Preschool Teacher
Resume Example

Early childhood is a critical developmental period in a person’s life. More and more research shows the importance of teaching children in these formative years, making the value of early childhood education rise exponentially.

Although early childhood education has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of employed preschool teachers is expected to grow much faster than average — by 18% — from 2020 to 2030.

To budding preschool teachers all over, this means you’ll have more job opportunities in the near future. However, don’t get too excited just yet. Before you can teach kids how to make Lego masterpieces, you’ll first need to craft a top-quality preschool teacher resume.

Here’s how.

1. List your teaching and safety certifications

Most parents are okay with letting their teenagers and older children out of their eyesight — but parents of preschoolers? They’re much more cautious.

Parents are especially protective of young children, and school administrators are very aware of this. That means, when it comes to hiring, they only want the most qualified.

Show that you’re the teacher for the job by including any relevant teaching and safety certifications in your resume. Our candidate does this by listing a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification as well as knowledge of infant and child CPR.

Teaching licensure varies based on state, but some other relevant credentials worth listing include:

• Certified Child Care Professional (CCP)
• First aid
• National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT)

2. Win over administrators with your preschool teacher skills and creativity

It’s not enough to just be able to teach young students. As a preschool teacher, you need to be able to inspire and encourage children’s curiosity and interests.

So how do you engage young learners?

In their resume’s skills section, the candidate lists their proficiency in various musical instruments as well as their ability to “create different voices.” Imagine a resume that neglects to include these colorful details — would that sound like a captivating preschool teacher?

You don’t have to be Mozart or a voice actor to impress administrators, though. Consider what other unique skills you have that can be used in the classroom to engage preschoolers. That could be arts and crafts skills, extensive knowledge of hands-on activities, or storytelling expertise.

Whatever your background, letting administrators know that you can incorporate creative skills into your teaching is a big bonus.

Here are some additional preschool teacher skills for your resume:

3. Spotlight your classroom management skills

Remember that scene in Kindergarten Cop, when Arnold Schwarzenegger yells at a classroom of kindergarteners to shut up?

Needless to say, that’s not good or ideal classroom management.

Impress school administrators by highlighting your ability and experience in quieting and corralling rowdy children. For example, our candidate touches on their classroom management abilities in their professional profile with the following bullet:

• Recognized for ability to develop and implement activities that improve students’ learning and behavioral skills

Alternatively, you can show that you’ve got a good handle on running a preschool classroom by describing your experience with management strategies. For instance:

• Implemented individual and classroom incentive system to reward good student behavior
• Developed behavior management plan that was eventually adopted schoolwide to encourage student participation

Emphasizing these skills helps reassure school administrators that it’s OK to leave a dozen or more preschoolers under your watch.

Above all, remember that your resume should convey your enthusiasm for teaching young children and why you can be trusted to impart their earliest lessons.

4. Use the job’s preschool teacher description to tailor your resume

Every preschool is unique, and hiring managers are looking for a teacher who will be naturally compatible with the school’s students, values, and teaching styles. So, it’s important to address each school individually, and to tailor your resume accordingly.

A great way to demonstrate that you’re the best candidate for the job is to closely examine the job listing’s description for a preschool teacher and incorporate the keywords used into your resume. These keywords can be special skills, certifications, education, or experience.

Here’s an example of a preschool teacher job description from a job listing with keywords underlined in blue:

By using these keywords in your resume, you can let employers know that you have the skill set, qualities and experience they are looking for.

Here’s an example of a work experience section that targets this preschool teacher job description:

Demonstrating your competence in the job duties that will be required of you in the new role is a great way to increase your chances of getting a call back for an interview and landing the job.