Teacher cover letter examples. Experienced, entry-level and short.

The experienced letter is written from our teacher example resume, the entry-level one is for a first teacher job, and the short one fits an email. Copy the closest, then swap in your own results.

Three teacher cover letters. Pick the one closest to you.

Teacher cover letter example

A grade 4 teacher moving districts. Leads with test growth, then the students behind it.

Dear Ms. Alvarez,

I'm applying for the fourth grade teaching position at Riverside Elementary. Over the last two years at Cedar Grove Elementary, my class's MAP Growth proficiency in math and ELA rose from 61% to 78%, and the largest gains came from my English learners.

That growth comes from planning for each child. I teach 28 fourth graders and plan small-group lessons each term for the 17 with IEP or 504 plans, working with our special education staff. Before Cedar Grove, I ran reading intervention for 26 third graders, and their i-Ready growth rose from 54% to 73%.

I also like building with colleagues. Five of us wrote standards-aligned units together, and our common assessment averages went from 72% to 86% in the first year we used them. I've mentored two student teachers through full spring placements, too.

Riverside's focus on literacy across every subject is the way I already teach, and I'd welcome the chance to talk about my classroom. You can reach me at the email or phone number on my resume.

Sincerely, Elena Parker

Entry-level teacher cover letter example

A new teacher after student teaching. Leads with the placement and one class result.

Dear Mr. Lopez,

I'm applying for the third grade teaching position at Maple Hill Elementary. I finished my M.A.T. this spring after a full-year student-teaching placement in a third grade class of 24 at Oak Park Elementary.

By the spring, I was planning and teaching the math block on my own. I ran a weekly small group for six students who were behind on multiplication facts, and five of them passed the end-of-unit check. I also co-planned two science units with my mentor teacher and led the family conference for half the class.

Maple Hill's push for small-group reading is how I learned to teach, and I'd love to bring it to your third grade team. My resume and my state teaching license are attached.

Sincerely, Jordan Ellis

Short teacher cover letter

For an email body or an application form's text box. One paragraph of proof.

Dear Ms. Alvarez,

I'm applying for the fourth grade teaching position at Riverside Elementary. In two years at Cedar Grove Elementary, my class's MAP Growth proficiency rose from 61% to 78%, with the biggest gains among English learners. I plan small-group lessons for 17 students with IEP or 504 plans each term and co-wrote units that lifted our grade's common assessment average from 72% to 86%.

I'd love to talk about my classroom. My resume is attached.

Sincerely, Elena Parker

Have your own results? The builder writes the letter around them as you type and saves it as Word.

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How to write a teacher cover letter. Three rules the examples follow.

Open with a result, not an adjective.
A teacher hiring manager decides in the first lines whether to keep reading. Put your strongest result there, with its number, as the example does: “Over the last two years at Cedar Grove Elementary, my class's MAP Growth proficiency in math and ELA rose from 61% to 78%, and the largest gains came from my English learners.”
Name the skills the posting names.
Use the job ad's own words for your tools and methods, such as state teaching license, elementary education and ESOL endorsement, and put each in a sentence with what came of it. A list of skills belongs on the resume.
End on this employer, not on you.
One line on why this employer, then a plain close. The example ends: “Riverside's focus on literacy across every subject is the way I already teach, and I'd welcome the chance to talk about my classroom.” Change it for every application.

What teacher screeners look for. Your letter should back it up.

Licensure before philosophy
District HR systems screen for state certification and licensure before a principal reads the file. Put the license, endorsement, grade band and subject where a parser can find them.
Class size, caseload and grade band
A grade 2 reading intervention role is not the same as middle school science. Name the grade band, subject, class size and caseload instead of relying on a generic Teacher title.
Assessment movement and support plans
Standardized assessment gains, IEP and 504 support, MTSS or RTI work and differentiation show the classroom result. A reviewer needs movement, not a claim about caring for students.
Curriculum and systems named literally
Say whether curriculum was written or only delivered. PowerSchool, Canvas, Google Classroom and Schoology are strict keyword matches in many district HR systems.

Skills to name. Only the ones you can back up.

state teaching license
elementary education
ESOL endorsement
special education
IEP
504 plan
MTSS
IDEA
grades 3-5
ELA

Pick the two or three the job posting asks for first and put each in a sentence with a result. The full teacher skills list has the rest. This job often asks for presentation skills: here’s how to show them.

Teacher cover letter questions

What should a teacher cover letter include?

The job title and employer in the first sentence, then your strongest result with its number. A teacher letter should show licensure before philosophy, class size, caseload and grade band and assessment movement and support plans. Close with one line on why this employer and a plain sign-off.

How long should a teacher cover letter be?

One page at most. The experienced letter above is 178 words, the entry-level one 128 and the short version 80. Use the short one when you're pasting into an email or an application form.

How do I write a teacher cover letter with no experience?

Lead with the closest work you have done, such as placements, internships, part-time jobs or a course project, and give each one a result. The entry-level example above shows how: a new teacher after student teaching. Leads with the placement and one class result.

Can I write a teacher cover letter for a career change?

Yes. Open with the teacher job you want, then pick two results from your current work that the new job needs, and say in one sentence what you're learning to fill the gap. The builder's Career change template is set up for this.

What skills should a teacher cover letter mention?

Two or three the job posting asks for, each in a sentence with a result, such as state teaching license, elementary education and ESOL endorsement. Leave out any you couldn't talk through in an interview.

More cover letter examples. By job.

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