- What should your teacher cover letter include?
- What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
- What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a teaching role?
- How to write a teacher cover letter closing
We all remember our favorite teacher that really inspired us by their passion for their chosen subject and maybe even influenced our future career. Being a teacher is not only rewarding and fulfilling, it can also open you up to a lot of opportunities. Whether you decide to inspire younger children with a love of learning across a range of subjects, teach high school, work with gifted students, or pursue a rewarding role in SEN teaching, the opportunities are endless.
Similar to sparking a student's interest in a subject, you’ll also need to attract a hiring manager's attention when you’re applying for your next teaching job. One way to set yourself apart is by creating a compelling cover letter, which can serve as a smooth introduction to your resume.
In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding teacher cover letter example, we’ll look at exactly how to draft a cover letter that can get you interviews, including:
What should your teacher cover letter include?
What can you write in the introduction of the cover letter
What information can you give in the body of the cover letter
How to write a cover letter closing
What should your teacher cover letter include?
When you’re creating a student report, you need to ensure the structure is clear and concise, and the information is relevant. Your teacher cover letter should also tick all these boxes. This brief (usually one page) letter should outline your skills, experience, and achievements tailored to the role you are applying for. It should present you as the best teacher for the job.
Your cover letter should include your contact information, details of the school you are applying to, the date, and a formal greeting. Following this you’ll need a compelling introduction to hook the reader, main body of information, and convincing closing paragraph. We’ll go over these elements in detail in the following paragraphs.
What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
A cover letter’s introduction needs to hook the reader and encourage the hiring manager to read on. Hiring schools will receive a high volume of applications so it’s crucial to catch attention with this paragraph in order to stand out amongst the competition. The most common problem with a cover letter introduction is that it can be very generic. Once the Principal or Head of Department has read one or two, they’re likely to all blend into one and become pretty forgettable.
HIghlight your passion and enthusiasm for teaching. Conduct some background research and review the job description so you have a good sense of what the school is looking to achieve and how your role fits into these goals. You can then reference this in your introduction. Perhaps they are focused on improving student engagement, enhancing the curriculum, or implementing self-directed learning approaches. Whatever the reason, making reference to this will show your strong interest and commitment to the role.
Dear Alicia Hudson,
As an experienced, dynamic educator with proven success inspiring student learning while achieving curriculum objectives, I am poised to meet your requirements as teacher. Confident of my ability to develop relevant lesson plans that engage and motivate your students at Metropolitan Middle School, I have enclosed my resume for your review.
What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a teaching role?
The body of the Teacher cover letter is where you expand on your qualifications as a teacher, your specific expertise, and the unique value you can bring to a school.
An effective approach is to break into it 3 different sections:
Why you. Outline your background relevant to the teaching opportunity, with particular focus on key achievements, skills, and expertise. Focus on highlighting your successes as a teacher. This could include harnessing technology and cutting-edge learning techniques to improve student attainment. Perhaps you collaborated on the development of a new after-school program that improved school attendance. Wherever possible, try to include academic metrics as this will really boost your credibility. Schools are looking for teachers who can deliver tangible results, and your cover letter is your opportunity to let them know you can do this!
Why here. Why do you want to work for this particular school? Does the school’s mission resonate with you in terms of their educational philosophy and goals? Do you admire the school’s strong reputation? Have you connected with the school’s culture? Whatever the reason, communicating this via your cover letter will demonstrate your passion for joining the teaching team.
Why now. Perhaps you’re a newly qualified teacher just starting out on your career journey or a more seasoned teacher looking to move into a leadership role. Communicating your career objectives and the backstory as to how you’ve arrived at this point in your career will allow your personality to shine through in your cover letter.
Get more in-depth advice in our blog: Cover letter format: tips, tricks & examples
- Emphasize your positive impact on student development via data and metrics.
- Highlight specific teaching strategies and methodologies that are relevant to the target school.
- Use the same teacher cover letter for every job posting.
- Create a long cover letter. This can indicate an inability to communicate efficiently and effectively.
Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a commitment to integrating cutting-edge learning techniques and technologies to provide my students with hands-on activities to supplement, enrich, and replace classroom lectures and note taking. My ability to develop interactive lesson plans and effectively teach difficult concepts is evidenced by a measurable increase in the school’s score on the state biology test.
Additional highlights of my key strengths and accomplishments include:
Designing and implementing web-based activities and simulations to provide a unique, student-centered approach to learning.
Collaborating with in-class support teacher, other faculty, administrators, guidance counselors, and parents to ensure the success of all students and alignment with annual learning objectives.
Continually evaluating emerging educational/learning technologies, pedagogical theories and approaches, and overall best practices to build robust curriculum and instructional material.
How to write a teacher cover letter closing
The closing section of your teacher cover letter needs to thank the hiring manager for their time and also encourage them to get in touch with you. This is also a golden opportunity to deliver a strong finish to your cover letter. This doesn’t need to be a long paragraph (1-2 sentences is fine). Here’s some inspiration:
Outline a special achievement or skill. This should demonstrate the impact you will have in the teaching role. “Commended for my ability to provide an aspirational and varied curriculum that offers opportunities for students to excel, I’m ready to deliver the same results for (School Name).”
Include a Call to Action. Encourage them to take your application to the next level. “I look forward to speaking with you and learning more about the (Position Title) position and (School Name). Until then, thank you for your time and consideration.”
Tick all the boxes via our cover letter checklist. Learn more here: Cover letter checklist
Consistently commended for my knowledge, preparedness, and communication skills as well as consistent enthusiasm and desire to deliver effective instruction, I am fully prepared to make an immediate and long-term impact on Metropolitan Middle School. An interview in which we can more fully discuss my potential contributions to your organization’s academic excellence would be most welcome; thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Adelia Kahn
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