keenresume
  1. Home
  2. Resume examples
  3. Education
  4. ESL teacher

ESL teacher resume example

A resume for a K-12 ESL teacher with eight years of experience, including two years teaching English abroad. ESL coordinators and principals look for the right endorsement, growth on English proficiency tests and evidence you can support content teachers, so the bullets lead with those.

ESL teacher resume example, page 1 of 2Camila Restrepo-WeissESL Teachercamila.restrepo-weiss@example.com · (773) 555-0172 · Chicago, IL · linkedin.com/in/camilarestrepoweissSummaryESL and bilingual teacher with eight years teaching English to children and adults in Chicago and Medellín. I runa middle school newcomer program, help content teachers make their lessons accessible, and bring familiesinto school in their own language.ExperienceESL Teacher, Newcomer Program (Grades 6 to 8)Aug 2022 – PresentRidgeway Middle School, Prairie Lakes School District · Chicago, IL•Teach English language development to about 60 multilingual learners a year from 14 countries, most in theirfirst two years in the US.•Average growth on the WIDA ACCESS composite was 0.9 proficiency levels a year for my students, againsta district average of 0.5.•Co-plan with 6 science and social studies teachers to add language objectives and scaffolds to every unit.•Built a family welcome program with interpreters in Spanish, Arabic and Ukrainian; conference attendancerose from 40% to 78%.Bilingual Teacher, Third Grade (Spanish-English)Aug 2020 – Jun 2022Linden Park Elementary, Prairie Lakes School District · Chicago, IL•Taught a transitional bilingual class of 22, moving students from Spanish-led to English-led instruction overthe year.•Raised the share of students meeting the spring reading benchmark in English from 35% to 60%.English TeacherJul 2018 – Jun 2020Instituto Andino de Idiomas · Medellín, Colombia•Taught English to about 120 teen and adult learners a term at CEFR levels A1 to B2.•Prepared exam classes in which 85% of students passed Cambridge B2 First.EducationM.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction2019 – 2021Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, ILB.A. in Spanish, minor in Linguistics2014 – 2018University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, ILLicense and certificationsIllinois Professional Educator License, ESL and Bilingual Education (Spanish) endorsements2020Illinois State Board of EducationCELTA2018Cambridge EnglishCamila Restrepo-Weiss · 1 / 2
ESL teacher resume example, page 2 of 2SkillsEnglish language development · WIDA standards and ACCESS data · SIOP model · Newcomer instruction ·Co-teaching · Academic language scaffolds · Translanguaging · Family engagement · Reading intervention ·Google ClassroomLanguagesSpanish Native · English Native · Portuguese ProfessionalCamila Restrepo-Weiss · 2 / 2
ESL teacherUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • The right endorsement or license: ESL, ESOL, TESOL or bilingual endorsement in the state, with the grade band.
  • Language growth data: WIDA ACCESS, ELPAC, TELPAS or another state test, plus students reclassified.
  • Program models you know: newcomer, pull-out, push-in, co-teaching, dual language, transitional bilingual.
  • Support for content teachers: language objectives, scaffolds, co-planning, professional development.
  • Family engagement and languages: the languages you speak and how you reach families who do not speak English.

Writing the summary

Name the learners you teach (grade, age, newcomers or long-term English learners), your endorsement and the program model. Add the languages you speak and one result.

The summary in this example

ESL and bilingual teacher with eight years teaching English to children and adults in Chicago and Medellín. I run a middle school newcomer program, help content teachers make their lessons accessible, and bring families into school in their own language.

TEFL teacher returning to the US

English teacher with five years in language schools in Spain and South Korea, CELTA certified, teaching learners from 8 to 60 at CEFR levels A1 to C1. Now completing a state ESL endorsement and looking for a K-12 ESL role.

Adult ESL instructor

Adult ESL instructor with six years at a community college and a refugee resettlement program, teaching literacy to advanced levels in classes of 25. I connect English lessons to jobs, health care and citizenship, and 70% of my students move up a level each term.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Reclassified 22 students as fluent English proficient over three years, the highest number in the school.
  • Co-taught 8th grade science with a content teacher; English learners’ unit test average rose from 58% to 76%.
  • Trained 40 teachers in writing language objectives during 4 district professional development sessions.
  • Designed a 6-week summer newcomer academy for 35 students, covering school routines and survival English.
  • Raised the number of long-term English learners meeting their annual growth target from 30% to 55%.
  • Built a bilingual family library of 400 books in 9 languages.
  • Assessed 120 new enrollees a year with the WIDA Screener and placed them within 5 school days.
  • Started a peer buddy program pairing 50 newcomers with bilingual 8th graders.
  • Taught evening English classes to 30 parents a semester, with childcare provided by student volunteers.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • English language development instruction
  • State ELD standards and tests (WIDA, ELPAC, TELPAS)
  • Sheltered instruction (SIOP or GLAD)
  • Co-teaching and push-in support
  • Newcomer and SIFE programs
  • Literacy instruction for older beginners
  • Language screening and placement
  • Family engagement across languages

Soft skills

  • Cultural awareness
  • Patience with beginners
  • Collaboration with content teachers
  • Advocacy for students and families

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • State ESL or bilingual endorsement: required for most K-12 ESL roles; list the grade band and any language.
  • CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL: the respected international certificates, essential for adult and overseas teaching.
  • State language proficiency test for bilingual endorsements: list it if the state requires it for the endorsement.
  • SIOP or GLAD training: a plus for co-teaching and sheltered content roles.

Length and format

One page for most ESL teachers; two if you have taught across several countries and settings with results worth keeping. A languages section is essential, and the license section should be on page one.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving out the endorsement or listing it vaguely. ESL roles are filtered on it.
  • No proficiency data. WIDA or state test growth is the measure ESL coordinators know best.
  • Treating overseas teaching as a gap. Give it full detail: levels, class sizes, exam results.
  • Not saying which languages you speak and how well. Schools often hire for a specific language.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between ESL, ESOL, ELL and EL?

They are regional names for the same field. Use the term in the job ad: many states say EL or ELL for the students and ESL or ESOL for the program.

Does teaching English abroad count as teaching experience?

Yes, for your resume. Whether it counts for a US salary step depends on the district. List it with the school, levels and results.

Should I list Spanish if I am a heritage speaker?

Yes, with an honest level. If you are applying for a bilingual role, the state test or endorsement is what proves it.

Related examples

All Education examples

All resume examples