A resume is an important self-marketing tool that helps people get jobs. There are important strategies for effective resumes that are very general, such as having an attractive appearance, correct format and no errors. But a teacher's resume must present the strongest possible case in the fewest possible words. Three particular areas--qualifications, professionalism and experience--are critical in drafting effective resumes for teachers.

Qualifications
Making sure your list of qualifications stands out in your resume is critical for a teacher applicant. Educational background is a major qualification for teaching positions, and determines level of compensation in many states. When writing a resume, include all graduate and post-graduate degrees, certifications, professional memberships, relevant licenses and endorsements, even if from other states. Include any academic awards you might have received, especially those related to work in educational studies. Experience with ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) instruction or a second language is generally regarded highly.

Professionalism
Most resumes have a section for listing relevant skills. A teacher should use this space to demonstrate an understanding of important teaching principles and their application to the position being sought. Vocabulary and jargon are very important in the education field. Proscriptive pedagogy and standards-based instruction are highly valued approaches to teaching, as are the use of instructional technology, paideia and cooperative learning. Without getting too wordy, it's important your resume reflect your understanding of the teaching profession and theory in ways that are relevant and supported by educational and work experience. Resumes consist of sentence fragments in bullet form rather than complete sentences.

Experience
Do not limit the description of your experience to just formal teaching positions, but definitely list those first, starting with the most impressive and relevant. In the modern field of public and private education, the list of experiences can range from teaching assistant to curriculum specialist, grade-level chair, reading coach or subject-area specialist. Work that demonstrates the ability to manage a classroom is particularly important for a teaching job, and community service is also prized. If necessary, use a separate section called "Accomplishments" to list examples of your achievements in education and community outreach.