone number. For those of you who have a proper Linkedin profile or website, you can include them in your contact section too.

Include only your phone number and email address. There is no need to mix your work emails with job search replies.

In order not to miss any urgent phone calls, use voicemail. In this case, your recruiter can leave you a message if you are not available.

4. How to Write a Substitute Teacher Resume Objectives or Resume Summary?

Of course, every section of your resume counts, but resume statement or resume summary comes first. Write and write it numerous times to make sure you fit the position needs. Describe your qualities, previous experience, skills, and accomplishments in a few briefs, yet powerful sentences.

Don’t use first-person voice. Instead of writing “I’m able to work flexible schedules” you should say “Ability to work flexible schedules.” This technique is called gapping. It’s is used in resumes to clearly and concisely provide the information. For example:

Accomplished Full-Time Substitute Teacher with the ability to track students progress and give comprehensive feedback on their work. Adept at engaging with students to provide the optimal learning process. Contributed to a 20% increase in students scores in standardized geometry tests.

If you are applying for a few job postings, you need to tailor your resume to fit each opening. You need to consider highlighting different skills and experience, depending on job requirements. Include keywords from the job listing to your resume.

5. How to Describe Your Work Substitute Teacher Experience?

Experience section is one more important part of your resume. Include your most recent jobs and describe your duties to show that you are a teacher by vocation. Include names of jobs, and then 3-6 bullet points with your responsibilities. Focus on your best abilities, knowledge, and skills.

Here is a great example:

MOBI TECH

Long-term Substitute Teacher

March 2012 – January 2015

• Worked instead of teachers on long leaves (maternity, illness, etc.);
• Developed complete lesson plans based on students’  knowledge and state requirements;
• Presented instructional lessons that encourage students to stay engaged
• Received 97% positive feedback from teachers.

TRANCELOT

Substitute Teacher

February 2015 – January 2018

• Followed lesson plans in a variety of subjects and grade levels (9-12)
• Administered exams to test students’ understanding of the material;

• Scheduled follow-up lessons on commonly missed topics;

• Communicated clearly with parents and teachers to fully understand student needs.

Whenever it’s possible, try to include numbers showing your success. Using numbers can help you to impress a reader and show success progress. However, many teachers work in rough neighborhoods with challenging conditions and lack of administrative support. In simple words, not every teacher can increase test scores. In this case, you can quantify the size of the school and say:

Assisted students to prepare for examinations in 3,000 students school.

Or,

Taught courses and looked after over 100 students in progress during the semester and coordinated learning plans.

6. What to Include in Education for Substitute Teacher Resume?

The education section of a teacher resume should include two parts: your education and certifications. In the USA you can’t teach without having a proper teaching certificate, so it’s critically important.  The requirements may be different from school to school. However, certifications always are a big plus.

Education section should display your academic achievements. For teaching grades you need K-12. Also, a bachelor degree is a minimum required for a substitute teacher position. So, you need to include the following information:

– school name and location;

– years;

– degree;

– achievements (optional).

Check out the education section sample below:

Bachelor of Arts: Psychology

University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

2014

Associate of Arts: Liberal Arts

Northwestern Community College, Rangely, Colorado, USA

2011

Your course of study should relate to a position you want to get. Ensure that formatting of your education section suits the overall resume look.

7. How to Put Skills on a Substitute Teacher Resume?

At first, try to list your skills which are relevant for the particular job, not just name all the skills you know. Then, go to a job posting and read the requirements for a position you are going to apply. It’s better to match your skills with their needs, this way you will increase your changes.

But don’t claim skills which you don’t have. This may lead to different issues in the future. For example, if they hire you to ask you to do something you don’t know. In any case, you need to be honest with yourself and the recruiters.

Mention that you can create individual lesson plans, have strong communication skills, patience, and have critical thinking, and any other skills required by job posting.

Even if you are not a geek, you can’t deny the importance of tech in schools. As a teacher, you need to know how to use a range of programs, such as Microsoft Office, Google Search, Blackboard, MyEdu, Khan Academy, PowerPoint and Google Drive.

8. List of Skills to Put on a Substitute Teacher Resume

There is also a list of soft and hard skills a teacher should possess. Among the soft skills for substitute teacher position, you need to mention patience, flexibility, communication, compassion, organization, creativity, relationship building, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Hard skills should include knowing software and programs and mentoring, classroom management, teaching strategies, school safety, and grading.

Sample List of Relevant Skills for a Substitute Teacher:

Lesson Planning

• Write comprehensive reports to regular teachers regarding lessons and student progresses;
• Collaborate with regular teachers in developing long-term plans for struggling students, as well as designing new activities to enhance learning engagement of students;
• Designed and implemented lessons plans that increased student engagement by 20%.

Student Development

• Regularly engaged students in “open talk” times, developing team building activities that enhanced student motivation and teamwork by 30%;
• Effectively helped three struggling students to improve literacy targets by 20%.

Teaching

• Instruct Math, Art, and English to classes ranging from 13-24 students from Grade 2 to 5;
• Incorporate digital technology for learning activities including use of software applications as well as the SMART board, leading to subsequent implementation by the regular teacher;

• Adhered to strict school policies regarding students with disciplinary issues.

9. How to Add Certifications to Your Substitute Teacher Resume?

Teachers should list all of their certifications which can be done in certifications or additional sections of your resume. But note that the names of certificates can be different depending on the state. Keep it in mind and re-name your certificate if you are going to work in another state. Take a look at the sample:

Standard Texas Teaching Certificate – EC6 GENERALIST CERTIFICATION

Completed in May 2015

Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Music, Atr, HEalth and Physical Education

10. Closing words

Edit, edit, edit. Make sure to edit your resume before sending it correctly. Look for any spelling or grammar mistakes; it’s critically important. You don’t need to be a grammar teacher to know that your grammar has to be perfect.  Ensure you used the same formatting, (the bullet point and numbers are the same), and stick to only one font.

We hope these tips and samples will help you to create an impressive resume and land you an interview. Please, share your thought and opinions in the comment field below.