70+ Top Teacher Resume Skills

When choosing skills for your resume, a good mix of hard and soft skills will show principals you have both the technical training and personality required to run a classroom effectively and inspire young learners.

Here are the top skills for teachers, plus specific examples for your resume:

1. Classroom management

Classroom management refers to the teaching skills required to keep students focused, attentive, and productive in class. Effective classroom management is a strong sign of a good teacher, because it enhances student learning by minimizing disruptions.

Classroom management usually involves:

• ensuring your pupils understand why and how your rules work
• following through with the expectations you’ve set
• establishing trusting relationships with your students
• maintaining classroom authority
• engaging students in lessons
• recognizing and applauding students’ efforts

Lack of proper classroom management leads to a dysfunctional classroom where some students can’t learn. This is why classroom management is an essential skill that employers look for on teacher resumes.

Here are other classroom management-related teacher skills for your resume:

• Attention to detail
• Patience
• Giving feedback
• Teamwork skills
• Management skills
• Boundaries
• Problem solving skills

2. Special needs education

Supporting students with special needs requires specialized teaching strategies. Whether you’re adapting lesson plans, working one-on-one, or collaborating with support staff, you need to ensure every student can access the curriculum and thrive.

Employers look for teachers who understand Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and can create inclusive learning environments that meet diverse needs.

Here are some related skills to include on your teacher resume:

• IEP development and implementation
• Differentiated instruction
• Classroom accommodations
• Collaboration with aides and specialists
• Behavioral intervention strategies
• Progress tracking and reporting
• Inclusive classroom practices

3. Small-group instruction

Small-group instruction is a highly sought-after teaching skill that allows you to provide more targeted support and adjust your teaching style based on students’ needs.

Here are some small-group instruction skills to feature on your resume:

• Differentiated instruction
• Classroom grouping strategies
• Formative assessment
• Data-driven instruction

4. One-on-one teaching

Being able to tailor your teaching approach to a student’s learning style and pace is a key skill employers look for.

Highlighting this skill shows that you’re attentive to individual student growth and committed to helping every learner succeed.

Here are some related skills to highlight on your resume:

• Goal setting with students
• Assessment and progress tracking
• Curriculum adaptation
• Patience and empathy

5. Instructional reinforcement

Learning doesn’t always happen the first time material is introduced. Instructional reinforcement helps students solidify their understanding through repetition, review, and practice.

Great teachers know how to identify when students need extra support and offer it in ways that are engaging and effective.

Here are some instructional reinforcement skills to list on your resume:

• Scaffolding instruction
• Remediation strategies
• Study skill development
• Learning games and activities
• Academic intervention

6. Curriculum development

Teachers must be able to plan clear, appropriate, and engaging instructions for their students.

Employers need teachers who can develop effective lesson plans that accommodate all students and get them excited to learn.

Highlighting your curriculum planning skills shows you know how to structure and teach your lesson plans.

Below is a list of skills that will help you develop effective curriculums:

• Standards alignment
• Learning objectives design
• Assessment creation
• Project-based learning
• Cross-curricular integration
• Curriculum mapping
• Content adaptation
• Educational material development
• Technology integration

7. Administrative skills

From tracking attendance to coordinating parent communications, teachers are often their own office managers. Strong administrative skills show employers that you’re dependable and capable of handling the non-teaching related responsibilities that come with a teaching job.

These are some examples of skills to include on your resume:

• Recordkeeping
• Scheduling parent-teacher meetings
• Report writing
• Attendance tracking
• Managing student files
• Proficiency with grading software (PowerSchool, Google Classroom)
• Email and calendar management

8. Computer skills

Technology has crept into every aspect of our lives, and the classroom is no different.

Teachers use computers and other digital media devices to:

• create study guides, tests, and other teaching materials
• give presentations
• track grades
• show relevant videos to students
• research online libraries and databases
• send and receive emails

Here are some computer skills that are great to include on a teacher resume:

• Classroom management systems
• Database handling
• Google Suite
• Microsoft Office
• Social media
• Spreadsheet creation and management
• Virtual meeting coordination

9. Organizational skills

Most schools have 20+ students in one classroom, and it’s your responsibility to manage all their assignments and grades.

A well-organized classroom also contributes to your overall success as a teacher, because students perform better when they know exactly where to find materials.

Here are some organization-related skills for your teacher resume:

• Delegation
• Meeting deadlines
• Grading
• Maintaining attendance records
• Planning and preparing lessons
• Prioritization
• Report card writing
• Scheduling

10. Subject knowledge

As a teacher, you should have an evolving knowledge of your subject and a passion for sharing it with others. For higher grade levels, this sometimes means continuing your own education or attending conferences to expand and update your knowledge of the subject you teach.

It’s also great to demonstrate well-rounded knowledge and interests. For example, if you’re a certified yoga instructor, you could include your certification on your resume and let principals know that you enjoy working daily movement and mindfulness practices into your lessons.

11. Communication skills

Teaching is all about transmitting knowledge to students. In addition to giving lessons, good communication skills help you:

• create effective lesson plans
• provide feedback on students’ work
• interact with parents
• adapt your teaching to suit different students’ needs

Check out some more communication-related skills for teachers:

• Collaboration
• Giving feedback
• Language skills
• Public speaking
• Cultural sensitivity
• Body language
• Listening skills
• Report writing skills

12. Time management skills

The duties of a teacher are endless, but the time available is limited.

In addition to teaching students in the classroom, a teacher has to write lesson notes, grade papers and assignments, tutor students, and occasionally shop for supplies.

So a teacher should be able to effectively manage time in their planning periods and in between lessons.

Here are other time management-related skills of good teachers:

• Coordination
• Decision making
• Delegating and outsourcing tasks
• Goal-setting
• Managing appointments
• Multitasking skills
• Planning
• Prioritizing

13. Enthusiasm

As a teacher, your energy will directly affect your students. Showing a keen interest in your students’ academic growth will help them succeed, especially those who don’t get much support at home.

Employers know how demanding teaching can be and are looking for candidates with the enthusiasm to overcome obstacles and bring a positive energy and drive to their work.

These are enthusiasm-related skills you can include in your resume:

• Interpersonal skills
• Friendliness
• Humor
• Motivational skills
• Honesty
• Tenacity
• Patience
• Strong work ethic

14. Attention to detail

Teachers are only human, so mistakes are inevitable, but teachers should still hold a high standard for their work as they guide students through new material. Any mistake a teacher makes will affect how parents view the teacher and the school, so being detail-oriented is a plus for employers.

Detail-related skills for a teacher resume include:

• Adaptability
• Analytical skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Expertise with numbers
• Editing and proofreading
• Observation
• Specialized knowledge

15. Problem solving skills

Teaching is a problem-solving profession. As a teacher, you have to answer difficult questions from students and inquiries from parents, including questions that don’t fall under your scope of work.

So include some skills that prove you can gracefully fix problems you encounter in the classroom or school environment.

Below are problem solving skills needed to be a teacher:

• Analytical skills
• Confidence
• Open-mindedness
• Conflict resolution
• Flexibility
• Goal setting
• Managing student behavior
• Patience
• Research skills
• Teamwork skills

How to highlight your teaching skills

Now that you know the essential teaching skills to add to your resume, let’s look at how and where you should introduce them.

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1. In resume objective

A teacher’s resume objective is a short description (2–3 sentences) a teacher writes at the top of their resume highlighting their qualifications, skills, and desire to work at a specific school.

It’s the first thing employers see when they pick up your resume, so mention your most relevant teacher skills there.

See how this candidate worked their administrative and coordination skills into their resume objective:

Look through the job description to see the teacher’s skills you need to list and include a few job-relevant keywords in your resume objective.

2. Through your work experience

You should also add your teaching skills throughout the work experience section of your resume, giving examples of how these skills helped you succeed.

Here are some tips to help you craft a well-written work experience section:

• Use hard numbers like percentages, time worked, and other data like the number of classes you taught, report cards you wrote, or any other stats that help employers see how you applied your skills in context
• Use strong action verbs to present your skills to the employer in a compelling way

Here’s an example of how to showcase your teacher skills using work experience bullet points:

3. In your skills section

If you’re a visual learner, this video summarizes what teaching skills you should add to your skills section so you can stand out to employers.

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Our Expert:

Emily Crowley

Support your work accomplishments with skills that employers want to see in a good educator by including a stand-alone skills section on your resume where you can list 3–9 of your most relevant teaching skills. This way, a recruiter can immediately see your strengths.

Your teacher’s skill section should look like this:

Focus on technical skills in this section of your resume and showcase your soft skills in your experience bullet points.

4. In your cover letter

Your teacher cover letter is another place to show you possess the skills required to inspire your students and help them grow. When writing your cover letter, think about how your skills have helped you succeed.

A teaching cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell stories that show employers evidence of your expertise. For instance, helping struggling students pass their SAT/ACTs are great ways to showcase your dedication to your role.

Here’s an example of how to include your teaching skills in a cover letter:

More skills-related resources

Here are some more skills-related resources to help you write your teacher resume.

• Is a skills section necessary on a resume?
• How many skills should you list on a resume?
• In-demand job skills
• Hard skills vs soft skills
• Skills-based resume
• How to write your resume skills section
• Best soft skills for your resume
• How to list skill levels on a resume