Writing a standout teacher resume gives you the opportunity to shine a light on your skills, experience, goals and achievements in your field. Grab a principal's and department head's attention from the moment they read your resume. Design your resume so that the most relevant and impressive information appears in the top half of the page so you inspire the reader to continue reading. Every element of your resume should let a principal know what you can do for her school and how committed you are to your career.

Basic Resume Writing Tips
The way you lay out your resume leaves an impression on the reader. Use a readable font, such as Times New Roman, 11- or 12-point. Apply a bold font style. Situate your name and contact information at the top of the page. Include your address, telephone number(s) and email address. Functional resumes highlight skills over experience. Chronological resumes list employment experience. Create a combination functional and chronological resume to best present what you offer a school if you have teaching experience. (See Resources) Write a functional resume if you have little or no teaching experience. Provide sections for your skills and qualifications, education and certifications, and your employment history. Begin bullet points with action words.

Skills and Qualifications
Before writing a qualifications and skills section of a teacher resume, read the position posting closely. Make a list of keywords that appear in the posting. Teaching keywords include terms such as demonstrated curriculum development, learning styles, gifted and talented teacher, classroom management, to name only four possibilities. (See Resources) Incorporate keywords from the position posting in your skill sets and qualifications descriptions. Provide a succinct bulleted list, including a category for certifications and for qualifications. List your teaching certifications first, including dates and certificate numbers, advises the Best Sample Resume website. Then list your outstanding qualifications, such as "Taught gifted and talented high school students for four years" and "Developed high school biology curriculum."

Employment History Section
A teacher's employment history provides a hiring school with an idea of the teacher's longevity at previous positions, with an idea of why the job seeker leaves positions and with a convenient list of unofficial references. List your current and previous teaching positions in descending chronological order. Write the school name and dates of employment. Provide a brief paragraph emphasizing your functions at each position. Include the name of each course and grade level you taught, curriculum you developed and the reason for leaving each position.

Additional Professional Data
Provide a section for achievements and professional development. Let a hiring principal know the level of commitment you bring to a school. List your professional teaching achievements. Include information such as promotions, positive changes instituted at a school based on your actions and awards you received because of your teaching excellence. This is the time to boast. Finish your resume with a section that includes your professional development information. Enter the names, dates and any certification received for each workshop and seminar. Provide the names of all professional associations in which you are a member.