Elementary School Teacher Resume Skills and Keywords

What skills should I put on an elementary school teacher resume?

The top skills to put on an elementary school teacher resume are education and training, therapy and counseling, and learning strategies. Employers also look for integrity, cooperation and social orientation, which are best shown through results in your bullet points rather than listed. For software, list what the posting names; elementary school teachers most often use multi-media educational and computer based training software.

• Education and Training knowledge
• Therapy and Counseling knowledge
• Learning Strategies
• Integrity
• Cooperation
• Social Orientation

What software should elementary school teachers know?

No single program shows up often in elementary school teacher job postings. Elementary school teachers most often use multi-media educational, computer based training and desktop communications software, so list the specific products a posting names and you have used.

Leave off Web browser software, Microsoft Outlook and Email software: employers assume you know them.

What hard skills do employers want in elementary school teachers?

Elementary school teachers need education and training, therapy and counseling, learning strategies, and instructing far more than most workers. Name these in your resume summary and prove each one with a bullet that shows you using it.

• Education and Training · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Therapy and Counseling · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Learning Strategies · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Instructing · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Teaching others how to do something.
• Psychology · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• English Language · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Compared with the average rating across all jobs in Department of Labor data.

What soft skills do elementary school teachers need?

The most important soft skills for elementary school teachers are integrity, cooperation and social orientation, followed by self-control and stress tolerance. Show them through results in your bullet points rather than listing them as single words.

1. Integrity: A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.
2. Cooperation: A tendency to be pleasant, helpful, and willing to assist others at work.
3. Social Orientation: A tendency to seek out, enjoy, and be energized by social interaction at work.
4. Self-Control: A tendency to remain calm and composed and to manage emotions effectively in response to criticism or difficult situations at work.
5. Stress Tolerance: A tendency to cope and function effectively in stressful situations at work.

What keywords should an elementary school teacher resume include?

An elementary school teacher resume should include the exact tool names, skills and job title from the posting. For elementary school teachers, common keywords include education and training, therapy and counseling, Art Teacher, and Classroom Teacher. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters scan for these words, so use them wherever they truthfully describe your experience.

How do I write elementary school teacher resume bullet points?

Start each elementary school teacher bullet point with a past-tense verb and a core task, such as “Adapted teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests,” then end it with a measurable result: what changed, by how much, and for whom. These starters come from the job’s most important tasks.

What are other job titles for an elementary school teacher?

Other job titles for an elementary school teacher include Art Teacher, Classroom Teacher, Elementary Classroom Teacher, Elementary Teacher and Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher). Government job data groups them as “Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.” Search for these titles too, and use the posting’s exact title on your resume when it fits your experience.

• Art Teacher
• Classroom Teacher
• Elementary Classroom Teacher
• Elementary Teacher
• Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher)
• Music Teacher
• Primary Teacher
• Reading Teacher
• Teacher
• Art Educator
• Art Instructor
• Band Teacher
• Bilingual Instructor
• Bilingual Teacher
• Choir Teacher
• Educator
• Elementary Art Teacher
• Elementary Education Teacher
• Elementary Educator
• Elementary PE Teacher (Elementary Physical Education Teacher)

What education do elementary school teachers need?

Most elementary school teachers need a bachelor's degree to get hired. No prior work experience is usually required. On your resume, list coursework or certifications in education and training, therapy and counseling, and psychology. In a federal survey, 78% of elementary school teachers said the job requires a bachelor's degree and 22% a master's degree.

How much do elementary school teachers make?

Elementary school teachers earn a median salary of $63,970 a year, according to May 2025 federal wage data. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $47,960, and the highest-paid 10% earn more than $104,340. Employment is projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all jobs, with about 87,500 openings a year.

Openings still come up as people retire or move on, but in a shrinking field, skills that carry over to other jobs matter more on your resume.

What other jobs can elementary school teachers do?

Elementary school teachers’ skills carry over best to jobs as secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education; middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education; and adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors, which use the most similar skills and day-to-day work.