While there are long term substitutions available, in most cases you’re constantly looking for work.
You’re basically vagabonds of the education industry.
And while some people might not realize it, the job of being a substitute teacher is often very diverse.
Yes, you are expected to “teach” in all of your positions. However differing age groups, subject matter, and schools can throw a lot of unexpected twists into your daily life.
So how do you draft a resume that is clear and concise about your skills while still making you appear as versatile as your job requires?
Fret not – we’ve got you covered.
Summary
- Resume Template
- Formatting
- Writing Your Resume Summary
- Areas of Expertise
- Writing Your Work Experience
- Writing Your Education Section
- Additional Sections
- Resume Points to Remember
- Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
- Some Helpful Tools
Let’s begin with a sample substitute teacher resume to demonstrate how all the resume pieces fit together. Then we will break each section down to really drill into how to write the best substitute teacher resume you possibly can.
Substitute Teacher Resume (Text Version)
Contact Info:
Lisa Smith
[email protected]
(404) 325-0769
Atlanta, GA 78726
linkedin.com/lisasmith
Summary Statement:
Substitute Teacher: Highly motivated and compassionate education professional. Implements effective lesson plans and oversees classroom activities while fostering an engaging and productive learning environment. Utilizes classroom management techniques and strategies to maintain a safe and enriching classroom setting. Communicates effectively with school stakeholders to discuss the academic progress of students.
Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise
- Early Childhood Development
- Classroom Management
- Problem Solving
- Effective Communication
- Collaboration
- Technology
- Time Management
- Organization
Professional Experience:
Smith Elementary School | Substitute Teacher
Atlanta, GA | August 2017-Present
- Facilitate age-appropriate curriculum for grades 3-5
- Address individual student needs via small group instruction
- Use classroom management strategies to optimize productivity
- Grade assignments & provide constructive feedback to students
Debaker Middle School | Substitute Teacher
Atlanta, GA | January 2013 – March 2017
- Instructed students with a wide variety of learning abilities
- Created engaging academic activities to enrich students
- Utilized technology sources to enhance student learning
- Managed classroom by abiding by school policies and procedures
Laurel Elementary School | Assistant Teacher
Athens, GA | June 2009-December 2012
- Monitored classroom activities and ensured a safe environment
- Collaborated with other teachers to create daily lesson plans
- Communicated with parents regarding child’s progress and concerns
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Class of 2009
Formatting
While your job may be a bit unpredictable, the layout of your substitute teacher resume shouldn’t be.
When you only have about 6 seconds to grab your reader’s attention, it’s easy to want to stand out from the crowd.
However, trying to do so with frivolous flashiness will get you noticed for the wrong reasons.
Sticking with a legible font that’s separated with enough spacing for easy readability is a must if you want to be taken seriously.
You’ll want things structured so that your most recent or most relevant job experience is the first thing that a hiring manager will see.
Strong content will stand out on its own, but solid formatting will also make the most important pieces of information “pop” for the reader.
Beginning Your Substitute Teacher Resume
Just like when you enter a new classroom, your goal is to grab the attention of your audience, and then keep it.
This is why the resume summary is just about the most important thing you will write in this document.
A good summary will hit hard with your strongest attributes related to the position, and it will hit fast, because you’re going to sum it up in just a few sentences.
While you want to be brief with what you say, it’s also essential to get specific.
Hiring managers are looking for genuine content that paints a full picture of what you can do, not just fluff.
Here are some examples of what to do and what not to do when putting it all together in your summary:
Yes!
Highly motivated and compassionate education professional. Implements effective lesson plans and oversees classroom activities while fostering an engaging and productive learning environment. Utilizes classroom management techniques and strategies to maintain a safe and enriching classroom setting. Communicates effectively with school stakeholders to discuss the academic progress of students.
No!
Skilled substitute teacher, with great experience with children. Manages classroom and guides lesson plans well. Communicates with faculty and students in order to create a great learning environment.
While both of these summaries are trying to get the same point across, there is a clear difference.
The “Yes!” example uses strong words that explain why this candidate’s skill set will work effectively in this position.
The “No!” example attempts to be concise, but does so in a way that is vague about how they personally meet the job requirements.
Areas of Expertise/Key Accomplishments
Now that you’ve written down a brief paragraph describing yourself in a way that shows how you would fit in the position, it is time to get something a little more eye-catching on the page.
A summary is a great intro, but a bit dense if we’re trying to catch the eye in 6 seconds.
So for an easy, eye-catching read, a list with bullet points is your best friend.
The section that you want to pop in this way will be your Key Accomplishments, or Areas of Expertise.
This is going to be a list that shows the person in charge of hiring your stand out abilities and qualities; the unique skills you have that make you the best person for the job.
In other words, this is a list of your best, most applicable skills, so that if the hiring manager sees nothing else on your resume, they will see this list.
Since lists take up more space, it is important to spend time deciding what your most notable mentions will be.
Example:
- Early Childhood Development
- Classroom Management
- Problem Solving
- Effective Communication
- Collaboration
- Technology
- Time Management
- Organization
Before drafting this list, it is important to note that there are different types of skills.
Generally speaking, there are two types of skills – hard and soft.
Hard skills are the types of skills you aren’t born with. They are something that can be taught, practiced, and quantified.
These types of skills are often referred to as technical skills.
A few examples would be early childhood development or ESL/ESOL education.
On the flip side, your soft skills are more subjective and pertain to your personality traits.
You’ve probably heard soft skills referred to as “people skills”.
Examples of this would be things like problem solving, being organized, and being a strong communicator.
While you probably have more than a few of both of these types of skills, it is important to ask yourself which ones pertain to the job most.
You should always look at clues within the job posting to help you decide what skills they are looking for.
PRO TIP: If the job posting lists qualifications or a description of the type of skills they are looking for in a candidate, make sure to include all that apply to you. Hiring managers and bots look for these things to line up when they are selecting a candidate.
(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skill ideas to include in your skills section.)
Work Experience
Now that you’ve effectively introduced yourself by laying out your best qualities, it is time to get to what will likely be the bulkiest part of your substitute teacher resume.
Your work history will lay out what you have done to back up the skills you just laid out.
You will want your most recent and relevant ventures to be listed first.
If the hiring manager has made it this far into looking at your substitute teacher resume, you are in good shape, but you still want to put your best foot forward when listing work experience.
Generally speaking, what you have done most recently is likely to be your most notable endeavor.
For instance, it is much more important to list the most recent assistant teaching position you had than the tutoring job you had in college.
In some cases, you might have a lot to work with, which means you are going to have to narrow it down.
When selecting what work experience to include, make sure you are picking the things that show off your skills. Specifically, the skills that directly relate to the job you are applying for.
In order to better demonstrate what we are saying we have provided examples:
Yes!
Smith Elementary School | Substitute Teacher | Atlanta, GA | August 2017-Present
- Facilitate age-appropriate curriculum for grades 3-5
- Address individual student needs via small group instruction
- Use classroom management strategies to optimize productivity
- Grade assignments & provide constructive feedback to students
No!
Elementary School | Substitute Teacher | 2017-Present
- Aided with course curriculum
- Instructed small groups of students
- Managed classroom
- Graded assignments
The first example lends specific details and quantifies daily tasks to create a more clear picture of the job.
The second example attempts to be “to the point” in a way that cuts out valuable details and undermines the skills needed to conduct the job effectively.
More About Bots
It’s no secret that the job market today tends to be a bit over-saturated with people looking to secure employment.
Due to this issue, many companies are turning to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in order to help weed out candidates.
An ATS is designed to pull out certain resumes based on keywords that match what is desirable for the position.
This alleviates how much a hiring manager has to sift through resumes in order to find the best of the best.
For you, this means you need to be intentional about making sure your substitute teacher resume can get through an ATS, otherwise it’s likely to be forgotten before it’s even seen.
Due to the need to get past the ATS, some people recommend using a paragraph to describe their work history as opposed to a bullet list.
The hope is that a paragraph will allow for more relevant keywords to be picked up by the bots and thus put your resume on the pile for review and not in the trash can.
Standard Bullet Point Format Example:
Laurel Elementary School | Assistant Teacher | Athens, GA | June 2009-December 2012
- Monitored classroom activities and ensured a safe environment
- Collaborated with other teachers to create daily lesson plans
- Communicated with parents regarding child’s progress and concerns
Paragraph Format Example:
Laurel Elementary School | Assistant Teacher | Athens, GA | June 2009–December 2012
Monitored classroom activities in order to ensure a safe environment while collaborating with other teachers to create daily lesson plans. Communicated with parents regarding their children’s progress and concerns.
Or if you want the best of both worlds, you can write out your experience in a paragraph while reserving a couple of bullet points for more notable endeavors.
Monitored classroom activities in order to ensure a safe environment. Collaborated with other teachers to create daily lesson plans. Communicated with parents regarding their children’s progress and concerns.
- Implemented ESL/ESOL instruction for various students
- Led after-school activities, including girls’ softball and math tutoring
Paragraphs are a simple way to pack more keywords into your substitute teacher resume. However, it can often appear less pleasing to the eye.
Hiring managers are not built like an ATS, meaning they want something that appears easy to ready and allows your best qualities to jump off the page.
In order to appease the hiring manager, as well as an ATS, at Big Interview we believe it is best to use a bullet point setup, and include as many keywords as possible.
PRO TIP: Finding keywords to use isn’t as much of a challenge as it may sound. Look at the job description and pull power words that will catch the attention of the hiring manager and the ATS.
Your Education
This section of your substitute teacher resume will consist of a list of your relevant education experience, starting with your highest level of education (e.g. Bachelors, Associates, etc.).
Include your minors and any concentrations that go along with your degree as well.
Example:
Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Class of 2009
This section of your substitute teacher resume is also a good place to include any certifications or relevant workshops.
Example:
- CPR and First Aid certified
- TESOL online certification
Possible Sections to Include
Once all of this is listed and you still have space for more, now is the time to include an extra section that doesn’t fall into the categories we have already covered.
Some of the sections you could include are:
- Awards and honors
- Publications
- Noteworthy Projects
- Social Media Influence
- Speaking Engagements
- Hobbies/Interests
- Volunteer Work
What if You Have No Experience?
Let’s say you are a new graduate, or you have recently switched careers.
In this case, you may be freaking out, asking us, “What if I don’t have any relevant work experience?”
Not a problem.
The same general rules still apply – you still want what you’re working with to shine.
In this case, that will likely be your education.
In order to make your education section “pop”, move it right below your summary or objective and above your work history.
You’ll also want to “beef it up” with some more notable education achievements like a high GPA or any school clubs and relevant activities or accomplishments.
Did you tutor?
Did you take any AP courses?
As you get started in a new field and gain a better work history, you can begin to phase these details out as they become less notable.
In the meantime, try to include as much semi-relevant work history as possible. This means that summer you spent as an Uber driver may not be as impressive as the job you had as a nanny in college.
Dig deep and you may find that you have more relevant work experience than you realize.
Resume Points to Remember
Utilize the space
Always make sure that you are putting your best foot forward. Always list the most relevant and impactful information first, and use spacing in order to make it stand out.
Use diverse power words
When listing out bullet points or writing a paragraph, make sure each sentence starts with a different keyword that will draw attention and show a variety of skills.
Check your work
Sometimes the best thing you can do is read your resume out loud or have someone else read it for you to listen. This will help you hear and see what other people are going to notice when they pick it up.
Utilize the job description
Always reference the job posting when you are drafting your substitute teacher resume and make sure that it is tailored specifically to what that company/school is looking for. While there are many substitute teaching positions, each job posting is unique in what it requires. Make sure your resume fits it as much as possible.
Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
Don’t stand out for the wrong reason
While it is important to stand out when it comes to skills and work experience, trying to catch the eye of your reader with a “fun” font or awkward formatting is a major turnoff. You want to stand out for substance, not flashy looks.
Don’t exceed one page
In some cases, you might feel like you have more relevant work experience, education, or skills that feel too crowded for one page. In all reality, you are most likely not narrowing down your content enough. The hiring manager doesn’t have much time, so you want to make sure you’ve done the filtering for them.
Don’t repeat power words
Make sure that everything you say is new information. This goes for content as well as diction. You don’t want to use power words more than once. Your goal is to appear as well versed in this field as possible. Redundancies can make you appear one-dimensional.
(See below for a helpful table of some suggested power words.)
Helpful Tools:
Power Words
- Administered
- Founded
- Adept
- Formulated
- Built
- Implemented
- Created
- Improved
- Consolidated
- Initiated
- Coordinated
- Launched
- Developed
- Pioneered
- Designed
- Organized
Skills List
| Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
| Early Childhood Development | Time Management |
| Classroom Management | Communication Skills |
| Childhood Psychology | Collaborative |
| ESL/ESOL | Problem Solving |
| Technology | Organized |
