Sample English Teacher Cover Letter and Advice from HR Pros

Now that you have your teacher resume ready, it’s time to work on your cover letter. A cover letter works as an introduction to your resume, highlights its most important points and shows the employer your passion and motivation for getting the job.

Why is a cover letter important when applying for a teaching position?

Hiring managers recommend always pairing your resume with a cover letter. However, for some positions, a cover letter is especially important.

If you are applying for a teaching position, how successful you are in your job is determined not only by your knowledge and professional credentials — but also by your personality and communication skills. Teachers work with people and many of them work with children. In this job people skills are just as valuable as the knowledge you can pass to your students.

Unfortunately, it’s very hard to let your personality come through in a resume page. Resumes tend to be dry, factual and focused on what you know. Cover letters, on the other hand, are a great place to talk about your motivation, communication skills, passion for the teaching profession and lots more. Don’t miss out on this powerful opportunity to show your employer who you are beyond the numbers on your resume.

English teacher cover letter sample

First, let’s take a quick look at a sample cover letter for a teaching position. We will then go over the structure of the letter step by step to give you an idea how to format your application.

What sections should your cover letter include?

A cover letter should be more personal than a resume. And you have way more flexibility on how to structure it. However, it’s still best if it includes the following essentials:

• Header
• Greeting
• Introduction
• Call to action
• Sign-off

Let’s go over each of these sections in a bit more detail.

Cover letter header

The header of your cover letter is the part with your contact information. You can keep it short and simple and just include your name, phone number and email. Or, you can use this as an opportunity to add a bit more information about yourself and pique the hiring manager’s curiosity.

If so, you can add a link to your professional social media: LinkedIn account, professional website or online portfolio. Before you do this, however, ensure that your professional social media profiles are updated and present a clear picture of you that can impress your potential new employer.

Greeting

After your contact details, add a greeting. It’s best to address the hiring manager by name — if you know their name. This will add a personal touch to the application and may help you set off on a good note with the hiring manager.

Now, if you don’t know the name of the hiring manager, you can try to find it out.

Check the company’s web page and see if you can learn who is in charge of the hiring process.

Take a look at the company’s social media pages. Sometimes, there may be additional information there about who works at the company.

LinkedIn can be a good resource too. You can often see a list of the company’s employees here — search for the hiring manager, HR manager, talent acquisition, etc.

Finally, if all your attempts have failed, you may need to use a general greeting. In this case, we suggest going with something like “Dear Hiring Manager”. It may be best to avoid the phrases like “To Whom It May Concern”, as they may come off as old-fashioned and impersonal.

Introduction

The introduction of your cover letter is basically an elevator pitch to the hiring team. This is no place to be shy. In fact, we suggest you jump in directly with your best features, major accomplishments and key talents. The introduction of your cover letter should get very close to convincing the hiring manager that you are the best person for the job. The rest of your cover letter as well as your resume will be backing up your introduction.

Cover letter main body

The middle paragraphs of your cover letter should go into more detail about why you are the best for the job. This is the time to make your case and be specific.

You can talk about what the company will gain from hiring you. Explain that you are well familiar with job responsibilities and what’s expected of you. Offer examples from your previous employment that prove your relevant abilities and skills. You can also include information about your most important projects, professional awards and accolades and more.

Don’t use abstract and general phrasing. Instead try to be as specific as you can. Include numbers, references to specific projects and skills and more.

This may also be a good place to talk about why you want the job, why you are passionate about this career path and why you have chosen to apply for a position with this specific company.

This part of your cover longer will be the longest — but try to keep to two to three paragraphs tops.

Call to action and sign-off

It’s best to end your cover letter with a call to action. This is what you hope the hiring manager will do after reading your application. Phrasing a call to action may be tricky, but there are several proven ways to approach this:

• You can mention when you are ready to start in the new job and ask if this timing works for your employer.
• You can ask about the next step in the application process: should you wait for a response, will there be an interview, is there any additional information you should provide, etc.
• Finally, don’t forget to thank the hiring manager for taking the time to review your application.

In your sign-off, you can repeat your contact details: your phone number and email.

Extra tips for writing a cover letter

Here are a few more things to take into account when writing your cover letter:

• Most hiring managers agree that your cover letter should be under a page long.
• Don’t make your cover letter into a copy of your resume. Use it as an opportunity to tell the hiring manager more about you and highlight your most important skills.
• Be specific. Use examples from your previous work, numbers, mention keywords from the job description — and more.
• Tailor the cover letter to the position you are applying for. While re-using the same cover letter for multiple positions may sound tempting and a great way to save time, it will probably be counter-productive. The main purpose of your cover letter is to show the employer that you are interested in the job they have to offer and that you are the best candidate for this specific job. This is why it’s essential that you do your best that both your resume and cover letter are tailored for the job you are applying for.

Learn How to Write a Modern Resume in 2022

HR practitioner

Kristina Phelps

Kristina Phelps is an HR specialist who loves sharing her experience. Her two biggest passions are helping people find a perfect workplace and writing about all things HR. Kristina grew up in Boston, MA. She likes big dogs and long walks. She also helps animal shelters find new owners for cats and dogs.