How to do a cover letter for a teaching job

As a teacher and author of the upcoming book entitled "Think Like an Interviewer: Your Job Hunting Guide to Success," let me show you how to write an effective teaching cover letter.

Instructions

1. **Letter format**

   Let me begin by saying that a teaching cover letter is basically the same as any other. It should be formatted as a business letter. Whether or not you want to use the block style with everything lined-up on the left is up to you.

   Many use this format; others use semi-block, where the first line of each paragraph is indented 5 spaces (1 tab). And some will choose to use the simplified format, which has no greeting in it.

   Which way you choose to go is a personal choice, but I did want to mention a couple of available formats.

2. **Addressing your letter**

   With teaching positions, it's very important to have that personal touch. After all, teachers work very closely with their students and need to connect with them in order to be effective. So a cold, impersonal leter would send the exact opposite message!

   This means your letter should absolutely be addressed to a specific person! Otherwise, you look cold and distant. Teachers get to know one another; teachers and students work very closely day in and day out; and teachers and staff get to know each other pretty well. So the teaching profession is a very close personal one. Often times, we address people on a first name basis, even in interviews. So your cover letter has to convey this sense of personal touch and friendliness.

   Therefore, always address your letter to a specific person! Who that person will be depends on what level you teach. For example, on the college level where I teach, it's customary to contact the head of the department or division where I want to teach. For example, I could send my letter to the head of the accounting department if I want to teach accounting. Or I could send it to the head of the business division if I want to teach in a variety of business departments.

   In the public school system, it's very common to send letters to the district's superintendent. Or to the principal of a particular school if that's where you want to teach.

   Either way, it must be addressed to a specific person.

3. **Salutation or greeting**

   With teaching cover letters, it's all right to use a greeting like Dear Jack instead of Dear Mr. Laughlin. Why? Because teaching is a very personal and friendly environment. So it's very common for cover letters to be more friendly in the greeting. It represents a colleague feeling.

   Now when it's a doctor (Ph.D., M.D., Ed.D., etc), some will use something like Dear Dr. Laughlin out of a sign of respect. However, it's not absolutely required as people in the teaching profession are often on a first name basis. But I suggest addressing a person with a doctorate as Dr. They've earned it and I think it's more respectful of you.

   It's also quite common to use a greeting like Hello to foster a more friendly feel to your cover letter. But some think it's too friendly at this point. However, it could be appropriate when you do know the person or have been referred by someone that person knows very well.

   Once again, it's a personal choice how to address your letter. But using first names is commonplace. If you don't feel comfortable using first names, then using the business standard of last names won't hurt your chances of success.

   So feel free to use whatever you are most comfortable with.

4. **Length**

   A teaching resume can easily be more than a single page. In fact, I've seen some that are 10 or more pages in length! Why? Because it has publications, articles, research, subject areas, etc. These are all important factors in hiring teachers.

   But it's totally inappropriate for a cover letter! The purpose here is to present a quick overview of your teaching background and not every single detail. So your cover letter should be a page at the very most!

5. **Content**

   What information goes into a teaching cover letter is essentially the same as for any other job. You'll have your work history, education and training, and your teaching skills.

   Within your letter, I suggest you mention things like:

   a) The type of students you've worked with--ages, genders, ethnicities, etc. This is important to show how well you'd interact with the school's student population.

   An alternative if you don't want to give specifics is to indicate you've worked with a multiculural student population. If the school wants to know more about the students, then that's an interview question.

   b) Instructional methods you've used or would use. This is important to show what kind of teacher you'd be. And perhaps how flexible you'd be in alternative ways to instruct. Effective teachers know that students don't all learn the same way! So having different instructional means in your arsenal is key to success.

   c) Your overall teaching philosophy--Your approach to teaching (instructing). This is important to see what your approach to teaching is. This can tell me if you have similar views as our school and other faculty. With teaching, your thinking and perspective are very important!

   d) Subjects or subject areas taught--For public school, this can be grade levels and any other areas like special ed or vocational classes. This tells me a little about what you've taught before. And if you've done it before, you can do it again. It also helps me see where you might fit in.

   If you're a student or recent grad, then you can include any student teaching or tutoring you've done. Remember, tutoring is teaching! The only difference is the environment in which that teaching was done. Tutoring isn't classroom teaching; it's more one-on-one. And even if you did group tutoring, it's more like counseling instead of classroom teaching.

6. **Closing**

   Don't forget to end your letter without telling me how to reach you if I want to interview you or ask questions. If you're using a letterhead format, that info will be at the top. But I'm at the bottom right now and shouldn't have to look elsewhere for something that should be right here. So repeat it at the end!

   And never say you'll call me unless I ask you to! I've seen this mistake in countless resume and cover letter books. It's my decision to contact you and not the other way around!

   And of course, don't forget to sign your letter. I have seen some that weren't signed or were simply initialed. No! This isn't a memo, this is a business letter asking me to hire you. Sign it or you won't be considered!

   Final thing is to thank me. That's just common courtesy and the nice thing to do. Besides, I didn't have to spend my valuable time reading it; I chose to! So not thanking me would be rude and unprofessional. And will not convince me to hire you at all!

Tips & Warnings

• Address your letter to a specific person--chair, superintendent, dean, etc

• It's common to address people by first names in the teaching profession. Whether or not you choose to in your letter is up to you. But it's not uncommon to do so

• Your teaching philosophy or approach to learning is extremely important and should be in there

• Mold your letter for the job and school!

• Don't send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) or postcard. This is a cover letter and so there's nothing to return. If you want an acknowledgement that it's been received, then send it certified mail so you'll get a receipt. However, this isn't really necessary in my opinion

• Unless I ask you to, never say you'll call me! If I want to interview you or askk questions, I will. But it's my decision and not yours to make.