Substitute Teacher
Resume Example

Being a substitute teacher comes with many perks, which include:

• Working flexible hours
• Gaining teaching experience without long-term commitment
• Having time to pursue other interests

But before you can enjoy the benefits of substitute teaching, you’ve got to land the job. Because you’ll often apply for work at different schools and encounter a wide range of hiring leads, your substitute teacher resume needs to be excellent.

Looking for a headstart? Our video walkthrough for creating an excellent teacher resume is one place to begin:

To build on the advice outlined in our video guide, find out how to a well-written resume with our three tips below.

1. Prove You Get Things Done by Quantifying

Principals aren’t always the biggest fans of substitute teachers. Though they’re grateful to have someone take charge of a class when their full-time teachers are sick or out of town, they often worry  that the students will lose a day of “proper” school.

As a sub, it’s important to impress school administrators by including precise statistics and numbers that highlight what you’ve been able to achieve in the classroom.

Our candidate does this when describing how they’ve fulfilled their substitute teacher duties on their resume:

Effectively helped three struggling students improve literacy targets by 20%

By including these exact percentages, the candidate makes their experience easier to understand.

Quantifying your accomplishments as a substitute teacher simply shows that you can get the job done. Once you prove that, you’ll have little trouble finding work.

2. Show Off Your Teaching Skills

Substitute teachers work with students on a short-term basis, whether that’s for one day or several. Either way, subs don’t have the opportunity to connect with students over a long period like salaried teachers do.

Quickly building a rapport with students is vital. So you need to list effective interpersonal skills and communication skills in your resume skills section, and back them up with examples of how you can easily connect with students.

Here’s how our candidate showcases her interpersonal skills:

Regularly engage students in “open talk” times, developing team building activities that have enhanced student motivation and teamwork by 30%.

This kind of language clarifies that you’re not the kind of substitute teacher who passively hangs out at the back of the classroom.

You also need to highlight hard skills on your resume. For example, if you know how to use a SMART board, note it in your skills section.

You can choose to use a skills scale — like our candidate has — to give the hiring manager an idea of your abilities.

Finally, tailor your skills section to the job description for the role you’re applying for. If the job ad mentions classroom management skills, include that phrase in your skills list.

3. Highlight Your Teaching Certifications

Regardless if you’ve been subbing for decades or are a substitute teacher with no experience, your resume needs the right certifications to prove you’re qualified for the job.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming you can leave your teaching certifications off your resume. The hiring manager will immediately look for them.

The qualifications required to teach differ depending on your state’s regulations. Find out what certifications you need to teach in each state before sending out applications.

When you write your resume, display these certifications prominently. You can place them in the education section of your resume or in a separate certifications section.

Our substitute teacher resume sample highlights certifications in the education section. In California, teachers must gain the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, so our applicant includes it on their resume.

If you’re still not confident about writing your substitute teacher resume after reading through our tips, don’t worry — our AI-powered resume builder will walk you through the process in no time.