Field Experiences

Resumes and Teaching Statements

Prepare Your Resume and Teaching Statement

District and school administrators are seeking teaching candidates who are able to learn while also supporting a mentor teacher’s classroom. Your resume and teaching statement may only be seen for 10-30 seconds. How can you best describe your education, experiences, and skills so that a prospective mentor teacher understands the benefits you can bring to their learning community?

In addition to the tips shared on this page, we recommend that you visit Career Services to meet with a career counselor or sign up for online workshops and events.

Submit the following materials with your placement application

• Practicum courses (ELEM 494 & ELEF 495 - Teaching statement and resume
• Field Experience (EFC 330) - Teaching statement and resume
• Student Teaching (EFC 480) - Teaching statement and resume
• Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) - Teaching resume

Review example teaching statements and resumes for inspiration while creating these supplemental materials.

Teaching Statement Prompts

• List your professional interests and goals​.
• What have you have learned in your favorite education courses?​
• Describe teaching techniques you'd like to practice.
• Discuss education-related activities or experience outside of your college courses.

Design your Education-Focused Resume

Headings and Formatting

• Highlight your name and increase its font. Make your name memorable.
• Use your CWU email. Do NOT your personal email address.
• Play with bold, italic, underlines, and CAPITALIZATION. Make the formatting logic throughout the document. Draw the reader's attention to the most important information and categories.

Optional Objective Statement

Some students start their resume with a short one sentence statement describing some or all of the following:

• What is your goal as an educator?
• What motivates you to be a teacher?
• What unique skills do you offer to the field of K-12 education?

Top Skills Employers Seek from Applicants

• Communications skills
• Willingness to be a team player
• Dedication
• Integrity
• Creativity
• Ability to listen
• Motivation and determination
• Reliability
• Efficiency
• Organization
• Ability to work independently
• Analytical skills
• Self-confidence
• Ability to follow directions
• Attention to detail

Double Check Your Resume for...

• Too much information or a font that is difficult to read
• Large blank spaces on the page with no text
• The document does not flow and is not organized into categories
• Typos

Highlight your Experience and Skills (Paid and Unpaid)

• Teaching-related certifications or certifications - Include past experiences and those you will complete in the near future. If not yet obtained, list expected completion dates.

• Field experience or practicum courses - Include each course’s school, district, city, state, and the subject(s) and grade(s) taught. List any time you have spent in a classroom or school.

• Other education-related experience - List activities such as soccer team coaching, internships, summer camp counseling, after school programs, and other community involvement.

• Relevant educational experiences: List other courses taken and student leadership roles at CWU.

• Languages spoken - List your fluency level. Many districts are seeking dual Spanish and English speakers who can be placed in bilingual classrooms.

• Distinct student groups or populations - Highlight any specific populations you have worked with in your experiences. Examples include SPED, Highly Capable, or bilingual classrooms.

• Technical and online teaching skills - This experience became even more relevant when COVID-19 forced many teachers to start teaching online.

  • Most frequently used products include: Google Classroom/Drive/Suite, Zoom, Schoology, Seesaw, Microsoft Teams/Office 365 Suite, Canvas, Skyward, Edgenuity, Zearn, Clever, Dreambox, Screencastify

• Promotions - Were you ever promoted within an organization? List all positions and dates. Demonstrating your growth within a previous role can show your ability to learn, take on new projects, provide valuable services, get along well with others, and take on new challenges. If you list an organization with more than one position held, list either the most recent role or the role with the most responsibility at the top.

• Other accolades - This may include honor roll, scholarships, and awards.

• Non-education experience - Other non-education related jobs and experiences toward the bottom: Examples include Starbucks, summer jobs, etc. These experiences can demonstrate transferable skills (ex: punctuality, customer service, management), but they should be included below education experience.

Final Feedback and Review

• Use spell check before you finish editing.
• Save your document with the following title: First and Last Name - Term Year Student Teaching Resume.
  • Example: John Smith - Fall 2021 Student Teaching Resume
• Share your resume with friends and family for edits and feedback