03/10/2023

Teacher Cover Letter: Examples & Templates to Use Right Now

Ready to get your desk situated in front of the blackboard and educate the next generation of students? Our guide will help you craft the best teaching cover letter to get there.

Christian Eilers

Career Expert

03/10/2023

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After scouring the classifieds, you’ve located the teaching job of your dreams.

It looks custom-tailored just for you, and you have the teaching skills, leadership abilities, and classroom competence to do the school proud.

After writing your teacher resume, one last thing to do before you hand in your job application.

A teacher cover letter.

However—

It can’t be just any ol’ cover letter.

You need one that boldly underlines your talent like a Sharpie.

In this article, you’ll get:

Two sample teacher cover letters: one for an experienced teacher and another entry-level teacher cover letter.
Step-by-step tips on how to write a cover letter for teaching jobs that will land you more school interviews.
A teaching cover letter template you can copy, adjust, and have ready in 15 minutes.

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If you're looking for a different cover letter sample for education, here are several guides you may want to have a look at:

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Good Cover Letter Examples.

Haven't written your resume yet? Check out these guides:

To start, check out these two teacher cover letter examples:

1. Teacher Cover Letter Examples

To start things off, we’ll show you two cover letters for different teaching experience levels.

In the first one here below, we have Francine.

Francine has several years of teaching experience already, and she’s now applying to a local school, as her family’s just relocated to Providence, RI. The teacher job description seeks a 4th-grade teaching candidate to instruct students in arithmetic, science, history, and language arts.

Let’s have a look at Francine’s sample cover letter for teacher jobs:

Example #1: Mid-Level Teaching Candidate (Few Years of Experience)

Francine Dubileaux

Elementary School Teacher

401-852-3697

francine.dubileaux@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/francinedubileaux

Providence, August 10, 2019

Aaron C. Hoskins

Assistant Principal

Pleasant View Elementary School

50 Obadiah Brown Rd.

Providence, RI 02909

Dear Aaron:

As a recent Providence transplant hailing from Brooklyn, I hadn't heard much about Pleasant View School until recently. This all changed several months ago, as my partner, our children and I made the move to Rhode Island. Upon researching schools to send my daughters, I settled finally on Pleasant View for its educational environment and teaching standards. At the same time, I came across an open position at Pleasant View. As a newly certified Rhode Island elementary teacher with 3+ years of experience teaching large classrooms of 30+ children, I am certain I would be a perfect fit for your faculty.

Within the job ad, it stated that Pleasant View is seeking a 4th grade teacher to teach English and language arts (ELA), math, social studies, and science. As a 3rd grade teacher at Brooklyn's School for Global Scholars (P.S. 748), I became quite adept at creating an inclusive class environment and managing large classrooms while providing individual care. During my time there, my classes saw an increase of 20% in competency scores across all subjects, on average. I am certain I would be able to bring the same teaching styles and progress-centered approach over to Pleasant View.

I especially admire Pleasant View's "Panther Pledge," where you describe the 5 school values representing PRIDE: perseverance, respect, integrity, determination, and excellence. I would love to contribute to this amazing school spirit and culture as the next 4th grade elementary school teacher.

Could we schedule a phone call or a face-to-face to discuss how my teaching skills can help Pleasant View succeed and meet its goals in the coming school year?

Thank you,

Francine Dubileaux

401-852-3697

francine.dubileaux@gmail.com

How about that?

Francine is sure to be considered for an interview with this cover letter for teacher jobs, if not immediately hired.

But—

Did the above sample teacher cover letter with experience feel out of your reach? Are you worried that you don’t have the level of teaching job experience Francine has here?

Don’t worry.

Every teacher had no experience at one time or another. However, if you write it right, you can easily make a new teacher cover letter that’ll outperform all the others.

Let’s meet Francine again, but her counterpart from a parallel universe. In this universe, Francine is fresh out of university and eager to become a teacher for the first time.

Though Francine here hasn’t had any paid teaching experience, this entry-level teacher cover letter below shows she’s got the drive, determination, transferable skills, and academic competence to be a great addition to the school’s teaching staff.

Example #2: Entry-Level Teaching Candidate (No Experience)

Francine Dubileaux

401-852-3697

francine.dubileaux@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/francinedubileaux

Providence, August 10, 2019

Aaron C. Hoskins

Assistant Principal

Pleasant View School

50 Obadiah Brown Rd.

Providence, RI 02909

Dear Aaron:

As a recent graduate with a newly obtained Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education, I was excited when I happened across your advertisement looking for a new 2nd grade teacher at Pleasant View Elementary School. Having completed 120 hours in student teaching in a 1st grade classroom, I was awarded with Rhode Island’s Initial Educator Certificate. As a parent whose child has recently enrolled in your school for the next academic year, I am quite fond of Pleasant View’s teaching program and educational culture. I believe I would make a great fit within the staff as the new 2nd grade teacher.

In the teacher job description, it states you are looking for a candidate with “experience providing differentiated instruction, cultivating an environment allowing for independence, and supporting self-directed study.” Not only is this my own brand of teaching method, but I also admire a school which actively promotes such practice in its staff. During my certification period and throughout my student teaching hours as a teacher assistant, I further developed my educational skills, leadership abilities, and classroom knowledge. I would love the chance to help Pleasant View progress into the coming years while educating a new generation of young minds.

Could we schedule a phone call or a face-to-face to discuss how my student teaching skills would be able to translate to the elementary teacher position and help Pleasant View succeed and meet its goals in the coming school year?

Sincerely,

Francine Dubileaux

401-852-3697

francine.dubileaux@gmail.com

Well, there you have it!

You’ve just seen two prime teacher cover letter examples for both experienced educators and entry-level instructors.

Now, let’s go through, step by step, and see how you can write a high school or elementary teacher cover letter that earns a gold star sticker.

Want the TL;DR version?

Each section below has quick and easy fill-in-the-blank cover letter examples for teachers, teaching assistants, substitute teachers, and other educators.

Don’t have your teacher resume ready yet? Read our guide on teaching resumes here: Teacher Resume Sample

2. How to Write a Cover Letter for a Teaching Job Step by Step (Template)

Here’s how to write a cover letter for a teaching job:

1. Stick to Business Cover Letter Formatting Rules

The principal’s office can be intimidating, whether you’re a student in trouble or a teaching job applicant.

While a student need only break a rule to get sent there, your teacher cover letter needs to impress them thoroughly to get you called in.

And, before you put pen to paper, there are several rules to follow.

These will ensure your cover letter for teaching positions earns a hmm! of approval rather than a harumph of derision.

So—

Here’s how to format a cover letter:

Align everything to the left—no right alignment, center alignment, or justified text.
Apply single line spacing throughout, except for a double space in between paragraphs.
Use a 1” margin as a border around all 4 sides of the cover letter for teaching jobs.
Pick a standard cover letter font that is immediately legible (e.g., Calibri, Cambria).
Stick to a 11pt or 12pt font size through the body text of the teaching cover letter.
Stay within one page on a primary school or high school cover letter.

Expert Hint: According to the BLS, kindergarten teachers and elementary school teachers will increase by 7% (124,300 new jobs each year) between 2020 and 2030. High school teachers will grow by 8% (77,400 new jobs every year). There will be more opportunities, but this also means more competition!

2. Create a Professional Teacher Cover Letter Header With Contact Info

The first rule of preparing your teacher cover letter heading area?

Make it identical to the one on your teacher resume.

Both the teaching cover letter and teaching resume header need to display your name and contact details. Your job title or branding statement is optional.

Since a cover letter for teacher jobs is a formal affair, add the date of writing, followed by the address of the hiring principal or school board member.

Use this template for the contact details:

Teacher Cover Letter Template Header

[ Your First & Last Name]

[ Job Title or Branding Statement ] (Optional)

[ Phone Number ]

[ Email Address ]

[ LinkedIn URL ]

[ Date of Writing ]

[ Asst. Principal or Principal’s Full Name ]

[ Their Position Title ]

[ School Name ]

[ School Street Address ]

[ City, State, Zip Code ]

3. Introduce Yourself & Identify the Teaching Position to Which You’re Applying

Whether you’re applying to be a substitute teacher, history teacher, or teacher assistant, the opening of a cover letter has to do one thing:

Satisfy the principal, so they’ll want to keep reading.

How?

Begin the cover letter by introducing yourself and stating the exact teaching position you’re applying for (e.g., kindergarten teacher, 2nd grade teacher assistant). Also, give a quick summary of your teaching skills and experience.

Address them by name in the first paragraph. Research the school online to identify who the principal and assistant principal are.

Here’s a fill-in-the-blanks intro template for your use or reference:

Sample Cover Letter for Teacher Jobs: Introduction

Dear [Principal’s Name]:

I was excited when I came across the job advertisement for the [Teaching Position] with [School’s Name]. As a [Teaching Position] with [# of Years] experience and being highly skilled in [Teaching Skills, Classroom Knowledge, Leadership Abilities, Etc.], I am certain that I am an ideal candidate for this teaching position.

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This is a template for teacher cover letters with a bit of experience. If you’re writing a new teacher cover letter, follow our entry-level example at the beginning.

Expert Hint: Try to show you’re proactive as a teacher candidate and more than just the skills they ask for. Have you learned novel teaching methods or frameworks (e.g., OECD Learning Framework 2030)? Mention it in your cover letter for a teaching position to surely impress them.

4. Highlight Relevant Educational Strengths & Teaching Skills

You’ve established your background in the first paragraph of the teacher or substitute teacher cover letter.

Now—

The following paragraph needs to refer to the teacher job requirements for the position to which you’re applying.

Look at the teacher job description to locate particular skills and abilities they require. Explain to them how you meet and exceed their expectations. Highlight an example or two of a past teaching accomplishment or how you faced a particular challenge.

Have a look at this fill-in-the-blank example.

Cover Letter for Teacher Example: Middle Paragraph

In the job ad, you stated you’re searching for a [Teaching Position] adept at [Particular Teaching Skill Mentioned in the Job Ad]. At my last position at [Former School’s Name], I successfully [A Few Responsibilities and Teaching Duties, Using Numbers to Quantify, Whenever Possible]. I know I can bring similar results over to [School’s Name].

Expert Hint: Teacher turnover is high throughout the United States, with an average of 4.6% of teachers turning over during the school year alone. If you show the hiring principal or faculty member you’re in it for the long haul, you’ll put yourself far ahead of the other applicants.

5. Explain Why You Want to Teach at This School

The third paragraph is all about compliments.

Hiring a teacher who’s able to be an effective educator is one thing. But, the principal and faculty want also to hire a teacher who is eager to teach and eager to teach at this particular school.

So—

Compliment them. Congratulate their school’s values, team spirit, or academic standing. Let them easily picture you in the role.

If you’re unsure, feel free to use this sample teacher cover letter template:

Teaching Cover Letter Example: Your Motivation

I especially admire [School’s Name] for [Something You Hold in High Regard]. The school’s culture and value statement mirror my own beliefs and values entirely. Obtaining the teaching position at your school would be the ideal chance for me to progress as an educator and further develop my teaching skills, all while providing a pleasant, inclusive, and effective learning environment at [School’s Name].

6. Close It Out Using a Clear Call to Action and a Fitting Sign-Off

When ending a cover letter, ask for a meeting in person or a call. Emphasize your proposal, and request a meeting to further discuss how you can bring value to their teaching faculty.

Here is a sample teacher cover letter ending to use as a guide:

Sample Cover Letter for Teaching Jobs: Call to Action & Formal Closing

Could we schedule a phone call or a face-to-face to discuss how my teaching skills can help [Name of School] succeed and meet its goals in the coming school year?

Sincerely,

[Full Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

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Key Points

To sum it all up—

Here’s how to write a cover letter for teaching positions:

Format teacher cover letters as you would a formal business letter.
Address the principal, assistant principal, or other hiring faculty member by name.
Introduce yourself as a teaching candidate, state the teaching post you are applying to, and give them a brief run-through of your background.
Underline relevant accomplishments, past teaching jobs, and academic skills to show them you can handle any teaching responsibilities they throw at you.
Show that you’re motivated and dedicated to be a part of this school’s staff.
End with a cover letter teacher call to action requesting a call or interview to discuss further.

Need more cover letter resources? Check out these guides:

Got any application letter questions? Need more assistance writing cover letters for teachers or a cover letter for teacher assistant jobs? Head to the comments section below and leave a message. We’ll be happy to help!