How to Write a Winning Teacher Cover Letter (Letter of Intent)

Whenever you search for a job, you will notice that the first two requirements are always cover letter and curriculum vitae (others use the term resume even if they mean curriculum vitae or CV). 

The cover letter will be read first with the CV attached for perusal. They are both printed in a short bond paper. The cover letter is just a single page document, while CV usually takes 2-3 pages as it lists and showcases your credentials. So basically, the cover letter is like a 30-second advertisement that persuades the hiring committee to learn more about you. If not done right, they’ll just click SKIP AD. 

This Blog Post #2 is about HOW TO WRITE A WINNING COVER LETTER. Let’s save the CV for the next blog entry.

The goal of the cover letter is to entice the hiring committee to meet you for an interview or teaching demo, by highlighting your credentials, your intention and answering why you are a good fit for the position.

So here’s the overview. You may click the cover letter sample for the pdf file. 

 

As you can see, the pdf file contains two pages. The first one is a cover letter of an experienced teacher, and the second one is a sample for a first-time applicant or fresh graduate. 

Important Things You Need to Know:

1. Your cover letter should fit on a short bond paper. Take note, one page only.

2. The text should be justified.  

3. Check your paper. A poorly written cover letter with writing issues like grammatical errors, mistakes in spelling, and capitalization is less appealing to those who read it. You do not want your paper to be disregarded and forgotten. We all want to be prioritized and be given a chance. So, before submitting it to the hiring committee, have your paper checked by someone you know can help you with this, or visit Grammarly. I use Grammarly whenever I write.

4. Pay attention to details. Whenever I see a job posting online, especially in a Facebook group, I see a lot of people commenting “how”, “location” and “please pm me”. Teachers, please avoid that. First, it’s annoying. Second, it just gives others the impression that you’ve either got poor reading comprehension or you lack research skills. For instance, the job posting is:

ABCDEFG INTEGRATED SCHOOL is looking for teachers for the following levels:
-Preschool
-Gradeschool
-Junior Highschool

Please send your cover letter and CV at abcdefgschool@gmail.com, with the letter addressed to Dr. Vowels Reyes. You may visit the school to apply directly. Please look for our HR officer, Ms. Anne.

Most job postings are written that way. Does one really need to comment “how?” “please pm me”? First-to answer your HOW-you need to craft your cover letter addressed to Dr. Reyes. Attach your curriculum vitae. The two documents should be word-processed, not handwritten. Save them as a pdf file and send it to the indicated email address. After sending, that’s the time you may message the one who posted the job posting to the group and tell him/her that you’ve sent your cover letter and CV via email. That’s how it goes, you do not command the HR to “pm” you. Second, if you want to know the location, search the website or Facebook page of the said school.

When writing your cover letter, being keen to details is a must. 

5. Remember the names. If you do not know the principal or school head, please address your letter to HIRING PROFESSIONALS. So just write, Dear Hiring Professionals:

6. Emphasize your credentials. State the university you’ve attended, the course you’ve taken. Indicate if you’re a LET passer, but if not, you may not mention it in your letter. Leave it for the interview. Most schools are still accepting non-LET passers but for career development and more opportunities, you should also work on taking and passing the licensure examination for teachers. If you are a fresh graduate, indicate the best things you've done or learned during your internship or practice teaching, in a way that those experiences can also contribute to the school. 

7. Indicate your teaching philosophy. As a teacher, what do you firmly believe in? What are your principles? How do you view the role of teachers? How do you see your students? Do you believe that children learn by doing? Do you believe students learn best when pressured? Do you believe that education should be student-centered? Do you believe that teachers know better and that they should be the ones to determine the set of activities to give their students instead of just following the students’ interests? Recall the philosophies you’ve studied back in college and how it fits the need of the school.

8. Individualize your cover letter. Tailor your philosophy to match the identity of the school. The template above is a cover letter for a catholic school, that’s why I’ve stated: “…it takes a passionate, dedicated and a God-fearing educator to bring out the best in every child of your school.” In this statement, I’ve highlighted the fact that I am a follower of God and I give importance to upholding the values of the school.

If it’s an international school, you can personalize your letter by telling how you bring your students together despite their differences. If it’s a progressive school, you can share your views on how you work as a progressivist or how you plan to teach with this approach. If it’s a language school, you can indicate how you unleash your student’s confidence in speaking that language. That being said, it’s important to know the school well so you can craft a cover letter that convinces the hiring committee that you fit in the school and they should call you for an interview to know you more.

9. For the last paragraph, indicate how they can reach you. Make sure to indicate your active contact number. Indicate your email address. Make sure the email is working and correct. For instance, your email is teacherfaithy@gmail.com. One missing letter, they’ll fail to reach you. If you’ve written @yahoo.com for a Gmail account, they won’t be able to reach you, too.

One last thing, make sure your email looks and sounds like a professional one. Emails like kissme143@gmail or emoblackbutterfly666 sound ridiculous, but ok for personal use. Consider making a new one for work purposes.

So, that's it! You can now start writing your cover letter. 

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