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High school teacher resume example

A resume for a high school chemistry teacher with eight years in the classroom and a short industry career before it. Department heads and principals hiring secondary teachers look for subject certification, results in the courses you teach and what you add outside class, so those three lead.

High school teacher resume example, page 1 of 2ROHAN BHATTACHARYAChemistry Teacherrohan.bhattacharya@example.com | (713) 555-0189 | Houston, TXSUMMARYHigh school chemistry teacher with eight years in the classroom and two years as an industrial lab chemistbefore that. I teach chemistry the way it is practiced, with real lab work and real data, and I have grown anAP Chemistry program from 24 to 52 students while raising the pass rate from 38% to 67%.EXPERIENCEChemistry and AP Chemistry TeacherAug 2020 – PresentCypress Bend High School, Brazos Gulf ISDHouston, TX•Teach 5 sections (about 140 students) of Chemistry and AP Chemistry; AP exam pass rate (3 or higher) rosefrom 38% to 67% over four years as enrollment doubled.•Course lead for 4 chemistry teachers: pacing calendar, common assessments and data meetings after eachunit.•Rebuilt the lab program around 24 inquiry labs with a safety certification for every student; no labinjuries in six years.•Coach the Science Olympiad team of 22 students, which qualified for the state tournament in 2024 and2025.•Won $12,000 in grants from a local education foundation for probeware and a classroom fume hoodrepair.Chemistry TeacherAug 2018 – May 2020Lone Oak High School, Brazos Gulf ISDHouston, TX•Taught on-level Chemistry and Integrated Physics and Chemistry to about 150 students a year.•Started a twice-weekly tutoring session that cut chemistry course failures from 21% to 9%.Quality Control ChemistJun 2016 – Jul 2018Galveston Bay PolymersPasadena, TX•Ran gas chromatography and titration tests on about 40 production samples a day.EDUCATIONB.S. in Chemistry2012 – 2016University of HoustonHouston, TXCERTIFICATION AND TRAININGTexas Standard Certificate, Chemistry (Grades 7-12)2019Texas Education AgencyAP Summer Institute, AP Chemistry2021College Board-endorsed instituteRohan Bhattacharya · 1 / 2
High school teacher resume example, page 2 of 2SKILLSAP Chemistry curriculum · Inquiry-based labs · Lab safety and chemical hygiene · Vernier probeware ·Common assessments · Data analysis · Differentiation · Classroom management · Tutoring and intervention ·Canvas LMS · Google Workspace for Education · Science Olympiad coachingRohan Bhattacharya · 2 / 2
High school teacherUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Subject certification: the exact subject and grade band, because secondary hiring is by content area.
  • Course results: AP pass rates, end-of-course exams, course failure rates, enrollment growth in advanced courses.
  • Courses taught: on-level, honors, AP, IB, dual enrollment. Name them so a principal can picture your schedule next year.
  • Contributions beyond class: coaching, clubs, course lead roles, tutoring programs. Schools need people who take these on.
  • Safety and labs (for science): lab programs, chemical hygiene, a safety record.

Writing the summary

Say your subject, years and the courses you teach, then one result that matters in your subject (AP pass rate, end-of-course results, enrollment growth). If you had another career first, mention it in a few words: it is a strength in a secondary classroom.

The summary in this example

High school chemistry teacher with eight years in the classroom and two years as an industrial lab chemist before that. I teach chemistry the way it is practiced, with real lab work and real data, and I have grown an AP Chemistry program from 24 to 52 students while raising the pass rate from 38% to 67%.

High school English teacher

English teacher with nine years teaching English I, English II and AP Literature to students in grades 9 to 12. I teach writing as a process with weekly conferences, and my students’ passing rate on the state English II exam has been 10 points above the district average for four years.

Teacher aiming for a department head role

Mathematics teacher with eleven years and four as course lead for Algebra I, where I built common assessments and a tutoring system that raised end-of-course passing rates from 62% to 81%. Ready to lead a math department of 15 teachers.

Bullet points that work

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

  • Grew dual enrollment Chemistry from one section to three in two years, working with the local community college.
  • Raised the end-of-course exam passing rate in Biology from 74% to 88% by reteaching from item analysis after each unit.
  • Built a lab practical assessment used by 6 teachers in the district.
  • Sponsored the National Honor Society chapter of 90 students, organizing 1,200 hours of tutoring for younger students.
  • Taught a summer bridge course for 40 incoming 9th graders, cutting first-semester failures among them by a third.
  • Wrote 3 grants worth $18,000 for a 3D printer, probeware and field trips to a research university.
  • Led 4 professional development sessions on lab safety for 25 science teachers.
  • Coached 12 students to regional science fair awards over three years, including 2 who advanced to state.
  • Mentored 3 first-year teachers through the district induction program; all three stayed for a second year.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Subject expertise and curriculum (state standards, AP or IB frameworks)
  • Lesson and unit design
  • Lab instruction and safety (for science)
  • Common and formative assessments
  • Data analysis and reteaching
  • Learning management systems (Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom)
  • Differentiation for IEPs, 504 plans and English learners

Soft skills

  • Relationships with teenagers
  • Classroom presence
  • Collaboration in course teams
  • Communication with families

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • State certificate in your subject and grade band: for example Chemistry (Grades 7-12) in Texas. Hiring is filtered on it.
  • AP Summer Institute or IB training: worth listing if you teach or want to teach advanced courses.
  • Additional subject certifications: a second content area (physics, math) makes you much easier to schedule.
  • National Board Certification: for accomplished teachers, recognized across states.

Length and format

One page for most high school teachers; two if you have more than ten years with coaching or leadership roles to describe. Put certification high on page one, and keep any earlier career to one or two lines unless it relates to your subject.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving out the courses you teach. “Science teacher” is too vague for a master schedule.
  • AP pass rates with no context. Give the trend and the enrollment, because growing a program usually lowers the rate before it rises.
  • Ignoring extracurriculars. Coaching and sponsoring are often what tips a hiring decision.
  • Describing a previous career at length. One line that connects it to your subject is enough.

Questions and answers

Should I list AP pass rates on my resume?

Yes, if you teach AP. Give the rate, the trend and the number of students. Principals know enrollment growth and pass rates pull in different directions.

How do I show a career before teaching?

Keep it as a short entry under experience, with one line that shows the skill you bring to students. For alternative certification teachers, it is a strength.

Do coaching and club sponsorships belong on a teacher resume?

Yes. Add them as bullets under the teaching job or in their own short section, with results such as tournaments reached or members.

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