How to Write an Effective Teacher Cover Letter | Includes Sample and Template | Kathleen Jasper, by Kathleen Jasper on YouTube. 19 min 15 s.
- Video length
- 19 min 15 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Read the job posting and copy out the exact job title, the school name and the top five skills or requirements it lists.
Open a blank document and set one inch margins and a simple 11 or 12 point font so the letter fits on one page.
Add a header with your name, phone, email and city, then put the date and the school's address below it.
Address the letter to a person. Check the school website for the principal or hiring chair and use their full name and title.
Write an opening of two or three lines that names the exact role and school and says you are applying for it.
Add one or two body paragraphs. Give a specific example from student teaching or your classroom that matches a skill in the posting.
Close with a short paragraph thanking the reader, saying you would welcome an interview and repeating your contact details.
Sign off with Sincerely and your full name, then read the whole letter aloud and cut anything that repeats.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the letter to one page and three or four paragraphs, since administrators read dozens of applications.
Mirror the wording of the job posting, such as differentiated instruction or data driven planning, instead of general phrases.
Skip an opening line like My name is, because your header already tells the reader who you are.
Check the school name and job title last, as those are the errors a reader notices first.
Questions
How long should a teacher cover letter be?
One page, around 250 to 400 words, in three or four short paragraphs. Hiring staff skim, so a tight letter gets read.
Should I repeat my resume in the cover letter?
No. Pick two or three moments that show the skills the posting asks for and let your resume carry the full work history.
What if I cannot find the hiring manager's name?
Use Dear Hiring Committee or Dear Smith Elementary Hiring Team. Avoid To Whom It May Concern, which reads as generic.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
