11 Substitute Teacher Resume Examples for 2026

How to Write a Substitute Teacher Resume

Craft a standout substitute-teacher resume using clear formatting, active language, quantifiable achievements, and tailored keywords to pass ATS filters and impress hiring managers.

Substitute teaching demands quickness to adapt, and your resume should rightfully show that you can handle these challenges while supporting the school’s learning environment. For starters, avoid using fancy graphics to “show off your teaching skills in style.”

Your main focus on the resume should be about previous substitute teacher work experience, a strong skillset, and your education qualifications in teaching.

Below, we’ll cover how you can:

• Craft an objective/summary to show your teaching prowess
• Quantify your teaching work experiences
• Use a template that displays your career in a clean format
• Add EduTech skills to show you’re keeping up with modern teaching standards
• Write a strong cover letter for your application

How to format your resume for ATS and recruiters

Don’t underestimate the importance of good resume formatting. When done well, it ensures that your substitute teacher resume is easy to read, flows logically, and is complete. 

When you’re formatting your resume, focus on the following:

Resume format options

You can format your resume in many different ways, but reverse-chronological, functional, and combination/hybrid formats are the most popular in 2026 for a reason. Let’s go through each one:

Though every format has unique advantages, we recommend using reverse-chronological formatting. It’s the most common format, and it’s the easiest to read. 

Unlike in your classroom, individuality isn’t always rewarded when it comes to resume formatting. Instead, use the content of your resume to set yourself apart from the crowd!

What is the best resume template for a substitute teacher?

The resume design is the first thing employers see, so the best substitute teacher resume template is one that contains all your key details and experience while having enough white space.

Choosing the right template can be difficult, and if you can’t set your heart on one, simply choose the highlight BEAM template from our list. Its design suits all professions and helps you stand out from the crowd.

How do you describe being a substitute teacher on a resume?

Describing your substitute teacher work experience on a resume is simple: Focus more on qualified achievements and less on generic wording. Include specific metrics that prove your contribution had a positive effect on students.

You should use strong action words to show your substitute teacher experience, such as:

• Engaged
• Developed
• Taught
• Improved
• Grew
• Fostered
• Assisted

Since this is a teaching role, refrain from using causative verbs like “Lowered” or “Reduced” since they can put out a negative vibe. Instead, pick augmentative action words like “Increased” or “Improved” to instantly grab an employer’s attention.

How to craft the contact info and header

Thought you’d learned all the rules for formatting your resume? Well, it turns out that the overall layout across your resume is critical for creating good flow and helping hiring managers make sense of who you are as a candidate. 

To avoid looking like a student who was struggling to meet the minimum page requirement, try using a 10-12 point font for your body text. It’s big enough to be readable without being huge (and a space-filler) or too small (to make extra room). For headers, you can go with a 20-24 font, and you can use a touch of color to really make them pop. Here’s one example from our resume samples:

Don’t forget proper alignment, too! Having 1-inch margins will make your resume look that much more polished. 

Of course, don’t leave a recruiter wondering how to reach out to you. Include a proper header including your contact information at the top left, right, or center of your resume. 

There are countless ways you can format your resume contact information and headers. Need inspiration? Check out this picture from one of our resume examples, complete with two links:

If you want more formatting help for your contact information, there are plenty of resume examples you can use to brainstorm. Our top tip: keep this information at the top of your resume and easy to read.

How to ensure ATS and readability for your resume

ATS, or Applicant Tracking Systems, is more than just software; it’s the natural nemesis of countless job seekers. Dozens of applicants aren’t considered for jobs solely based on the ATS’ recommendations.

Luckily, if you know how ATS works, you can unlock the full potential of your substitute teacher resume. Basically, hiring managers use ATS to pre-filter through resumes by matching selected keywords to words used on your resume.

You can help ATS read your resume correctly by:

If you’re getting overwhelmed by all these formatting rules, don’t worry. As a substitute teacher who’s busy educating the next generation, you don’t need to spend your precious time nitpicking over formatting decisions. Try using an AI resume builder or a really good resume template to do the hard work for you and make formatting your resume a breeze.

What are the key components of a substitute teacher resume

We know that writing an effective resume is a serious challenge, but you can accomplish more (and not feel overwhelmed) by going one section at a time.

Let’s go through all the essential (and optional) sections on your substitute teacher resume, including: 

What’s the objective/summary all about?

Few job applicants understand the subtle, but important, differences between a resume objective and summary. While both are optional resume sections that consist of two to four short sentences, they serve different purposes. 

A resume objective focuses on your eagerness for the job and why you’d be a good fit. Consider using an objective if you’re light on work experience (less than two years) or if you’re shifting careers. 

A resume summary, on the other hand, highlights how you’ve used your skills over the course of your career. You should only use one if you have 10+ years of experience. 

The most important aspect of a good objective or summary is customization. They’re only valuable if they’re specific, so your statement should always include a specific job title and relevant skills for every job you apply for.

How to present your impactful work experience

We understand that every job experience has value and has likely helped you develop into the educator you are today. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough room to include everything. 

Plus, hiring managers should only see the very best (aka the most relevant) jobs you’ve had when they read your resume. So that means your time working as a barista isn’t a great addition to your substitute teacher resume.

Instead, focus on your most recent two to four job experiences. If you don’t have much experience, shift to including projects, internships, and volunteer experiences (don’t worry, we’ll talk about these in more detail below). 

How to write your job description bullet points

So, how exactly do you write about your work experience entries on your resume (aka the meat and potatoes of your resume)?

First, eliminate lengthy paragraphs. Using three to five bullet points per work experience entry makes it easier for hiring managers to read, easier for you to write, and makes your resume more visually appealing. 

The content of your bullet points matters, too. 

Here are some substitute teacher bullet points that take these tips to heart:

These bullet points are good because they’re written in past tense using active voice, with consistent punctuation without any personal pronouns.

We know it’s a tall order to include all this, so we’d recommend just writing your resume however you want first. Then you can go back and look for these things one at a time. Start by adjusting to an active voice, then look for personal pronouns, and so on and so forth.

How to quantify your impact in past substitute teacher roles

You may have noticed one other thing about the bullet point examples listed above: they all include quantifiable metrics (numbers). 

Metrics are the key to making your substitute teacher resume successful since they increase readability and credibility. Try including metrics in at least 50 percent of your bullet points. 

As a substitute teacher, there are plenty of ways to leverage metrics. For example, take a look at the questions below:

These examples use metrics to create succinct and impressive bullet points: 

If you’re worried about specifics, know that your numbers don’t have to be perfect—just an estimate will work. The numbers are there, so find them and use them!

Want a good example? Check out this picture from one of our resume examples with metrics in every bullet point:

Top substitute teacher skills to include

It might not be the most exciting part of your resume, but it would behoove you to pay special attention to the skills section on your resume. 

This section is an excellent resource for hiring managers to see if you could be a good fit for their substitute teaching job. After all, it’s a list of keywords listing your abilities; there’s no better place to quickly determine if you’re right for the job!

It’s also critical that you get this right if you want to pass the ATS scan. Without enough matching words, your resume might never see the eyes of the hiring manager. 

Focus primarily on hard skills and technology that meet classroom needs, which are much easier to demonstrate and measure. Soft skills can play supporting roles to your hard skills. Aim to include six to 10 total skills, such as: 

These are appropriate because they focus more on hard, measurable skills rather than soft, less-relevant abilities. 

The key to getting this section right is by reading the job description. Scan it carefully to find repeated keywords that you can highlight on your substitute teacher resume. 

How to add education, certs, projects, interests, and hobbies

Typically, substitute teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree, with many preferred candidates studying early childhood education, psychology, or English. Of course, this varies by school, and some hiring managers may be fine with an associate’s degree. 

When you’re listing your education level, focus on the basics, like university name, graduation year, degree title, and awards. If you have an associates degree or higher, you don’t need to include your high school diploma. 

Certain states or organizations may require you to have (and maintain) certifications. This calls for a new section, even if you only have one certificate or license. Whatever you have, include it, whether it’s a state license in Substitute Teaching or a Special Education Certificate.

Finally, if you’ve got a bit of wiggle room, you can consider including an optional section to outline your interests and hobbies on your resume. Though most substitute teachers don’t need this section, it can be helpful in the following circumstances: 

How to customize your resume for every substitute teacher job listing

Make sure your resume is specifically tailored to each job to which you apply. We’ve touched on customization throughout this guide, but it’s an important enough point that it bears repeating. 

Focus your attention on altering your objective/summary (if used), skills section, and job description bullet points for every job ad. 

To make your life easier, you can create a master list of your skills, potential work experiences, and drafts of possible objectives/summaries in a separate document. Then, you can pull from this document to make fully customizing your resume less of a hassle. 

Edit for a flawless substitute teacher resume

As a substitute teacher, you’ve probably advised countless students to carefully proofread their essays and exams before they submit them. Although you probably just want to get this whole job application thing over with, it’s worth taking your own advice. 

Step away from your resume for a day, and consider having friends or family review your work. Once you’ve had other people look it over, make sure you check your resume yourself one final time. You can even reach out to your alma mater to inquire about resume editing services they might provide for alumni. 

How do I write a substitute teacher cover letter?

You want to include the key parts of your resume in a cover letter or simply use a cover letter generator to do the same. If you’re writing one yourself, convert 2–3 bullet points into small paragraphs and include your best skills.

Give the employer a date when you’re available to discuss your application further and don’t forget to give your thanks. Before hitting send, quickly proofread it and make sure your passion for teaching is visible throughout.

Wrap up

Give yourself a pat on the back, because you’ve just taken a major step toward perfecting your substitute teacher resume! Even if you’re not yet done editing your resume, you’ve started your journey by putting in txtra research time.

If you want to see how your resume formatting and content stacks up, you can use our resume checker to get AI-powered tips and tricks. Or, if you want to start from scratch, our resume builder deals with the formatting headache for you and provides AI-powered tips for improvements. 

We know you’re going to do an awesome job teaching the next generation!