13 Preschool Teacher Resume Examples for 2025

Creating a resume for a preschool teacher position requires highlighting certain skills and experience. In this article, you'll find real examples of good resumes and tips for writing your own. We will focus on important sections like experience, education, and certifications. You will also learn how to showcase your teaching skills and child development knowledge. Follow our information to improve your chance of getting hired in this field.

  Compiled and approved by Steve Grafton
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in the best resumes.

  • Use Numbers To Show Impact: The best resumes show impact using numbers. Common metrics are class size, activity participation rates, improved assessment scores, and reduced incident reports.

  • Include Skills Shown In Job Descriptions: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are curriculum development, early childhood education, classroom management, lesson planning, and parent communication. But don't include all of them, only the ones you have.

  • Highlight Certifications: Include any certifications. Common phrases are CPR certified and early childhood education certification. Certifications can set you apart.

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Ordering your education

Put your education section first if you are an entry-level hire, recent graduate, or a current student. This helps employers see your academic background right away. Use clear headings and include details like your major, GPA, and any honors.

If you have significant experience in the workforce, place the education section after your work experience. Doing this shows employers your practical skills first if you have been working for many years.

Relevant certifications and training

List any relevant certifications such as CPR, First Aid, and Early Childhood Education (ECE) certification. These qualifications are often required and show you are prepared for emergencies.

Include specialized training sessions or workshops you have attended on topics like child development or special education. This demonstrates your commitment to staying updated in your field.

Ideal resume length

Keep your resume to one page. You should focus on relevant experience and key skills that show you are a good fit for teaching young children. Listing too much information can overwhelm the reader. A clear and concise resume that highlights your most important teaching roles helps the hiring manager understand your qualifications quickly.

Use space wisely on your resume. Share examples that showcase your ability to create engaging learning activities or manage a classroom effectively. These are important for a preschool teacher. Remove less relevant information, such as early education or unrelated work experience, to stay within one page.

Highlighting classroom management

Show that you have strong classroom management skills. Include specific examples where you have successfully maintained a positive learning environment. Mention strategies you use to manage behavior.

Also, include any experience with lesson planning. Describe how you create engaging, age-appropriate activities that meet state education standards. This shows you can design meaningful learning experiences.

Beat the resume scanners

When you apply for a job as a preschool teacher, your resume may first be read by a computer program called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This system looks for keywords that match the job you want. To get past the ATS, you need to know what to include in your resume.

Use simple, clear language to list your skills and experience. Focus on phrases like 'child development', 'lesson planning', or 'classroom management'. Make sure these skills are easy to find on your resume. Also, include any certifications like 'First Aid' or 'Early Childhood Education' as these are important for the job.

  • Include words that are common in preschool teaching job descriptions.
  • Show your certifications and relevant training early in your resume.

Personalize your resume

When you apply to be a preschool teacher, showing your personal fit for the job helps you stand out. Think about your past work. How have you helped children learn and grow? Use clear examples to show your skills. Make your resume feel like it's just for teaching young kids, not any job. This makes it clear you are ready for this special work.

  • Show your experience with children. Use phrases like designed creative lesson plans for age-specific learning.
  • Highlight any leadership in education. Maybe you led a team to start a new reading program. Say coordinated a preschool reading initiative.
  • For a career change, link your past work to teaching skills. If you organized events, you can write planned and executed educational activities for diverse groups.

Showcase your achievements

When you write your resume, focus on your achievements, not just your job duties. Showing what you have accomplished makes a stronger impact than listing responsibilities. You bring more to the table than just routine tasks.

Here's a way to change a common responsibility into an accomplishment:

  • Instead of saying 'Led daily activities,' explain the result with 'Boosted language skills in 20 children by implementing interactive story sessions.'
  • Rather than 'Managed classroom of 15 kids,' you could say 'Fostered a positive learning environment for a diverse group of 15 children, resulting in 100% parental satisfaction in surveys.'

Essential skills for preschool teachers

As a preschool teacher, you have a unique set of skills that help you in the classroom. Here are some of the hard skills you should consider including on your resume:

  • Child development knowledge
  • Classroom management
  • Curriculum design
  • Early childhood education
  • Language arts
  • Mathematics fundamentals
  • Science basics
  • Special education
  • Behavioral strategies
  • Technology in the classroom

Remember, you don't need to include every skill listed, but focus on those that best match your experience and the job you're applying for. You should place these skills in a dedicated section of your resume to help it get noticed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by many schools to screen candidates. This will also make it easier for hiring managers to see your relevant qualifications quickly.

For example, if you have experience with special education, highlight your behavioral strategies and special education skills. If you've integrated technology into your teaching, make sure to mention your proficiency with technology in the classroom. Tailoring your skills to the role you want shows that you understand the specific needs of the job and are prepared to meet them.

Show leadership growth

When you apply for a preschool teacher position, showing past leadership roles can make your resume stand out. If you have been promoted or taken on more responsibilities, these are key achievements to include. This helps employers see your potential for leading a classroom and contributing to a school's community.

Think about ways you have guided others or managed tasks beyond your basic duties. Here are examples you might consider:

  • Coordinated a successful classroom project that involved other teachers and staff.
  • Mentored new teachers or served as a lead teacher during summer programs.

Remember to be specific about the impact of your leadership. For example, if you led a literacy initiative that improved students' reading levels, mention this. Use terms like 'spearheaded' or 'facilitated' to show your active role in these accomplishments.

Quantify your teaching impact

Using numbers to show your impact makes your resume stronger. Think about how you have helped children grow and how you can measure that.

  • Count how many students you taught and include the student-teacher ratio to show you can manage big groups.
  • Include the percentage of students who met learning milestones to show the results of your teaching.
  • Share how you improved classroom efficiency. Maybe you cut down the time it takes to set up activities by 20%.
  • Mention any growth in student enrollment if your teaching methods attracted more families.
  • Describe your success with parent engagement, such as increasing parent-teacher meeting attendance by 30%.
  • Highlight any special programs you ran, like a reading club that boosted student literacy rates by 15%.
  • If you helped reduce costs, share how much you saved, like using creative resource solutions to cut down expenses by 10%.
  • Discuss any training or workshops you led that improved the skills of other teachers.

Even if you are unsure of exact numbers, estimate them. Think about the before and after of your work.

Tailoring your resume for school size

When you're applying to work at a preschool, it's important to show how your skills match the size of the school. Smaller schools and startups like Bright Horizons or KinderCare might look for a more flexible and hands-on approach. Here, you could highlight your ability to take on multiple roles and adapt to different tasks quickly. For example, you could say 'Managed a diverse classroom and developed a flexible curriculum to cater to varying learning needs.'

Larger corporates such as Goddard or Primrose Schools may value specialization and a track record of working with structured programs. You could emphasize your experience with specific teaching methods or educational programs. For instance, 'Implemented Montessori teaching techniques to enhance student engagement and independence.'

Remember, your goal is to show you're a good fit, whether it's a small community school or a large, established institution. Each has its own needs, so your resume should reflect your strengths in those areas.

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