The cover letter of a high school teacher is not all about the grades and subject matter. How do you bring your subject to life? Have you embraced technology to enhance the learning experience? How does it feel to be in your classroom? Why do your students respond to your teaching methods? These things are best expressed in your high school teacher cover letter.
With 180+ cover letter examples and writing guides, Resume.io is a career resource for job seekers in all fields, including teaching. In this cover letter example and guide, we consider:
- How the format of your teacher cover letter can outline your career highlights.
- What to include in the introduction, middle part and conclusion.
- Selecting which achievements to include – what are principals looking for?
- Mistakes to avoid. Advice for teachers with minimal experience.
According to Zippia, there are currently 55,309 openings for a high school teacher in the U.S. with an average salary of $46,618.
Best format for a high school teacher cover letter
Every high school teacher understands the need for structured communication. After all, their students need clarity. The cover letter structure serves a similar purpose when it comes to conveying your teaching story. Follow this classic CV format. Doing anything else would be the equivalent of failing a basic spelling test.
- Cover letter header
- Greeting / salutation
- Cover letter intro
- Middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- Ending paragraph of your cover letter
This cover letter guide and example is geared towards high school teachers, but it’s worth checking out Resume.io’s comprehensive cover letter example which brings together a range of job search advice.
Here is an example of a high school teacher cover letter example for some inspiration:
Re: High School Teacher role
12/01/22
Dear Mrs. Wittings,
As a former university lecturer in Physics, I understand what it takes for science students to excel. In my current high school role, I enjoy nurturing the scientific minds of tomorrow. 80% of my students go on to further education.
Science teaching is about molding minds. Examinations are secondary. My students achieve a 94% pass rate in state examinations and 30% go onto Ivy League education. Enquiring minds find my classroom a safe space to make mistakes and discover the unknown. Practical lessons were conducted in the school and at the labs of the local university, as well as pratical experience with leading local research organizations.
Your students naturally have a wide range of abilities from grades 9 to 12 – my track record of improving outcomes within this age bracket is proven. Physics is the sort of subject where setting stretch targets for the most able is always possible. Some of the topics are heavily mathematically-oriented, so I also run a “Physics Numbers” club, giving the less a ble students a chance to catch up.
As a senior teacher, I am accustomed to assisting younger colleagues and exploring new technologies. My use of smart boards was replicated by science teachers across the district.
I would look forward to the opportunity of an interview. Your policy of open lessons for potential new starters would offer an interesting insight into your school.
Sincerely,
Simon Frapswick
Cover letter header
The header of a cover letter should tick all the essential boxes for a high school teacher. No red pen allowed here. In all seriousness, double check that all the information here is correct as any mistakes will cloud the rest of the application.
The header contains the contact details of the applicant. They should share their full name, email address and mobile phone contact number. Make sure that the email is your name and hosted by one of the main providers.
You don’t have to include your full address (there are data protection concerns). You can give the full address at offer stage. As this is a formal letter, you might choose to include the inside address of the school, although this is not a requirement these days as the letter is sent by email and only rarely by snail mail.
Goal of the cover letter header: Share your essential contact details here and add a bit of color or another design element if desired.
Cover letter greeting and introduction
It is essential to start the greeting with “Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms. Surname.” A more informal “Hi Surname” or “Good Morning Surname” might be acceptable in the staff room, but not in a formal cover letter. Under no circumstances should you write “To Whom It May Concern.”
Make the effort to find out the name of the principal or hiring manager – if you need to make a call to the school that is fine. You might have an opportunity to ask any other questions that you might have, but don’t waste the receptionist’s time more than you need to.
Goal of letter greeting: Sometimes norms of communication must be respected (such as parent’s evening). Getting the greeting right shows that you are a safe pair of hands.
The introduction of a high school teacher cover letter is where you can start talking about your impact in the classroom. It is important to share an achievement rather than simply parrot a description from the job description. You need to differentiate yourself in terms of how you improve outcomes for your students.
What is the biggest challenge? How is your department performing? What ages will you be teaching and how will your specific previous experience help? See how these questions are answered in our cover letter sample. Offer examples that your competition will struggle to match.
Goal of the cover letter intro: Quantifying your impact with educational outcomes in a relevant context is the best way of starting a high school teacher cover letter.
Dear Mrs. Wittings,
As a former university lecturer in Physics, I understand what it takes for science students to excel. In my current high school role, I enjoy nurturing the scientific minds of tomorrow. 80% of my students go on to further education.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The examples that you choose to share in the middle part should be guided by the detail of the job description. You should write a bespoke high school teacher cover letter for each role – principals will be able to sniff a generic cover letter from a distance. They want to feel that you understand their specific needs. No teaching job is the same.
Lastly, don’t forget to outline your educational credentials. If possible, show that you are continuing to further your teaching by taking extra certifications. Do not portray yourself as the finished article. All teachers are on a continuous journey of learning themselves. Talk about your development goals and professional ambitions. Principals want to feel that they will be in a position to help you become a better teacher.
Goal of the body of your cover letter: The middle part of the cover letter is where the bulk of your arguments should come. Make it specific to the role and offer context to your achievements where possible.
Science teaching is about molding minds. Examinations are secondary. My students achieve a 94% pass rate in state examinations and 30% go onto Ivy League education. Enquiring minds find my classroom a safe space to make mistakes and discover the unknown. Practical lessons were conducted in the school and at the labs of the local university, as well as pratical experience with leading local research organizations.
Your students naturally have a wide range of abilities from grades 9 to 12 – my track record of improving outcomes within this age bracket is proven. Physics is the sort of subject where setting stretch targets for the most able is always possible. Some of the topics are heavily mathematically-oriented, so I also run a “Physics Numbers” club, giving the less a ble students a chance to catch up.
As a senior teacher, I am accustomed to assisting younger colleagues and exploring new technologies. My use of smart boards was replicated by science teachers across the district.
How to close a high school teacher cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The close of a high school teacher cover letter should focus on one last reason to hire them, and a call to action to ask for the interview. These final words should drip with passion for the role. Teaching is all about interpersonal interaction, so showing curiosity and interest in the nuances of the role is to be admired. Make sure that you end on a high note and don’t be too presumptuous with the tone.
Goal of the ending: Be open about your enthusiasm for the role. Include a call to action that invites the principal to contact you for an interview.
I would look forward to the opportunity of an interview. Your policy of open lessons for potential new starters would offer an interesting insight into your school.
Sincerely,
Simon Frapswick
Mistakes to Avoid
Any basic mistakes will torpedo your chances of securing an interview, let alone being offered the role.
- Grammatical and spelling errors: Communicating with students in a clear and concise manner is central to being an effective teacher. Grammarly works well. Ask a friend to check that the cover letter “sounds” like you.
- Use academic language where possible: Think about the language and terminology that will be used at your future school. Copy it from the job description – your aim is to sound like one of the teaching staff. Your choice and language and register matters.
- Keep the format sharp: A great-looking cover letter instantly conveys professionalism and experience. An expertly-designed cover letter template can make it easy to find the right balance of attractiveness and functionality.
Key takeaways
- Create a high school teacher story that outlines what you are like in the classroom, your cutting-edge teaching methods and the personality that helps you to engage with even the most unruly of classes.
- Follow the normal rules of cover letter format. Think carefully about which career stories you want to include. Any achievement should be both impressive and relevant.
- Check out our adaptable high school teacher cover letter sample for a head start, but make the final high school teacher cover letter utterly your own.
Check out our education cover letter examples for more ideas on writing and formatting a great cover letter:
