writing a teaching assistant personal statement

Examples of a Teaching Assistant's Personal Statement

• Teaching Jobs
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Pinterest" aria-label="Share on Pinterest">
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Reddit" aria-label="Share on Reddit">
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Flipboard" aria-label="Share on Flipboard">

Examples of a Letter of Intent for a Teaching Job

How to avoid burnout as a preschool teacher, good objectives for resumes for working with kids.

• Role of Teacher Assistants in Kindergarten Classrooms
• List of Goals for Elementary Teacher Aides

A teaching assistant position gives you the chance to work with kids, even if you don't have a teaching license. The application and hiring process varies, but it may include writing a personal statement covering your beliefs about education, discussing your teaching skills as well as other relevant information that highlights your qualifications. Taking time to craft a well-written statement can put you ahead of the competition, when applying for teaching assistant positions.

Succinct Opening

Your entire personal statement should be to the point. A large block of text may cause the hiring manager to skim or skip the section entirely. Personal statements typically start off with a simple description of your job title as a teaching assistant, how much experience you have in education, and the expertise you have or specific position you're seeking. This is your first impression and your chance to hook the hiring manager, so choose powerful words that make an impact.

"Energetic teaching assistant with two years of classroom experience in supporting elementary students with reading, writing, math and science activities."

Education and Teaching Experience

Describing your training and education in the field shows that you're qualified and knowledgeable about how to work with students. If you have experience in the classroom as a teaching assistant, highlight that work to show that you're ready to work with students. Other experience outside of the classroom can also fit into the personal statement, if it somehow relates to teaching or can translate to work as a teaching assistant.

"While completing my studies in elementary education, I gained knowledge on child development, teaching strategies and behavior management. I completed three practicum experiences in elementary classrooms, which gave me the opportunity to plan lessons, manage behaviors in the classroom and support student learning."

Strengths and Skills

The goal of your personal statement is to set you apart from other applicants. To do that, you want to highlight your special skills and strengths that relate to being a teaching assistant. Some people excel at connecting with students. Others have excellent communication skills with parents and colleagues. Some might know how to support kids who struggle with the learning activities.

"As a teaching assistant, I have a unique ability to see where students need support, enabling me to reteach the ideas in a way the students can understand. I also communicate well with lead teachers and with other teaching assistants, to support a team atmosphere."

Reasons for Wanting the Position

Your personal statement usually includes a section that explains why you want the position. It's your chance to emphasize why you're a good fit for the role and what you can offer the school.

"This position offers the challenging environment I enjoy, while allowing me to work with elementary students, which is the level in which I have the most experience. I welcome the opportunity to support the classroom teacher, while continuing to add to my experience."

• University of Kent Careers and Employability Service: PGCE Personal Statements
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing the Personal Statement
• Fish4Jobs: Teaching Assistant Personal Statement
• Total Jobs: How to Write a Personal Statement

Shelley Frost holds a degree in education and has experience in educational management, insurance and software testing. She currently runs her own business and writes frequently on business and job topics for Chron and Intuit QuickBooks.

Related Articles

Resume objectives for teaching assistants of learning disabled students, skills to put on an application for a teacher's assistant, a presentation as part of a job interview for a teaching assistant, important points to put on a teacher's resume, typical questions asked at a teacher assistant's interview, effective resumes for teachers, the pay scale for paraeducators, responsibility and list of duties for an assistant teacher at a preschool, what duties should teacher assistants perform, most popular.

• 1 Resume Objectives for Teaching Assistants of Learning Disabled Students
• 2 Skills to Put on an Application for a Teacher's Assistant
• 3 A Presentation as Part of a Job Interview for a Teaching Assistant
• 4 Important Points to Put on a Teacher's Resume

Special Education and Inclusive Learning

Writing a Personal Statement for a Teaching Assistant Post

Introduction..

A key part of the application process for a Teaching Assistant job is the personal statement. A personal statement is a document that tells the panel who are doing the shortlisting about your motivations for wanting to become a Teaching Assistant. This guide will teach you how to write an effective personal statement for a Teaching Assistant job in a UK mainstream or special school. We will discuss the different components of a personal statement, provide tips for writing a persuasive application, and give you a couple of sample personal statements for a teaching assistant role in a special school. By following this guide, you will be prepared to write the perfect personal statement for a teaching assistant vacancy.

1. What is a Teaching Assistant?

A Teaching Assistant is an essential role for supporting the educational provision in any school. I would argue it is a vital role in any school but especially in special schools The responsibilities of a Teaching Assistant can vary depending on the school, but generally include assisting teachers in the classroom, leading small group or 1:1 interventions, such as phonics or maths. There will probably be times where a TA will take the whole class for short periods. When writing a personal statement for a Teaching Assistant job, it is important to be honest and upfront about your skills and experience. Even now schools may receive multiple applications for each advertised post so it is important to provide compelling reasons why you are the best candidate for the position.

To help you write a personal statement that will stand out, we have created this teaching assistant personal statement guide. This guide contains tips on how to write a personal statement that will be both interesting and informative, as well as tips on how to make your candidacy stand out.

If you like this post and want to know more we have an in-depth e-book with more examples, templates and information about writing a personal statement.

Teaching Assistant Recruitment Articles

I would recommend having a read of these articles that discuss other elements of the Teaching Assistant recruitment process.

• Teaching Assistant Interview Questions – Read Here
• How Teaching Assistants can motivate pupils to learn – Read Here
• What are the most important qualities of a Teaching Assistant – Read Here
• The Teaching Assistant Guide – Read Here

2. What qualities are necessary for a successful Teaching Assistant application?

There are a few qualities that are necessary to include for a successful Teaching Assistant application. First and foremost, you must be a highly motivated individual who is looking for a new opportunity to use their skills and knowledge. Secondly, you must be a team player who is able to work well under pressure and be positive. Finally, you must have excellent communication and organisational skills.

We have written a whole article on answering the question on the qualities of a great teaching assistant – here . If you can demonstrate all of these qualities, then you are well on your way to being a successful Teaching Assistant applicant. However, if you don’t have any teaching experience or experience working with SEN students, it will be difficult to show that you are the right candidate for this position. In order to make a strong application, you will need to gather as much information as possible about the school and the position.

3. What should be included in a Teaching Assistant Personal Statement?

When writing a personal statement, you will want to include information that will help the school make an educated decision about hiring you. This includes your educational and work experience, your motivations for wanting to be a teaching assistant, and your skills. Most schools will include a Job Description and Person Specification with the advert. Use these to your advantage. Try and mention each of the elements in the person specification in your personal statement. When writing your personal statement, be honest and concise. Try to be specific about why you would be a good fit for the position and what you can bring to the table. You should also be sure to list any teaching experience you have and any workshops or courses you have taken that relate to special education. I would recommend an absolute maximum of 1 sides of A4. Try to stick to 1/2 side or about 200 words. This is because the admin and leadership team shortlisting need to be able to quickly see who fits the criteria. You can fill in the details at interview.

List your Experience

List any volunteer work you have done in the field of SEN or teaching. This may include supporting playgroups, running a sports club or even parent groups. This will help to demonstrate your dedication and interest in the field. Be sure to include your references when submitting your application. These have to include your last and current employers. You can usually request that they are not contacted before the interview if you haven’t told them you are looking for another job.

When writing your statement, be sure to focus on your reasons for wanting to teach in that specific school. This will show that you are passionate about the field and have a good understanding of the students and the school. It will also show that you are committed to helping the school achieve its goals. Read their website, look at their tweets or facebook posts. This will give you an insight into what they value and are proud of. You can mention some of these nuggets of information in your personal statement i.e “It is clear from the pictures of your Sports Day that the school’s values of inclusion align with my own.”

Summary Of What to Include in Your TA Personal Statement:

Here is a summary of the key points you want to include when writing a teaching assistant personal statement:

• The personal statement highlights your achievements, experience, and interests. It allows you to showcase your personality and motivation.
• The opening paragraph briefly introduces yourself, your years of experience, and your accomplishments.
• Next, describe your relevant education and how it aligns with the role. Mention academic achievements.
• Detail your professional experiences such as tutoring, sports coaching or teaching, that relate to the teaching assistant role.
• List hard and soft skills that will make you effective as a teaching assistant.
• Conclude by explaining your motivations for wanting the position and how you can contribute. Thank them for considering your application.
• Align your statement with the job description and provide examples of fulfilling similar needs.
• Keep it succinct – under two pages using bullet points rather than long paragraphs.
• Create an impactful, concise opening paragraph to hook the reader.

4. Tips for writing a High Impact Personal statement for a Teaching Assistant

Having read hundreds of application forms and personal statements there are a few things to keep in mind when writing a personal statement for a Teaching Assistant post.

• Sell your skills – word things in ways that show you are proud of what you can bring to the role. “I am adept at finding ways to support pupils to engage with learning”. They may then follow this up with questions such as “Give me an example…” at interview.
• Sleep on it. If you are struggling to think of things to include read the Teaching Assistant job description then take a break. You will come up with better ideas sleeping on it rather than staring at the page.
• Make sure you have used capital letters correctly especially in the Information bits of the form. This seems to be a common error on online forms.
• Name the school you are applying for in the body of the text. This shows you are not just copy and pasting the same form to multiple schools.
• Personal experience is valuable – what makes you want to support teaching and learning in a school? Your own experiences? I know many TA’s who went into the job because of family members with SEN.
• Put spaces between paragraphs – it really helps the people reading.
• Fill out every box on the form
• Get a sensible email address – especially if your is um… a little edgy. GMail and outlook are free.
• Finally, be sure to proofread your statement carefully. This will help you catch any errors and make sure that your statement is easy to read and understand.

5. Key points to remember.

When you are applying for a Teaching Assistant role in a special school, the personal statement is one of the most important components of your application. You want to make sure that you present yourself in the best possible light. When writing your personal statement, you want to focus on why you are the perfect candidate for the job. What qualities do you bring to the table that make you the best candidate for this position? How can you describe your strengths and weaknesses? What are your goals for the future? Be sure to outline your teaching experience, what you are specifically good at and why, and how your teaching experience will benefit the students in the school.

There are a number of books that can help guide your thinking and gain insight into the role. Including How to be an Outstanding Primary Teaching Assistant by Emma Davie.

8. Conclusion

In conclusion, writing a personal statement for a Teaching Assistant job in a school can be a daunting task. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you will be able to produce a statement that will have a good chance of securing the interview.

We hope you enjoyed our article about writing a personal statement for a Teaching Assistant job in a school. A Teaching Assistant role is a great opportunity to gain experience in a specific field and to learn more about the school that you are applying to. By following these steps, you will be sure to stand out from the other applicants and make the Teaching Assistant selection process simle for you and those shortlisting. Thank you for reading, and we wish you the best of luck in your job hunt.

Please share if you enjoyed this post.

Similar posts.

You Might Be A Reindeer: Free Sensory Story

You Might Be a Reindeer: Dressing Up EYFS and PMLD Sensory Story A quick and simple dressing-up sensory story….

A Discussion on Inclusion (SEND)

Why Discuss Inclusion? This article is an account of a professional discussion on inclusion between teachers, SLT, parents and…

Guest Blog: Developing a CPD model

Lynn McCann writes this post about developing an effective model for delivering continuing professional development courses. She supports a…

Metacognition & Autism: Cognitive Load & Metacognitive Strategies

Metacognition, or the ability to think about one’s own thinking, holds immense potential in supporting Autistic individuals as they…

Quality of Life: Reducing Anxiety

The Value of Compassion This post is a reflection of the #SENexchange discussion on Quality of life and our…

Parenting with Connection and Trust

We all know that raising kids can be a rollercoaster ride, filled with ups and downs. It’s a rewarding…

• Pingback: The SEND Acronym Guide - Special Education and Inclusive Learning
• Pingback: ITT Mentor: Supporting your student to gain their first teaching Job

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from Special Education and Inclusive Learning

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Skip to main menu
• Skip to user menu

Teaching Assistant Personal Statement

• CV Templates & Advice

Are you seeking advice to improve your chances of landing your dream teaching assistant role? Fish4jobs is here to help! Follow our expert advice and guidance to create a teaching assistant personal statement for your CV that helps you to shine.

We recommend that you use this 100-150 words to successfully present your knowledge, skills and past experience, as well as your great personality, to create a fantastic first impression on a prospective employer.

You can also check out our complete guide on how to write a personal statement .

What to include in your teaching assistant personal statement

Why you’re applying for the specific role:.

• Mention why have you applied for that specific role - what appealed to you in the job description?
• Highlight any past experience that relates to the role.
• Provide information on your previous education – School/University/Courses attended or completed.
• Highlight any relevant qualifications.

Your teaching experience:

• Mention what year groups have you assisted in teaching in the past.
• What subjects you have taught, or specialised in assisting with.
• Any use of assessment strategies or special features of the practices, for example, open-plan, multi-ethnic, team teaching.
• Provide examples of assistance to teachers.

Short Example:

A kind, friendly, passionate and highly experienced teaching assistant. I am an enthusiastic and motivated assistant, who has a passion for supporting children with all aspects of school life. In previous teaching assistant roles my daily tasks included encouraging students, assisting with learning, and providing support to the class teachers. This role has appealed to me as I have a keen desire to continue learning, as well as assisting students and teachers in all aspects inside and outside the classroom. With my previous experience, responsibility, dependability and enthusiasm for education I feel that I would be a great asset to your team.

Check out our guide on how to become a Teaching Assistant for more details on the role and requirements. Alternatively, check out the latest Teaching Assistant jobs on Fish4jobs today.

Related links

• How to Become a Teaching Assistant
• Teacher CV Template
• How to Write a Personal Statement

Share this article

Related articles

The Fish4jobs Ultimate Jobseekers Guide

Investment Banker CV Template

Art Director CV Template

Latest articles, optimising your job search: best application practices on fish4jobs, how to set up a job alert – optimise your job search with fish4jobs, from new hires to top performers: the key elements of successful talent onboarding.

Bringing wellbeing to education recruitment

Reading Head Office:  0118 984 2413 Oxford Branch:  0186 523 8045 Surrey Branch:  0148 332 3041

Search Jobs:

How To Write A Teaching Assistant Personal Statement

12 December 2022

Personal statements are often overlooked as a crucial element in the recruitment process, but they can be incredibly rewarding when conducted correctly.

Including a balanced blend of various sections, bringing together the perfect teaching assistant personal statement can enhance your application and give your potential employer an ideal glimpse into your professional and personal background. 

What is a Personal Statement for a Teaching Assistant?

A personal statement is a professional document that details your achievements, experience and interests. Personal statements are usually written as part of a job application to showcase the positive qualities of an applicant to a potential employer. 

In a personal statement, information such as the applicant’s work experience as well as previous education should be included. Goals and aspirations are also beneficial to include as it proves to an employer that you are focussed on working towards something.

Additionally, the personal statement should include any other relevant information that may apply to the desired position. By doing so, the employer can see how the applicant is the correct fit for the role and will gain an understanding of their personality and interests. 

What Should a Teaching Assistant’s Personal Statement Include?

There are many different combinations of aspects to include in a personal statement. Below are the five key elements we believe you should include to get the best out of your personal statement. 

A Brief Opening

A brief opening is an ideal way to introduce your personal statement to the employer. It should be descriptive and give the reader the opportunity to understand more about yourself, including your experiences and why you are right for the job. 

You should also include in this section the reasons for applying to work in this particular company and why they should offer the position to you. This brief opening is the perfect chance to express your personality, and it’s crucial that you do this before continuing on the remainder of your personal statement. 

Next, you should include an education section to align the position’s duties with your previous education. 

The education section of your personal statement isn’t just the chance to inform the employer of the school you attended. The section is designed to describe accomplishments and academic awards you may have achieved throughout your time in education.

Any significant achievements are key to include as it shows the employer how you strive to achieve the best and are willing to go the extra mile for success. 

The experience section of your personal statement should detail your professional experiences and how these would benefit you in your ideal role. 

For example, for a personal statement written for the position of teaching assistant, you should include any previous work experience that will demonstrate your competence in this sector.

By including these experiences, you can prove to your potential employer that you have the professional background to succeed in the chosen role. 

In your skills section, you should aim to include any skills that will help you in your role as a teaching assistant.

You could begin with your own educational skills and develop this to explain how this will help when interacting with students. 

Why You Want the Position

Finally, you should aim to detail exactly why you want the position offered at the conclusion stage of your personal statement. 

Explain to the employer how this position would assist you in developing your career should you be successful in the hiring process and when this opportunity would take you in the future. Including this near the end of your personal statement will force the reader to remember it as the last thing in their mind. 

Last but not least, finish your personal statement by thanking the recipient for their time. Doing so demonstrates that you are thankful for the opportunity and shows awareness of the importance of their time in considering you as an applicant. 

Teaching Assistant Roles from Always Flourishing.

At Always Flourishing, we are experienced in landing individuals in their perfect teaching roles. 

Whether you are looking to become a fully qualified teacher, a teaching assistant or a supply teacher, we have every opportunity for you. If you would like more information on the job roles we can offer, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

AUTHOR: Vicky Snee EMAIL: [email protected]

Blog Content Disclaimer

• AI Content Shield
• AI KW Research
• AI Assistant
• SEO Optimizer
• AI KW Clustering
• Customer reviews
• The NLO Revolution
• Press Center
• Help Center
• Content Resources
• Facebook Group

Guide to Writing a Unique Personal Statement for a Teaching Assistant

Table of Contents

Are you looking for a personal statement for a teaching assistant job? Writing a good personal statement is essential to your job application and can make the difference between being invited to an interview or not. 

In this blog, we’ll provide some top tips on writing a standout personal statement. As well as some practical examples you can use when writing yours. Read on to find out more! 

What Is a Personal Statement for a Teaching Assistant?

 A personal statement is a short paragraph in your CV or job application that outlines who you are, why you’re applying . And also, why you are the ideal candidate for the job based on your skills and abilities. It should be to each position you apply for – this way, employers can quickly see how well-suited you are to the job. 

Steps to Writing Personal Statements for Teaching Assistant Jobs

1. highlight your experience.

 Focus on the experience that makes you the best candidate for this position. It’s important to show employers how your previous job roles, qualifications, and extracurricular activities have prepared you for a teaching assistant role. 

2. Show Your Enthusiasm

Use positive language to demonstrate your keenness and commitment to the role. Employers want to see that you’re genuinely passionate about teaching and helping others learn and develop. 

3. Demonstrate Relevant Skills

Consider what skills make you an ideal candidate for this role (e.g., communication, problem-solving, organization), and include examples of when you’ve used these skills. 

Writing Tips for a Teaching Assistant’s Personal Statement

• Keep it concise – don’t exceed two pages, but ensure you include all the necessary information about yourself. Make every word count! 
• Focus on why you want the role. Be specific about why you chose this particular job. And what skills or experience you have that makes you the perfect candidate.
• Demonstrate your commitment – explain how you’re prepared to go the extra mile for this job and why it is essential to you. 
• Show your personality – let your unique qualities shine through to stand out from other applicants.
• Proofread -read your message until you are satisfied that there are no typos or grammatical errors.

Personal Statement Examples for Teaching Assistant

I recently earned a degree in primary education, and I’m enthusiastic about changing the lives of kids. My experiences are working in an educational environment, teaching assistant roles, and leading my classroom activities. I am a patient and kind instructor with strong organizational abilities and the ability to get things done under pressure. I possess the skills needed to become a successful teaching assistant and can bring enthusiasm, dedication, and energy to this role. 

I am an experienced teaching assistant with five years experience in primary schools. During this time, I have developed excellent communication skills when working with teachers, parents, carers, and other professionals. I have also worked on various projects within the school. Such as developing new resources for use in class, helping children with special needs, and leading activities outside the classroom. My biggest strength is building relationships with all pupils, regardless of their background or ability level. This has enabled me to form strong bonds with them, which has helped me to support their learning better. 

1. What Is a Teaching Assistant?

Teaching assistants help teachers with children’s learning. They gain experience of supporting children as part of their learning. This enables them to plan lessons and work effectively in different schools.

2. What Is the Training Course Like?

The training is a combination of classroom support and classroom management. The classroom support aspect has been designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge required to support children’s learning in the classroom. The classroom management aspect prepares you in case you are asked to assist in the classroom.

We hope this blog has provided valuable tips and examples of writing a standout personal statement for teaching assistant jobs. Remember – make sure your personal statement is tailored to the specific role and showcases why you are the perfect candidate! 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

Explore All Write Personal Statement Articles

How to draft meaningful length of law school personal statement.

Are you confused on how to write a law school personal statement? One of the essential elements of your application…

• Write Personal Statement

Effective History and International Relations Personal Statement to Try

Are you considering studying history and international relations? Or you may be curious about what a degree in this field…

Guide to Quality Global Management Personal Statement

Are you applying for a global management program and want to stand out from the crowd? A well-written personal statement…

How to Draft Better Examples of Personal Statements for Residency

Achieving a residency can be a massive accomplishment for any aspiring medical professional. To secure your spot in one of…

Tips for Drafting a Free Example of Personal History Statement

A personal history statement can be crucial to many applications, from university admissions to job search processes. This blog will…

Writing Compelling Dietetic Internship Personal Statement

Applying for a dietetic internship is a rigorous process and requires submitting a personal statement, which is an essential part…

Teaching Assistant Personal Statement for your next job

Aspiring to step into the role of a teacher brings its own set of challenges. 

Among them is creating a teaching assistant personal statement . 

This personal statement not only reflects your passion for teaching but also highlights your experiences within the classroom. 

Drafting your personal statement should be done with careful thought and consideration.

In it, you should clearly outline your role, detailing the specific teaching experiences you’ve had, and how these have shaped your understanding of the profession. 

• 1.1 Essentials of SEN Teaching: Preparing as a Teaching Assistant
• 2.1 Upholding Professionalism as a Teaching Assistant
• 3 Drafting Personal Statements: Highlighting Your Teaching Assistant Experience
• 4 Teaching Assistant CV with no experience?
• 5 Transforming Your CV: From Teaching Assistant to Qualified Teacher

Creating a Teaching Assistant Personal Statement

This guide provides advice on how to optimally structure your teaching assistant personal statement. 

Remember, your personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your passion for the role, your understanding of the classroom dynamics, and the skills you bring. 

Additionally, using a personal statement review service could be beneficial. Such a service can provide constructive criticism and suggestions to refine your personal statement, making it more likely to succeed!

Essentials of SEN Teaching: Preparing as a Teaching Assistant

Are you an aspiring teaching assistant in the field of SEN?

Be aware of the specialised demands of this position. SEN teaching brings its own set of unique challenges, but also immense rewards, putting your skills to the test in ways that other teaching roles may not.

As a teaching assistant working in SEN, your role will extend beyond the traditional realm of teaching. You’ll be guiding your students on their educational journey, navigating the unique challenges that come with providing specialised education in a classroom setting.

One of the primary aspects of SEN teaching and working as a dedicated teaching assistant is the ability to adapt to the individual needs of each student. 

The student population in SEN classrooms has distinct needs that require a sensitive, flexible approach. Your classroom methodology should reflect this, facilitating a rich and varied educational experience for your students.

The demand for specialised skills in SEN teaching is growing, with more schools seeking highly qualified teaching assistants to support their students and enhance the overall educational experience. 

This position offers an invaluable stepping stone into the teaching profession, paving the way towards a fulfilling career in schools that supply SEN support.

Ultimately, preparing to be a teaching assistant in SEN teaching is about embracing the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the classrooms and nurturing the breadth of talent found within the student body.

Bagging the Job: Elements of a Standout Teaching Assistant CV

A stellar teaching assistant CV is paramount to landing that sought-after teacher job. 

The key skill that a school looks for when hiring a teacher is their ability to interact effectively with students, so be sure to emphasise your interpersonal skills in your CV.

A teaching assistant’s role is multifaceted. 

It involves supporting the teacher in delivering the curriculum and facilitating a conducive learning environment. 

Thus, your job is not just limited to assisting with the teaching; it also requires catering to the individual learning needs of each child. 

It’s vital to highlight these skills in your CV to showcase your proficiency in these roles. If you’re applying for a Special Educational Needs (SEN) teacher job, elaborate on your skills relevant to this role.

Don’t forget to stress your commitment to the job – schools appreciate teaching assistants who can provide continuity. 

Elucidate on your earlier roles, articulating both your skillset as well as the breadth of your experience in schools. Promoting your adaptability, resilience, and dedication in your CV can significantly boost your chances of snagging that teacher job. 

Focus on these elements to create a standout teaching assistant CV and bag the job!

Upholding Professionalism as a Teaching Assistant

As a teaching assistant, your role extends into protective responsibilities, such as upholding students’ privacy and safety. 

Confidentiality and legitimate interest in students’ welfare, including their consent legitimacy, play a critical role in demonstrating professionalism.

In your professional journey, you’ll see your students growing, evolving and engaging with their environment. 

Your skills will be put to the test every day. You’ll experience various scenarios, each sharpening your expertise and teaching style. 

And with each new experience, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your role. 

As a teaching assistant, you’ll have the chance to bring out the best in your students, all in a legitimate interest for their advancement.

Always remember, when applying for this position, employers look for more than just teaching skills. 

They require professionals who value and understand consent and confidentiality. 

Upholding these principles will not only make you a competent teaching assistant but also a trustworthy guide for your students.

Drafting Personal Statements: Highlighting Your Teaching Assistant Experience

Writing personal statements for a teaching assistant position primarily involves highlighting your relevant teaching experience. 

Your experience as a teaching assistant acts as a testament to your ability to facilitate educational environments effectively. 

Incorporating your experiences assists in demonstrating your pedagogical competencies, while the personal touch provides an engaging narrative that resonates with selectors. 

Also, focusing on your experience as a teaching assistant offers a realistic view of your strengths and areas for improvement.

To truly make an impact, however, one must go beyond stating experiences.  

You need to reflect on these experiences, connect them with your personal teaching philosophy, and demonstrate how they have shaped you as a teacher.

Show, don’t tell.

Use examples from your teaching assistant experience to illustrate points and convince your reader that you would be a great fit for this role.

Teaching Assistant CV with no experience?

If you’re considering a teaching assistant position but lack direct experience, don’t be discouraged. 

All teaching assistants begin without specific experience in the role! 

However, a compelling CV is essential to showcase your potential. Here’s a concise guide to crafting a standout CV:

• Showcase Your Enthusiasm: Passion is pivotal in teaching. Students thrive on enthusiasm, which can be a driving force in their motivation. Highlight your keen interest in the teaching assistant role and your willingness to learn. Additionally, research the school you’re applying to and mention specific aspects that attract you to it.
• Highlight Transferable Skills: Without direct teaching experience, lean on your transferable skills. Essential skills include literacy, numeracy, planning, creativity, organisation, and administration. Use examples from your past roles to demonstrate these skills. For instance, if you’ve written detailed reports under tight deadlines, this can underscore your literacy and time-management abilities.
• Include Relevant Experiences: Any experience with children, whether through kids’ clubs, sports teams, or scouts, can be beneficial. Even informal teaching experiences with adults or in other educational settings can be valuable. These instances not only show your capability but also further emphasise your enthusiasm.
• Emphasise Your Education: Highlight your educational background, especially in reading, writing, and numeracy. Depending on the school’s requirements, also consider mentioning any IT skills or qualifications you possess.
• Ensure Error-Free Content: Demonstrating attention to detail is crucial. Thoroughly proofread your CV multiple times to eliminate any spelling or grammar mistakes. Any oversight, especially after mentioning strong literacy skills, can undermine your credibility.

Transforming Your CV: From Teaching Assistant to Qualified Teacher

As a teaching assistant , it’s essential to understand how to transform your CV when transitioning to a teacher role. 

Your CV needs to showcase your hands-on experience and knowledge of teaching methodologies and classroom management.

From managing classroom activities to being attuned to the individual needs of learners; such scenarios demonstrate your readiness for a teaching position. 

If you’ve worked closely with SEN students in the past, make sure to highlight this. Your familiarity with SEN teaching frameworks can make you an attractive candidate.

Don’t forget to provide duration details of your teaching assistant experience. 

Schools want to know the length of your exposure in an actual teaching environment. Any resets you’ve had to do because of unforeseen classroom incidents not only show adaptive ability but also resilience.

Remember, your journey isn’t about changing from a teaching assistant to a teacher only, it’s about conveying your growth, passion, and commitment to teaching children.

So make your CV speak volumes about that.

Sixth Form Personal Statement Examples and Guide

What is SLT in school? Understanding the Senior Leadership Team

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Reach out to us for career and sponsorship opportunities.

© 2024 Acrosophy Excellence in Application

A Medical MBA Company The Medical MBA Ltd Company number: 13561401 86-90 Paul Street, London, England, United Kingdom, EC2A 4NE

• mrsstrickey
• Jan 16, 2021

Writing a Personal Statement

Going for your first NQT post can be a daunting prospect... especially when in teaching, you need to write a personal statement to support your application form.

Schools use your personal statement to help short list candidates for a position by checking off the criteria of the person specification that they can see in your statement. It is always a good idea to write your personal statement alongside the person specification, ensuring that you have included all the "essential" criteria and as much of the "desirable" criteria you can that are assessed through the application.

Where possible, you should also use the language of the school you are applying to - their vision, values, mission and ethos statements will help you here and should be available on the school's website. You will also sometimes find these in the application pack. Read this carefully and then read it again, reading between the lines of what they might be looking for.

Here is an example of the structure of a personal statement for a trainee teacher applying for their first NQT job:

Begin with an impact statement that summarises your philosophy on teaching or that refers to the mission/vision/values/ethos of the school you are applying to:

I believe that it is, as Einstein said, the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. As a passionate teacher, dedicated to ensuring the very best outcomes for all students I teach, this statement resonates with me as I endeavour to awaken joy in all of the learners within my classroom. It was your belief all young people have the right to a transformational educational experience, that will enable them, no matter what their starting point, to fulfil their potential and realise their ambitions that first attracted me to your school as it aligns with my own personal and professional philosophy on education.

Throughout my practice, I constantly encourage pupils to participate and contribute in an atmosphere highly conducive to learning. I have consistently set high expectations of pupils in different training contexts. There are high levels of mutual respect between me and pupils. I am very effective in promoting learners’ resilience, confidence and independence when tackling challenging activities. In my lesson, I generate high levels of enthusiasm, participation and commitment to learning.

Back this up with an example from your training.

I have also assumed a high level of responsibility for the attainment progress and outcomes of the pupils I have taught. I have demonstrated confident judgement in planning for pupil progression both within individual lessons and over time and I am able to articulate a clear and well-justified rationale as to how I am building on prior achievement. Within my lessons, I seek to actively promote engaging and effective methods that support pupils in reflecting on their learning. I have demonstrated that I am able to set appropriately challenging tasks, drawing on a sound knowledge of the pupils’ prior attainment, which has been obtained through systematic and accurate assessment. I regularly create opportunities for independent and autonomous learning. As a result the majority of pupils make very good progress.

In order to plan effective lessons, I draw on my in-depth subject and curriculum knowledge of [your subject or phase] to plan confidently for progression and to stimulate and capture pupils’ interest. Throughout my training, I have demonstrated very well-developed pedagogical subject knowledge, by anticipating common errors and misconceptions in my planning. I am astutely aware of my own development needs in relation to extending and updating my subject, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge in my early career and have been proactive in developing these effectively during my training. I always model very high standards of written and spoken communication in all professional activities. I also successfully identify and exploit opportunities to develop learners’ skills, in communication, reading and writing.

I plan lessons that often use well-chosen, imaginative and creative strategies, and that match individuals’ needs and interests. I am highly reflective in critically evaluating my practice. I am able to accurately judge the impact of my practice on individual and groups of learners and can use my evaluation to inform future planning, teaching and learning. During my training, I have shown initiative in contributing to curriculum planning and developing and producing effective learning resources in my placement settings.

I have been able to quickly and accurately discern my learners’ strengths and needs and I have been proactive in differentiating and employing a range of effective intervention strategies to secure progression for individuals and groups. I have an astute understanding of how effective different teaching approaches are in relation to impact on learning and engagement of learners

I can confidently and accurately assess pupils’ attainment against national benchmarks. I use a range of assessment strategies very effectively in my day-to-day practice to monitor progress and to inform future planning. In my practice, I systematically and effectively check learners’ understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where intervention may be needed and do so with notable impact on the quality of learning. I have shown that I am able to assess learners’ progress regularly and work with them to accurately target further improvement and secure rapid progress.

I have been able to rapidly adapt to the different circumstances in which I have trained, working confidently within the frameworks established in different settings and applying rules and routines consistently and fairly. I have also demonstrated an ability to adapt to remote working and remote delivery in response to the Global Pandemic. I consistently have high expectations and understand a range of strategies that experienced teachers use to promote positive behaviour and apply these very effectively, including use of school sanctions and rewards, and use of praise, in order to create an environment highly supportive of learning. I am able to manage pupil behaviour with ease so that learners display very high levels of engagement, courtesy, collaboration and co-operation. Where it is needed, I actively seek additional support in addressing the needs of pupils where significantly challenging behaviour is demonstrated.

During my training, I have been proactive in seeking out opportunities to contribute in a significant way to the wider life and ethos of the school. I have built strong professional relationships and have demonstrated that I am able to work collaboratively with colleagues on a regular basis. I have taken responsibility for deploying support staff in my lessons and for seeking advice from relevant professionals in relation to pupils with individual needs. I deliberately seek out opportunities to develop my own professional learning and respond positively to all the feedback I receive. I have also demonstrated that I can communicate very effectively, both verbally and in writing, with parents and carers in relation to pupils’ achievements and well-being when required to do so formally, but I am also proactive in communicating in relation to individual pupils’ emergent needs.

I always treat pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position. I realise the need to safeguard pupils' well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions. I show tolerance of and respect for the rights of others. I do not undermine fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. I always ensure that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils' vulnerability or might lead them to break the law. I am always punctual and have good attendance. I have attended numerous CPD sessions and will continue to do so. I have also completed a weekly duty (before school and at break} and attends daily briefings (whole school, subject or pastoral). I have taken on board the policies of the school and maintain a high standard in all my practices. I have a good understanding of the framework within which I work and my professional duties

End with a statement that implies/assumes you will be invited for interview:

I would relish the opportunity to work at your school and look forward to discussing this further with you at interview.

You can download the word version of this

Recent Posts

Fostering Focus: The Art of Minimizing Distractions for Optimal Learning

Nurturing Minds: The Art of Breaking Down Complex Material for Effective Learning

Enhancing Learning: The Role of Working Memory and Prior Knowledge in Education

• Log in
• Site search

Teaching personal statement examples

Giving you the chance to show why you'd be a great teacher, your personal statement is an important part of your application and worth taking the time over

What is a teaching personal statement?

Your personal statement is used to explain why you want to become a teacher and your suitability for the role. While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it. Many candidates often spend a few weeks on this part of the application as you don't have to write it all at once. You should get someone to read over it and be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

It's important to:

• use examples based on your recent teaching experience
• tailor your personal statement according to the school/age group
• use good, clear, written English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
• be original and honest
• avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'I've always wanted to teach'
• demonstrate a passion for teaching.

While it's crucial to get it right, your teaching personal statement is only a small part of the application process. Find out how else you'll need to prepare to  get a teaching job .

How to write a personal statement for teaching

Your personal statement should be between 500 and 1,000 words. It's crucial that you  don't copy  and that the statement you provide is  your own work .

This is your opportunity to:

• write about any relevant skills and experience you have
• explain your understanding of why teaching is important
• detail why you want to become a teacher
• list any extra skills or experience you have, such as volunteering or first aid.

See  personal statements for postgraduate applications  for more guidance.

The nature of your personal statement will vary, depending on the type of teaching you'd like to pursue. Take a look at some of our example personal statements to get an idea of how they differ.

Personal statement for PGCE primary

As well as focusing on roles in which you've gained experience with primary-age children, a PGCE primary personal statement should demonstrate your well-rounded personality and any skills that could be useful for the range of extra-curricular activities primary schools provide (such as the ability to read music for recorder lessons, or drama experience to help with school plays).

Personal statement for PGCE secondary

Many good PGCE secondary personal statements acknowledge the challenges involved in teaching older pupils and provide examples of where the candidate has worked to overcome these problems. As secondary teaching roles are geared towards teaching a specific subject, training providers are looking for more evidence of your subject and degree knowledge.

Personal statement for School Direct

If you're applying for the salaried School Direct route, you should discuss the experience you've gained in the classroom prior to your application. One of your references will need to be from an employer, or someone who can comment on your work ethic and suitability for teaching. Don't worry if your degree is unrelated to the subject you'd like to teach - you may still be able to apply by completing a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course .

Find out more

• Discover how to structure a teaching CV .
• Find out what it's really like to be a primary or secondary school teacher .
• Search postgraduate courses in teaching .

How would you rate this page?

On a scale where 1 is dislike and 5 is like

• Dislike 1 unhappy-very
• Like 5 happy-very

Thank you for rating the page

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Guide To Writing a Teaching Assistant Personal Statement

Subject: Student careers advice

Age range: Age not applicable

Resource type: Other

Last updated

10 September 2023

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Craft Your Standout Personal Statement for Teaching Assistant Positions

Securing a job as a teaching assistant requires a compelling personal statement to showcase your skills, experience, and motivations. This eBook provides a step-by-step guide to crafting a personal statement that will impress hiring managers and land you the role.

Learn how to:

Structure your statement effectively with an engaging opening, detailed body paragraphs, and strong conclusion.

Highlight your relevant education, classroom experience, and work history.

Demonstrate your teaching-related abilities and knowledge.

Convey your passion and fit for the specific role and school.

Use vivid examples and achievements to back up your claims.

Tailor your content specifically to each job description.

Avoid common pitfalls and polish your writing.

The eBook includes:

Personal statement dos and dont’s

Templates and samples to guide your writing

Tips for formatting and supplemental documents

Actionable advice for every section

Checklists to review your drafts

Resources for next steps in your application

With the techniques in this eBook, you’ll develop a personal statement that gets you noticed and interviewed. Set yourself apart from the competition and get ready to launch your teaching assistant career!

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

How to Write a Personal Statement for an SEN Teaching Assistant Role

• June 27, 2022

A personal statement (usually placed near the top of your CV beneath your contact details) is your chance to summarise your qualifications, experience, and key skills to highlight what you can offer to a prospective employer. 

Ideally, you should tailor your personal statement to each job that you apply for. This should be relatively easy to do since the jobs you’ll be applying for will probably be similar if they’re all in an SEN (special educational needs) environment. However, we advise that you always read the job description every time you apply for a new role. This is to ensure that you can provide relevant information in your personal statement which will help demonstrate the qualities a prospective employer is seeking in order to fill the role. For example, if you’re applying for an SEN teaching assistant job, then you’ll need to highlight your experience of working with SEN students and the key skills you acquired.

To help you successfully gain a special educational needs teaching assistant job, you need to have a personal statement that stands out. Your personal statement should be professional, but the key word here is personal; make it distinctive by providing the facts, such as the where and when (where did you teach and in what year), and then infuse your characteristics by detailing the how and the what (how you went about the day-to-day tasks and what you achieved). 

The start of a good personal statement should look something like this:

An empathetic, patient, and extremely dedicated teaching assistant, with experience and particular enthusiasm for working in special educational needs. In my previous role, as an SEN teaching assistant, I supported students in their learning, helping them to achieve their individual goals by adapting my teaching methods accordingly.

To create a personal statement that will make you stand out to a prospective employer, there are a few key pieces of information that you must include. With this in mind, we have put together a small list that should hopefully assist you when you come to write your personal statement for an SEN teaching assistant job.

What to include in an SEN teaching assistant personal statement:

1. mention any top achievements you’ve had.

Hopefully, these are relevant to the position you are applying for. However, even if your top achievement isn’t related to special educational needs, it is worth still mentioning it as employers like to see you have other passions in life. But you should also try to add another achievement or something that you’re particularly proud of, which you can relate to SEN.

2. Describe yourself using attributes needed for the role you are applying for

An example of this would be:

An empathetic, patient, and extremely dedicated teaching assistant, with experience and particular enthusiasm for working in special educational needs.

SEN teaching assistants need to be empathetic, patient, and very dedicated in order to effectively achieve their day-to-day tasks and, ultimately, help their students meet their learning goals. But there may be other personal qualities a prospective employer is seeking, which is why you should always check the job description so that you can tailor your personal statement to suit. 

3. Highlight any previous experience you have and the skills you acquired

You should link these skills to the job you are applying for. For example, you may be applying for an SEN teaching assistant position within a school, whereas your only previous experience could be from working voluntarily at a community centre where you supported children with SEN.

Although the previous role wasn’t within a school, the skills gained while working in a community centre will still be very relevant; you would have been exposed to children of various ages with numerous needs and you would have had to adapt your communication skills and your method of support.

This level of commitment and adaptability is exactly what prospective employers are looking for. This is also your opportunity to mention any qualifications you may have gained which will further demonstrate your dedication to the sector. 

4. Think about your aspirations for the future

Explain how the job you are applying for fits in with these future goals. A prospective employer wants to see that you have a genuine interest in pursuing a career within a special educational needs environment. So, to get an idea of what you’d like to be doing further down your career path, do some research into the sort of jobs that are available, and to where/how you can progress from the job you are applying for.

This will give you further insight into the SEN sector to enable you to establish your goals. You’ll then be able to include these goals in your personal statement which means a prospective employer will, hopefully, see longevity if they were to hire you.

5. Demonstrate you know what the job entails

If you have covered all of the above four areas in your personal statement, then you should have successfully demonstrated that you know what’s expected of an SEN teaching assistant. But, again, make sure you have thoroughly read the role description of the job you’re applying for, and include a couple of short examples from your previous experience that can prove you have exactly what it takes to be an SEN teaching assistant.

Now that you know how to successfully write a personal statement, take a look at the SEN teaching assistant jobs currently available.

Table of Contents

Related posts.

Spring Budget 2024: National Insurance Cuts Bring Mixed Benefits for UK Workers

In the recent Spring Budget announcement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled significant reductions in national insurance contributions (NICs), continuing the trend set in the previous autumn

Understanding the UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage

In the United Kingdom, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW) play pivotal roles in ensuring fair compensation for workers across

Addressing the Teacher Shortage in the United Kingdom

Introduction: Within the educational landscape of the United Kingdom, a critical concern has emerged, demanding immediate attention — the pronounced scarcity of teachers. At the

The Broad Range of SEN Needs in the UK

At Active SEN, we recognise the diverse and unique needs within the realm of Special Educational Needs (SEN) across the UK. The term SEN is

Head Office

• Active Recruitment SEN Ltd 4 Caxton House Old Station Road Loughton IG10 4PE
• 0208 004 3232
• [email protected]

Blog insights

Ⓒ 2024 - all rights are reserved.

• Skip to content

Applications

How to write a great personal statement for a teaching job.

Vinny Potter

7 Feb 2024, 16:23

Discover our top tips on what to include in your personal statement for a teaching job and how to present your skills, knowledge, experience and attributes.

Supported by:

Academies Enterprise Trust

Your personal statement is the heart of your application for work as an early career teacher and should be tailored for each role. For teaching applications this is sometimes also called a letter of application, but it is essentially the same thing. This is your opportunity to provide evidence of how you match the needs of the specific teaching job you are applying for, and earn yourself an invitation to the next stage, which is likely to be a selection day held at the school.

Writing tips for personal statements

See our example personal statement for primary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

We are advertising for a Year 3 Classroom Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Committed to our school and our values
• Experience across a range of age groups
• Committed to reflection and improving practice
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum
• Excellent lesson planning
• Knowledge of assessment
• Good knowledge of SEND and positive interventions
• Positive approach to provide challenge and support student success
• Excellent behaviour management
• Good communication skills with parents
• Enthusiastic and creative approach to lessons
• Willing to contribute to the wider life of the school.

See our personal statement for secondary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

Country High School are advertising for an enthusiastic Secondary PE Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to adapt and tailor your approach for the differing needs of pupils
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum for your subject
• Knowledge of a wide range of sports
• Willing to engage in extra curricular activities and the wider life of the school
• Experience of supporting high ability students, as well as those who may be less able or motivated
• Ability to use data effectively
• Teach across all ability levels including SEND
• Ability to use Technology to enhance learning.

When completing a personal statement for a teaching job, you should typically observe the following guidelines:

• Do not write a generic statement. Instead use the person specification and job advert for the vacancy as a structure for your statement or consider using the government's Teachers' Standards if no person specification is provided.
• Do not exceed two sides of A4, unless otherwise instructed.
• Tailor your statement for each new application according to the nature of the school or LA and the advertised role.
• Always read any guidance provided – many schools and LAs will tell you how they want this section set out.
• Emphasise your individual strengths in relation to the role.
• For a pool application, make sure you give a good overview of your skills and experience.
• It is essential that you give specific examples of what you have done to back up your claims.

Primary school personal statement

Examples of a personal statements for a primary school teaching job.

Primary school personal statement example

Secondary school personal statement

See our example of a personal statement for a secondary school teaching job.

Secondary school personal statement example

What you should cover in your personal statement

When schools advertise graduate teaching jobs , they write a job description which states the essential attributes they are looking for. This is their marking criteria for the job. When they read your statement, they will usually score this based on their essential and desirable criteria. Therefore, you need to read their documents carefully to find the criteria and provide an example or evidence of each point. If the job advert does not include any documents which include their criteria, then you can use the following structure for your statement and use the Teachers’ Standards as a guide for the criteria they may be looking for.

Why you are applying for the role:

• Refer to any knowledge you have of the LA or the school, including any visits to the school and what you learned from them.
• Show you would be a good fit for the school. The best way to do this is to look at the school’s values and give an example of how you match these.
• Mention any special circumstances (for example, your religious faith) which you think are relevant.

Details about your course:

• Give an overview of your training course - including the age range and subjects covered - and any special features.
• If you are a PGCE student, mention your first degree, your dissertation (if appropriate), any classroom-based research projects and relevant modules studied. Also mention if you have studied any masters modules.

Your teaching experience:

• What year groups you have taught.
• What subjects you have covered.
• Your use and understanding of formative and summative assessment practices.

Your classroom management strategies:

• Give examples of how you planned and delivered lessons and evaluated learning outcomes, including differentiation, scaffolding etc.
• Explain how you have managed classrooms and behaviour.
• Detail your experience of working with assistants or parents in your class.

Your visions and beliefs about primary/secondary education:

• What are your beliefs about learning and your visions for the future? You could touch on areas such as learning and teaching styles and strategies.
• Reflect on key policies relevant to the age range you want to teach.

Other related experience:

• This can include information about any previous work experience.
• Include training activities you have carried out and ways in which your subject knowledge has been developed.

Other related skills and interests:

• Give details of any particular competencies, experiences or leisure interests. This will help the school to know more about you as a person and could ‘add value’ in a school environment.
• Any involvement in working with children (running clubs, youth work and summer camps) is particularly useful to include.

Aim to end on a positive note. A conclusion which displays your enthusiasm in relation to the specific application and teaching in general will enhance your application - but avoid general statements and clichés.

Written by Vinny Potter, St Marys University, Twickenham, July 2023

In partnership with

Occasionally targetjobs will work with another organisation to provide impartial careers content. This is to provide you with the most relevant information to make the best decisions about your future. As such, ‘in partnership’ content has been written or sourced by the partner organisation and edited by targetjobs as part of a content partnership.

People reading this also searched for roles in these areas:

• Graduate Jobs
• Graduate Schemes
• Internships

Related careers advice

We've got you

• Enhancing Student Success
• Innovative Research
• Alumni Success
• About NC State

Tips on Writing an Effective Teaching Statement

A teaching statement is a required application document for virtually all faculty positions. For many graduate students and postdocs who have focused exclusively on research, though, a teaching statement can be a challenge to construct.

What is a Teaching Statement?

A teaching statement is a personal document. It needs to contain your personal thoughts and experiences and include concrete examples of your teaching and mentoring style in the context of your discipline.

Some points you might want to include in your statement (taken from the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching ):

• Your conception of how learning occurs
• A description of how your teaching facilitates student learning
• A reflection of why you teach the way you do
• The goals you have for yourself and for your students
• How your teaching reflects your beliefs and goals
• What, for you, constitutes evidence of student learning
• The ways in which you create an inclusive learning environment
• Your interests in new techniques, activities and types of learning

What if I Don’t Have Much Teaching Experience?

Many research-focused trainees have not taught courses during their graduate school and postdoctoral training. They may have served as teaching assistants or given guest lectures but have not had to develop course syllabi, learning objectives, activities, and assessments.

While it seems impossible for a trainee with minimal teaching experience to construct a compelling teaching statement, that is simply not true. First, your teaching statement should be student centered (like your teaching!), which means focusing on the student outcomes you want to achieve through your teaching methods. In addition, you probably have more experience than you think. For example, you can pull from whatever teaching/mentoring experiences you have encountered in your graduate or postdoctoral training. This will probably include experiences outside the classroom, which is perfectly fine.

If you mentor students in lab on protocols or experimental procedures, you have done teaching. If you have engaged in outreach or extension, you have done teaching. If you have trained as a teacher through a hands-on program like the Graduate School Teaching and Communication Certificate , you have evidence-based knowledge to draw on. Highlight those experiences in your teaching statement.

The key to an effective teaching statement is to describe your teaching/mentoring experiences and what you learned from them in concrete and specific ways. This may also include things you learned not to do.

It is also important to reflect critically on your past, present and future experiences with teaching and describe how you will ultimately function as an effective instructor at the university you are applying to.

Reference Courses and Resources at Your Target Institution

As for all faculty application materials, a teaching statement should be tailored to the institution you are applying to. You need to do your research to determine the courses offered in the department you are applying to and consider which ones you think you are qualified to teach. Ideally, you will pick some “service” courses (i.e., intro courses the department offers to a wide range of students) and propose at least one higher-level speciality course focused on departmental majors or graduate students.

Thus, you should consult the course catalog at each institution you are applying to and list a few courses in the department you think you could teach. This action demonstrates to hiring committees your thoughtfulness and planning as you took the time to dig a little deeper into the program and envision yourself teaching there.

In addition, you will want to learn about teaching resources available at your target institution. Do they have a center for teaching and learning? If so, you may describe how you will engage with their programming and services to improve your teaching practice. Thinking ahead, most tenure reviews will evaluate (at least to some degree) your teaching effectiveness. So, being proactive in getting feedback on your teaching when you start is a smart move.

You can hopefully improve your teaching with time and show a nice upward trend in your course evaluations from your first year teaching to your intermediate first, second or third year pre-tenure review. Noting your willingness to take advantage of on campus resources for teaching and learning also demonstrates you have done your homework on your potential employer and are envisioning how you will use those resources to succeed in your faculty position.

Value of Teaching Experience Varies by Institution

If you have not utilized the Academic Career Readiness Assessment (ACRA) , you should definitely check it out.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, interviewed life science faculty at a variety of institutions —  teaching-focused, research-focused, and teaching & research-focused — about what they value in potential colleagues interviewing for faculty positions in the areas of teaching, research and publication record in addition to more subjective measures such as candidates’ collegiality, recommendation letters and institutional “fit.”

What came of those interviews? First, previous teaching experience is not a priority for research-intensive institutions. Not a single research-intensive faculty surveyed (note that the sample size was small) indicated significant responsibilities as a teaching assistant or more thorough experience (being fully responsible for organizing and teaching a course) was expected in faculty candidates.

In contrast, 2/3rds of teaching-intensive institution faculty surveyed mentioned they valued candidates being fully responsible for organizing and teaching a course with a comparable student population (i.e., undergraduates). Prospective candidates’ familiarity with teaching practices also varied by institution type (see pg 2 of ACRA ).

To summarize much of the data collected in the ACRA rubric development work : Research-intensive faculty selected the same five core qualifications from the applicant competencies list: scientific vision, scientific independence, fundability, scholarship, and fit.

• Teaching-intensive faculty selected: teaching experience, teaching philosophy, commitment to diversity, fit and collegiality.
• Research- and teaching-intensive faculty selected: collegiality, teaching experience and teaching philosophy, mentoring and research with undergraduates, and scientific communication

So, the nature of the institution you are applying to will affect the type of qualifications valued in the faculty hiring process. As a baseline, assume that you need to demonstrate teaching competence.

Try to Learn More about an Institution from Those Working There

While you can find a large amount of data on departments and institutions online, including courses offered, resources available to new faculty and priorities for tenure review, some details can only be gleaned from talking with individuals working there.

As a final piece of advice, then, I would highly recommend you speak to assistant professors in departments you are planning to apply to to better understand the expectations of junior faculty in that department at that institution.

Speaking with new faculty is also a great way to learn about how newly hired faculty are supported. Do teaching responsibilities ramp up from year 1 to year 2? Are there resources in place to aid you in your teaching and research?

You could do this outreach in a manner that is respectful of assistant professors’ time. If they don’t get back to you, don’t annoy them. Remember that they are busy people. However, you might be surprised with how many agree to a quick 15-20 minute phone call for you to ask them some thoughtful questions.

Some of your more detailed questions about the institution could wait for the job interview stage but if you can get some early details, they may help you determine how to prioritize your applications: if from your discussion with an assistant professor at a particular university reveals that the research and teaching priorities at that place fit well with your goals, you might devote extra effort to that application than for a place where the fit seems less than ideal.

Learning details about a place from what you can find on the internet, as well as from faculty working there, will not only allow you to develop more tailored materials, this process will also help you determine if working in that particular department and that specific institution fits with your own values and priorities.

More Resources

• How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy (NC State Graduate School workshop)
• Biology position
• Chemistry position
• My own teaching statement
• Samples of a variety of application materials from UCSF
• Vanderbilt Center for Teaching: Guide to Teaching Statements
• UCSF Office of Career & Professional Development: Academic Career Resources
• Including guides to & examples of application materials
• CIRTL: Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, & Learning
• How to write a teaching statement that stands out
• Teaching Statement as Self-Portrait
• Writing Teaching & Diversity Statements
• How to writing a statement of teaching philosophy that shines
• For more on the development of ACRA
• Academic Packways
• ImPACKful Tips

Leave a Response Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

More From The Graduate School

Advice From Newly Hired Assistant Professors 

Virtual Postdoc Research Symposium Elevates and Supports Postdoctoral Scholars Across North Carolina 

Expand Your Pack: Start or Join an Online Writing Group! 

Teaching Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write a teaching statement, a 1-4 page document that describes your teaching experiences and pedagogical approaches.The first time you write a teaching statement is often in the context of an application for an academic job or teaching position.

What is a teaching statement?

A teaching statement, or statement of teaching philosophy, highlights academic job candidates’ teaching qualifications, explains their pedagogical approaches, and demonstrates how they will contribute to the teaching culture of prospective institutions.

Because hiring committees for academic jobs cannot observe the teaching of every applicant, they rely on other means of evaluating a candidate’s teaching. These alternatives may include a teaching demonstration during a campus visit; a teaching portfolio consisting of student evaluations, sample syllabi, etc; and/or a teaching statement. By illustrating a candidate’s teaching experiences and philosophy with concrete examples, a teaching statement helps the hiring committee imagine what it would be like inside the candidate’s classroom.

Teaching statements will vary from candidate to candidate (and one candidate’s teaching statements may vary from application to application). The sections below offer guidelines to help you prepare, write, and revise your own teaching statement.

Preparing to write a teaching statement

An effective teaching statement involves both reflection and research. Thinking about your teaching and your goals can be helpful before you begin writing or revising your teaching statement. This process can also prepare you for interview questions that address teaching, should your application lead to an interview.

Brainstorming

Before you begin writing your teaching statement, it can be useful to think more generally about your teaching philosophy. Once you’ve brainstormed some ideas, you can then focus on how to clearly and succinctly communicate those thoughts in a teaching statement. For some general brainstorming strategies, you can consult our Brainstorming handout; the following questions will help you brainstorm more specifically about your teaching philosophy:

• What goals do you set for students in your courses?
• How do you enact those goals?
• How do you evaluate how well those goals are being met?
• What is your plan for developing your teaching? What other aspects of pedagogy would you like to develop in your practice?
• What can a student expect to experience in your class?
• What is the relationship between your teaching and research?
• What are the unique challenges or opportunities to teaching in your field?
• What is your favorite aspect of teaching? Why?
• What is your favorite course to teach? Why?
• How do you effectively teach students with diverse identities and backgrounds?
• How do your beliefs about student learning affect your instructional choices?

Consulting models

Looking at sample teaching statements can give you a better sense of the genre and can help you determine what elements you would like to include in your own teaching statement. Students in your program, recent graduates, and professors may be willing to share models, and many examples are also available online through libraries and faculty resource centers.

As you look at sample teaching statements, think about what you do or do not like about each statement. The following questions can help you determine how you might construct your own statement.

• What is the most memorable part of the teaching statement? Why?
• How is the teaching statement organized (e.g. thematically, chronologically)?
• How easily are you able to follow the structure of the statement?
• What is the writing style of the teaching statement (e.g. formal, conversational)?
• What impression of the writer does the writing style convey?
• What image of the writer are you left with after reading the entire statement?
• How well can you imagine yourself as a student in the writer’s class?

Researching the institution

Different institutions will have different teaching cultures and, therefore, will value different types of teaching statements. For example, a research university and a community college may have different approaches to teaching, so the same teaching statement is unlikely to appeal to both institutions. Instead, you should try to tailor your teaching statement to each individual institution (and department) to which you are applying.

As a first step, you can explore the institution and department websites to learn how much emphasis they place on teaching. You might also research the department faculty, their areas of expertise, and the courses they have recently taught. By learning about your audience, their teaching expectations, and their values, you can tailor your teaching statement to demonstrate how well you will fit into the department’s teaching culture.

You might also think about the department’s needs by considering current offerings and what they can tell you about the priorities and values of the department. Without making assumptions, you can ask yourself:

• How do the department’s offerings compare with common or standard course offerings in the field? How do they compare with courses you have taken or taught?
• How does your current research relate to the department’s course offerings?
• Which courses would you be prepared to teach?
• What future courses might you envision creating for the department?
• Does the department offer any special courses, seminars, or initiatives relevant to your research or teaching experience?

Although a targeted teaching statement is important at any point in the application process, the timing of the hiring committee’s request can also inform you about how targeted the statement should be. For example, if the committee requests a teaching statement after they have already reviewed your initial materials, then you should be even more purposeful in demonstrating how you will fit into their specific teaching culture and how you can contribute to their department’s teaching needs.

Drafting a teaching statement

Because teaching statements are variable in design and structure, you will have many choices to make during the drafting process. Here are some common decision points, considerations, and challenges to keep in mind while writing your teaching statement.

Organizational strategies

Teaching statements do not have one set organizational structure. Instead, you can employ different organizational strategies to emphasize different aspects of your teaching. Here are a few examples that you could consider:

Think of your teaching history as a narrative (past, present, future). How have your previous experiences informed your current practices? How might those practices transform within different contexts in the future? This narrative strategy allows you to build upon past experiences to point towards future development.

Structure your statement around your teaching goals, methods, and assessment. How do your goals inform your methods, and how do you assess the extent to which those goals have been reached? This process-oriented strategy can help you highlight connections between goals and outcomes and show how those connections inform your practice.

Identify themes, concepts, ways of thinking, or learning strategies that are prevalent in your teaching. How do these elements help students learn? This approach can characterize what’s distinctive about your teaching and how it serves students.

Be specific and concrete

Including specific details and explanations in your teaching statement will help the audience picture what it’s like to be in your classroom. Rather than simply mentioning a particular innovation or strategy, include examples of how it has helped students in practice.

Explain terms that could be open to interpretation by your reader. For example, if you mention the importance of critical thinking in your teaching statement, explain what that means to you as an instructor.

Use concrete examples from your teaching and classroom experiences to illustrate how your teaching philosophy informs your practice. How does your philosophy shape your students’ experiences in the classroom?

Incorporate inclusivity

While some applications will also require a diversity statement, the teaching statement is your opportunity to express how you consider diversity and foster inclusivity in the classroom through specific examples. Incorporating inclusivity throughout your teaching statement demonstrates that it is an integral part of your philosophy and practice rather than just a required element tacked on at the end. Here are some questions to help you reflect on how you might incorporate inclusivity in your teaching:

• How does your course material reflect contributions from diverse perspectives?
• How do you encourage collaboration among all students?
• How do you help students from diverse backgrounds feel welcome and safe in your classroom?
• How do you cultivate an inclusive learning environment that encourages students to think about the effects of racial, cultural, gender, socioeconomic, and other differences?
• How do you make your instruction accessible to students with physical disabilities and learning differences?

How do I keep my teaching statement both professional and personal?

As with most writing, knowledge of your intended audience can help guide choices around style. You can use the information you gleaned from researching the institution to develop a sense of their values and level of formality. You might also consider models, especially those from applicants at comparable career stages or applying to comparable institutions, and assess the type of language and tone used.

Especially if you are writing a statement as part of an application, your teaching statement should be unique to you. See our handout on Application Essays for more general advice on writing in application contexts.

What if I’m not an experienced teacher?

Although having extensive teaching experience may help you to draw examples for your teaching statement, prior teaching experience is not required to write a quality teaching statement. In some fields, opportunities to teach are few and far between; committees will be understanding of this, especially at institutions where research is prioritized. Regardless of whether you have much teaching experience, be sure to frame yourself as a teacher rather than a student.

Here are some strategies to help you draft a teaching statement, even if you aren’t an experienced teacher:

• If you haven’t taught your own courses, draw upon experiences when you served as a teaching assistant for another instructor.
• If you don’t have any experience teaching in a classroom, think of other transferable experiences like tutoring, coaching, or mentoring that illustrate what you would be like as a teacher.
• If you have time, seek out teaching-related opportunities, such as giving guest lectures or mentoring junior colleagues.
• If you really have no teaching experience, imagine and describe what you will be like as a teacher, propose courses that you could teach, and provide concrete techniques that you will employ in the classroom.

How do I unify diverse teaching experiences?

Having extensive teaching experience may seem like the optimal situation for writing a teaching statement, but teaching experiences that span a broad range of courses or positions may feel disjointed or difficult to connect in a single teaching statement. In these cases, remember that you can use the diversity of your experiences to highlight your strengths and the approaches that you implement in the classroom. Here are some strategies that can help you identify commonalities across your disparate teaching experiences and construct a cohesive narrative:

• Use a strategy like webbing to help you draw connections between the ideas, theories, and/or practices from your various teaching experiences. For more information about this strategy, see our Webbing video.
• Highlight the flexibility of your teaching and explain how your unique combination of skills can contribute to your success in different teaching contexts.
• Focus your teaching statement on the skills and experiences that are most transferable to your targeted position.

Remember that you don’t need to include every teaching experience in your teaching statement. Your CV will cover all of the courses that you have taught, so your teaching statement can be an opportunity to focus on specific experiences in more detail.

Revising a teaching statement

An effective teaching statement is often the product of a series of revisions. Once you have written a draft, the strategies below can help you look for opportunities to strengthen your statement for specific application contexts and audiences.

Review your application holistically

Consider how your teaching statement fits into your application as a whole. Your teaching statement should complement your other application materials without being redundant. For example, your CV likely lists the courses you have taught; your teaching statement should not repeat the list but may highlight certain courses. Similarly, whereas a research statement will go into detail about your scholarship, your teaching statement can be a place to explain how your research and teaching inform each other. Think about how your entire application paints a cohesive picture of you as an applicant, and determine whether any elements are missing and where they could be included.

Seeking feedback

After you have developed a draft of your teaching statement, seek feedback from multiple sources. Professors, especially those who have served on hiring committees, can provide informed suggestions about the genre, but other helpful readers include fellow students, roommates, partners, family members, and coaches at the Writing Center. Asking these readers for feedback about your entire application can help you identify redundancies or gaps that you could address. See our Getting Feedback handout for advice on how to ask for effective feedback.

Editing and proofreading

Like all application materials, your teaching statement should be free of mechanical errors. Be sure to edit and proofread thoroughly. See our Editing and Proofreading handout or Proofreading video for some strategies.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Meizlish, Deborah, and Matthew Kaplan. 2008. “Valuing and Evaluating Teaching in Academic Hiring: A Multidisciplinary, Cross-Institutional Study.” The Journal of Higher Education 79 (5): 489–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2008.11772114 .

Montell, Gabriela. 2003. “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy.” The Chronicle of Higher Education , 27 Mar. 2003. https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133 .

O’Neal, Chris, et al. 2007. “Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search.” Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. University of Michigan. http://www.crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/CRLT_no23.pdf .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

• Applying to Uni
• Apprenticeships
• Health & Relationships
• Money & Finance

Personal Statements

• Postgraduate
• U.S Universities

University Interviews

• Vocational Qualifications
• Accommodation
• ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
• ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
• ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
• ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

• ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
• ​​​​​​​Technology
• ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Guide

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements

International Student Personal Statements

Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

English and tesol personal statement example.

Working abroad as an English Teaching Assistant has ignited a passion for English I never knew existed. Seeing how powerful the English language is, being able to convey thoughts, makes me want to enhance my knowledge of English. The additional TESOL qualification moulds a course that is perfect for my ambition; to be able to teach English to those who requires the full understanding of the language.

I feel ready to immerse myself into a higher level of English and the high work load that the course requires, which I have steadily been preparing for. In my own time I have started to read more books, such as, Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory’ by Peter Barry and authors such as Alex Garland and D.H Lawrence, whose novels are fascinating. Exploring these different writing styles motivates me to learn about others. During my time at university, I will acquire new and refine existing skills. This includes: how to critically examine diverse forms of communication, improve my writing skills to create meaning between the lines and better my critical thinking skills. Learning these skills will be indispensable for all potential occupations.

I was eager to gain some experience working in a different country so I went to Spain. I worked as an English Teaching Assistant, which forms part of my motivation to study the TESOL part of the course. One activity we planned was to set-up a market in the local town, where children ran their own stalls and sold items they made. This activity improved the children’s team-working skills and gave them an opportunity to use English in a practical way. Subsequently the children improved their ability to form questions, as they could do this quicker than before. As the year came to an end, I was teaching classes by myself and helping teachers with their English. I observed teachers and became aware of the fact that teachers need to have premeditated lesson plans, have excellent time management skills, adaptability and always thrive to improve themselves and their student's. I will be looking to enhance these skills during my time at University.

During my time in Spain I learnt Spanish. This improved my overall communication because I had to consciously think about sentence structure which improved my awareness of how to say things in English. The experience of learning Spanish has taught me that education is the way forward and that I must develop my knowledge further.

I have pursued my interest in Lacrosse, through discovering the game at eighteen to playing against the Spanish national team; this shows my commitment and self-confidence. To play in front of a crowd you need the commitment to train and push yourself to play at higher levels and then the confidence to showcase your skills in a pressured environment. It takes hours of practicing shooting in your back garden to score goals in a match. These skills are necessary to succeed at University.

Between the ages of fifteen to eighteen, I volunteered in the ‘Sporting Chances’ project. This was aimed at giving younger children extra-curriculum activities, which were mainly, but not limited to, football and basketball. In this role I assisted and led football drills and matches. This shows initiative and also provided me with an opportunity to serve my community. I like to travel and experience new cultures. In June I will walk ‘Camino de Santiago’, a 484 mile trek which starts in Southwestern France and ends in Northwestern Spain, next to the Atlantic Ocean. This shows my love of travelling, my independence and organisational skills.

I await this demanding degree course that will challenge me to the edge of my capabilities and I hope that the desire for who I can become, outweighs any negatives that may stand in my way. I believe that the previous two years out of education, coupled with my Foundation year, makes me confident that I possess the skills and commitment to succeed at University.

Profile info

There is no profile associated with this personal statement, as the writer has requested to remain anonymous.

Author's Comments

I was contacted by the Universities saying that my personal statement was impressive, i hope it'll be useful for others who are looking to apply to Uni! Good luck :)

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Add new comment.

Cookies on Teaching Vacancies

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use this service and help us improve it. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

beta This is a new service - your feedback will help us to improve it.

How to write a teacher personal statement

What experience do you have, are you engaged in teaching theory and research, are you up to date on safeguarding statutory guidance, what are your skills and qualities, how can you contribute to wider school life, search for roles.

Your personal statement is your first opportunity to show the school you’re a great fit for the job, and gets you closer to being shortlisted for an interview. The more you show how your skills and interests match the school’s ethos and values, the better. We’ve spoken to a range of teachers to get their top tips for success.

Schools want to hear about your trainee experience with different subjects, key stages, types of school, and working with a range of pupils.

Think about your approach to teaching, how you keep pupils engaged, and how you communicate with different kinds of people (children, staff, parents and carers). Ensure you provide evidence for how you have improved student engagement and built positive relationships with pupils.

Schools will be interested in your approach to behaviour management, so think about your go-to strategies.

Think about any research that has affected your teaching practice. Explain what has worked well and if it didn’t, what you learnt.

You need to demonstrate your awareness of the importance of safeguarding and the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education . Include any examples of how you worked with a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Are you a well-organised, confident, and motivated teacher? Say it, and provide examples! Schools are looking for great communicators, team players and relationship builders. Make sure you say how you create a positive learning environment, and consider skills like time management, organisation, and flexibility. Schools will also want to know how you overcome challenges.

Set yourself apart by showing how your hobbies and achievements could contribute to the wider school community. Could you run an after school club or organise school trips?

Search for roles on Teaching Vacancies now.