BeforeTaught grade 5.
AfterTaught a split grade 4/5 class of 26 students, adapting lessons for 5 students with IEPs and lifting reading levels across the class over the year.
Class size, differentiation and an outcome.
Teaching · resumés and cover letters
Resumé and cover letter help for teachers and educators.
A strong teaching resumé leads with your certification and the grades and subjects you can teach, then shows classroom experience with class sizes, approaches and results. School boards look for certification, the grades and subjects you can teach, and evidence of how you support students. A teaching resumé should make all three obvious in seconds.
We edit your resumé or create one from your details for $29 CAD, and write cover letters for $7 CAD per job. Both together are $34 CAD. Back 24 hours from payment and complete information.
Who this page is for
Certified teachers, occasional and supply teachers, new teacher education graduates, early childhood educators and education assistants applying to school boards and private schools.
Pay in this field
In Ontario, the median wage for Supply Teacher - Elementary School roles (NOC 41221) is $46.15 an hour, with Job Bank's low and high wages at $27.50 and $58.79. Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada (Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024, published November 19, 2025). A resumé that matches what employers screen for helps you compete for the better-paid end of that range.
What hiring managers look for
Certification, divisions and classroom detail, in that order. Specifically:
- Certification and qualifications, including additional qualifications.
- Grades, subjects and divisions you have taught or are qualified to teach.
- Practicum and long-term occasional or supply assignments, with dates.
- Classroom management, differentiated instruction and extracurricular involvement.
What a strong teaching resumé looks like
One to two pages. Two pages is common once you have several long-term assignments. Recommended section order:
- Contact details
- Certification and qualifications
- Teaching experience, including LTOs and supply
- Practicum placements
- Education
- Extracurricular and volunteer involvement
- Languages and skills
Credentials and certifications
In Ontario, list your Ontario College of Teachers membership and any Additional Qualifications. Early childhood educators list their RECE registration. In the US, list your state teaching license and endorsements.
Common mistakes we fix
- Leaving certification number or qualifications off, which can screen you out.
- Writing a teaching philosophy essay instead of concrete classroom examples.
- Not listing practicum placements clearly as teaching experience.
Applicant tracking system (ATS) and keyword tips
- Write your certification exactly: Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) member in good standing.
- List Additional Qualifications by name, such as Special Education Part 1.
- Use division terms the board uses: Primary, Junior, Intermediate, Senior.
- Name the platforms you use: Google Classroom, Brightspace, SMART Board.
Before and after
Teaching resumé lines, rewritten
BeforeHelped with after-school activities.
AfterCoached the school's cross-country team of 30 students and organized 2 inter-school meets.
Shows commitment beyond the classroom.
BeforeDid supply teaching.
AfterCompleted 90+ days of occasional teaching across K to 8 in 14 schools, following lesson plans and keeping classroom routines consistent.
Range and reliability, which supply lists value.
BeforeUsed technology in class.
AfterIntroduced Google Classroom for a grade 7 class of 28, moving all assignments online and raising on-time submissions over the term.
A specific tool and the change it made.
Illustrative examples. Your edit is based on your own experience and numbers.
Cover letters for teachers and educators
Teaching cover letters are often read closely. Mention the grades and subjects you are qualified for, describe one classroom approach with a concrete example, and connect it to the school or board's priorities.
A simple outline that works for most teachers and educators:
- Opening: the posting, your certification and divisions.
- One classroom example: the students, your approach, the result.
- Why this school or board, tied to its priorities.
- Close: availability and a request to talk.
Each cover letter is written for one specific job, from your notes or your draft, for $7 CAD. Applying to several jobs? Add each one to the same order. Order cover letters.
How we help teachers and educators
Send your resumé and the posting. We put your certification and qualifications at the top, present practicum and supply work as real experience, and replace general statements with classroom specifics.
Think Ahead Careers is an online resumé editing and cover letter service based in Ontario, Canada. There are no calls and no account: you send your resumé or details, we write it, and it comes back 24 hours from payment and complete information.
Questions
Teaching resumé questions
Can you help with a resumé for supply or occasional teaching lists?
Yes. We make your qualifications, divisions and availability easy to scan, which is what those lists are screened on.
Do you write cover letters for school boards?
Yes. Add the board or school posting to your order and we write the letter for that application.
Should I include my OCT registration number?
Yes, if the board asks for it. Many Ontario boards screen on it, and including it saves them a step.
Can you help early childhood educators?
Yes. We feature your RECE registration, age groups and program approaches.
Is a teaching philosophy needed on a resumé?
No. Keep philosophy for the cover letter or interview, and use the resumé for concrete experience.
Send your resumé today. It comes back 24 hours from payment and complete information, ready to send.
Send your resuméRelated guides
Last updated October 2026.
Other professions: Students and New Grads, Nursing, Engineering, Software and IT, Retail and Customer Service, Administrative, Accounting and Finance, Sales, Skilled Trades, Hospitality and Food Service, Personal Support Workers.