Special Education Needs (SEN) Teacher CV Guide & Examples

 

Teaching special ed students is a thankless job. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get. You have to prove your whole brain teaching skills. But how can you do that it one skimpy piece of paper? Don’t worry. If you show the right special education moments, you’ll have a Temple-Grandin level SEN teacher CV in minutes.

In this guide:

• A SEN teacher CV sample better than most.
• How to write a special education needs teacher CV that passes the assessment.
• How to target your SEN teacher job description for CVs.
• Why you can’t just list SEN teacher skills (and what to do instead).

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Got other teaching talents? See these guides:

• Teacher CV Examples
• Art Teacher CV Examples
• Elementary Teacher CV Examples
• Substitute Teacher CV Examples
• Preschool Teacher CV Examples
• ESL Teacher CV Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV examples.

 

SEN Teacher CV Example

Here’s how to write a special education needs teacher CV you can adapt to any job:

1. Choose a Respected SEN Teacher CV Format

Sad but true.

Research from Leadership IQ says 46% of new employees fail. Bad hires waste time and money for the school. The principal’s first clue is CVs with poor formatting. Show you can reach one mind at a time with the reverse-chronological CV format.

Use these tips:

Special Education Needs Teacher CV Format

• Write CV sections for Heading, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Present your last job first.
• Use white space to make your words inviting.
• For easy reading, set 1-inch margins.
• Pick a professional CV font like 10–12pt Didot or Georgia.
• Make your CV length one page for special ed jobs.
• To look the part on all platforms send a PDF CV.

Expert Hint: A study in the Journal of Special Education found that 50% of special ed programs rigorously evaluate teacher performance. If you’ve received high scores in past assessments, show that in your SEN teacher CV.

2. Write a SEN Teacher CV Objective or Summary

Here’s a bad dream.

The principal has a stack of SEN teacher CVs on her desk. She gets to yours, but misses your best moments. She moves on to the next, and you don’t get the job. That’s a waking nightmare. But—

You can avoid it with a quick summary of your talents near the top. It’s called a CV summary statement or CV objective statement.

Write it with:

1. An adjective (caring, dedicated)
2. Job title (Special education needs teacher, SEN teacher)
3. Years of experience (2+, 3+)
4. Who you’ll help and how (raise student scores...)
5. Best special education teacher moments (managed classrooms of 10–20 students...)

See these special education needs teacher CV examples:

SEN Teacher CV Summary—Example

Efficient special education needs teacher with 7 years of experience and skills in lesson plans and mentoring. Seeking to raise student scores at Grant-Fayette Elementary School. At Independence Elementary, managed classrooms of 10+ students and received JKO Education Award for excellence in teaching assistance.

Special education teacher skilled in mentoring and research. Adept at raising student scores, performing assessments, and classroom management. A highly competent special education teacher with strong interpersonal skills.

Promises, promises.

It’s one thing to say, “I’m a great teacher.” It’s quite another to say, “I won an award, managed 20+ students, and have 7 years of experience.” The first of our SEN teacher CV samples does it oh so well.

The same magic works in a special ed CV with no experience. See this sample entry-level CV for SEN teacher jobs:

Entry-Level SEN Teacher CV Objective

Enthusiastic special education needs teacher, skilled in grading and classroom management. As teacher’s aide at the Susan B. Anthony Elementary School proctored classrooms of 30+ and graded 130+ tests and quizzes. Assisted with 90+ parent meetings.

Entry-level special education needs teacher, skilled in proctoring, grading tests, grading quizzes, and assisting with parent meetings. An expert at classroom management. Can start immediately and will work hard to learn fast on the job. 

The second of those SEN teacher assistant CV samples doesn’t make the grade. It’s the difference between saying you can teach special needs and showing proof.

3. Write a Job-Appropriate SEN Teacher Job Description and Skills Section

What SEN teacher skills on CVs will get you interviewed? Here’s a list:

SEN Teacher Skills for CVs

Hard Skills	Soft Skills
Working with Disabilities	Interpersonal Skills
Student Assessment	Collaboration
Creating Lesson Plans	Communication
Classroom Management	Organisation
Computer Skills	Time Management
Conflict Resolution	Problem Solving
Instructional Equipment	Compassion
Basic Medical Care	Empathy
Microsoft Office	Stress Management
Student Progress Monitoring	Attention to Detail

But—

Don’t force the entire set on a CV for SEN teacher jobs. That’s a biscuit-cutter strategy, and it won’t work. Write a customised CV to get the most response.

To write a targeted SEN teacher job description for CVs:

1. Find CV keywords in the job posting. Those are the CV skills the principal wants.
2. In your CV bullets, show when you’ve used those skills.
3. Include a few metrics to impress the hiring team.

See these special education needs teacher CV samples:

Say the job wants these SEN teacher skills: mentoring, classroom management, and creating educational materials.

SEN Teacher Job Description for a CV [Sample]

Experience

Special Education Needs Teacher

Independence Elementary School

2016–2019

• Received JKO Education Award for special education teacher excellence. Singled out for skills in mentoring and research.
• Monitored and assisted with classroom management in classes of 30–40 students each with 95% effectiveness scores.
• Planned and created educational materials, including 50+ homework assignments and daily lesson plans.

Both of those examples pass. But only the first targets this special ed teacher job.

“Hey, hold on. I just got my degree. I can’t say all that!”

Entry-level CVs can still adapt. Check out these SEN teacher CV examples with no experience:

The job needs these special ed skills: positive discipline, research, and classroom activity creation.

Entry-Level Special Education Needs Teacher CV Job Description [Sample]

Teacher's Aide

Susan B. Anthony Elementary School

2018–2019

• Used positive discipline skills to raise homework completion 22%.
• Prepared 60+ research-based in-class assignments.
• Facilitated 90+ parent-teacher meetings.
• Assisted 5 teachers with creation of new classroom activities.

• Proctored and graded quizzes and tests.
• Used motivational talks to raise homework completion 22%.
• Prepared in-class assignments.
• Facilitated 90+ parent-teacher meetings.

Wow. That’s the same person in both examples, but—

The first of those entry-level special education needs teacher CV examples has numbers like 22% and 60+. It also has research and other skills the school demands.

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4. Include Details in Your Education Section

Are you qualified?

Your CV education section will answer that. But—

Add a couple school facts that prove your skills would make Jean Little proud. This SEN teacher CV sample shows how:

SEN Teacher CV Example—Education

Education

AA Education, University at Buffalo

2010–2012

• Excelled in classroom management coursework.
• Pursued a passion for research and lesson plan creation.

Excellent. That adds classroom management and lesson plan creation to your pitch.

5. List “Other” Items in Your SEN Teacher CV

Caution.

The principal wants someone who can teach the unteachable. You can’t show your full potential with just past jobs and school. So—

Include one or two additional sections to show Rachel-Coleman-level skills. Select from this list:

• Associations (NASET, NEA)
• Certifications (special education, teacher certification, etc.)
• Awards or honours
• Publications
• Volunteer work
• Freelance work
• Foreign languages
• Hobbies
• Conferences
• Additional activities
• Sports & fitness

See these special education needs teachers CV examples:

SEN Teacher CV—Extra Sections

Additional Activities

• Using rowing machine.
• Riding my motorcycle.

Expert Hint: Add a cover letter to your SEN teacher CV. Show your passion for teaching special needs students and your top occupational moments.

Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

Here’s how to write a SEN teacher CV:

• Start with our special education needs teacher CV template up top. Inform it with the best moments from your special ed career.
• Add special ed teacher skills like student assessment. But use numbers to show you thrived.
• Write a SEN teacher CV objective for the top. Put your most exceptional features in it.
• Write “other” CV sections that show you’re a gifted special ed teacher.

Got questions on how to write great CVs for SEN teacher jobs? Not sure how to put special education needs teacher skills and achievements on a CV? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply! 

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