Teachers: whether you’re busy managing a classroom, marking homework or preparing lessons for students, the life of a teacher can be challenging. At CVapp.ie, we believe that building a great cover letter or searching for a new job be difficult or time-consuming—so whether you’re thinking about applying for a new position or applying for a brand new job role, we’ve developed our cover letter writing guide to help you craft a job-winning cover letter in no time.
To begin, each successful cover letter should contain the following elements:
We’ll review each section and provide customisable examples to help you get noticed and hired by employers faster. Let’s begin with the first essential section: the cover letter header.
Dear Principal Brady,
It is a great privilege to inspire and educate future generations of leaders. Having spent twelve fantastic years teaching in early childhood and secondary schools in Galway and Kilkenny, I have had the honour of providing guidance and instruction to more than 8,000 students over the course of my career. There is no greater joy than that of impacting young people’s lives and seeing firsthand how powerful a tool education can be.
My teaching career was shaped by the inspiring professors and staff at Dublin City University, where I earned my Bachelor of Education degree, and Trinity College Dublin, where I obtained my Master of Education. Through their guidance and direction, I developed a passion for helping students reach their academic and creative potential. I am committed to offering academic support and instruction and creating positive learning environments for students. I am also committed to creating meaningful and engaging lesson plans that allow students to explore new ideas and concepts in exciting ways.
It has been a privilege to work in my previous teaching roles, where I was able to make numerous contributions. These included:
I take great pride in helping students achieve academic greatness. I am wholly determined to achieve educational excellence, and strive to show students the power of their own potential.
I would be very interested in this teaching position and would be excited to discuss further. Please allow me the opportunity to learn more about the culture of Saint Columba College and how I can use my teaching skills to add value. I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Aisling Ferguson
First thing’s first: your cover letter needs a great header! Headers are designed to display important contact information, such as your full name, phone number, email address, and physical address (if necessary) to employers. Without a header, employers won’t know where to contact you, and nobody wants to miss out on a job opportunity because they forgot to add their contact details or they mistyped a phone number—oops! For that reason, we recommend thoroughly reviewing the contact details you’ve included in your header and ensuring the information is accurate and up-to-date. You can also choose to include links to any professional websites or social media if applicable. Just remember: any links you do include should only show you in professional settings. Never include links that redirect employers to your personal life outside of teaching.
While greetings may seem unimportant, they play an important role in establishing a connection with potential employers. An informal greeting can damage your chances of getting the much anticipated callback from employers, so always opt for a professional and polite greeting such as “Dear Mr/Mrs Employer.” It’s also best to use the name of potential employers when it’s known! Addressing your letter directly to the appropriate individual personalises your application and demonstrates your attention to detail. If you are unable to find this information, you can still opt for a professional and respectful greeting such as "Dear School Name.” Starting your cover letter with the appropriate greeting demonstrates your professionalism and helps set the stage for your cover letter introduction.
Dear Principal Brady,
To create an effective introduction, it’s important to research the school or institution you’re applying to and to read the job description carefully. Oftentimes, employers will list the exact requirements they’re looking for in a candidate! As you’re writing your cover letter, be sure to keep the content as tailored to the job description as possible. Plus, having a good understanding of the school or institution you’re applying to, and their values, can make tailoring your cover letter a lot easier. Provide a concise summary of your teaching experience, including subjects you teach and any specialisations you may have, but remember to keep this section brief, as you can expand and elaborate upon any details in your body paragraphs. The main goal of an introduction is to hook the attention of potential employers and to set the stage for your body paragraphs. Here’s a great example of an introduction below:
It is a great privilege to inspire and educate future generations of leaders. Having spent twelve fantastic years teaching in early childhood and secondary schools in Galway and Kilkenny, I have had the honour of providing guidance and instruction to more than 8,000 students over the course of my career. There is no greater joy than that of impacting young people’s lives and seeing firsthand how powerful a tool education can be.
Body paragraphs are to a cover letter what ham is to hamburgers: the most essential part! Your body paragraphs provide employers with essential information about your teaching skills, qualifications and experiences. In this section, you’ll want to provide specific details and examples of how you’ve engaged students and created a safe learning environment. If you don’t have much teaching experience, you should expand upon your qualifications and any existing skills you have that can add value to a classroom environment. Each body paragraph should address a different aspect of your teaching background and be tailored to the goals and requirements of the school or institution you’re applying to. Check out our example of a great body paragraph here:
My teaching career was shaped by the inspiring professors and staff at Dublin City University, where I earned my Bachelor of Education degree, and Trinity College Dublin, where I obtained my Master of Education. Through their guidance and direction, I developed a passion for helping students reach their academic and creative potential. I am committed to offering academic support and instruction and creating positive learning environments for students. I am also committed to creating meaningful and engaging lesson plans that allow students to explore new ideas and concepts in exciting ways.
It has been a privilege to work in my previous teaching roles, where I was able to make numerous contributions. These included:
I take great pride in helping students achieve academic greatness. I am wholly determined to achieve educational excellence, and strive to show students the power of their own potential.
All good things come to an end – and if you’ve followed our advice, your cover letter is lookin’ pretty good! In the concluding paragraph of your cover letter, you want to seal the deal by summarising any key points you made in your cover letter and reiterating the value you have to offer potential employers. You don’t want to add any new details, since this would overwhelm and confuse employers. Instead, focus on conveying your value in a confident and concise way. We also recommend adding a strong call-to-action statement. For example: “I would love to discuss the opportunity of teaching at [School Name] at your soonest availability. Would you be able to connect next week?” This encourages employers to reach out to you sooner rather than later.
To effectively finish your cover letter, you’ll want to thank employers for their time and consideration, and end with an appropriate sign-off, such as “warm wishes,” “yours sincerely,” or “kind regards,” followed by your name. Way to finish off strong!
I would be very interested in this teaching position and would be excited to discuss further. Please allow me the opportunity to learn more about the culture of Saint Columba College and how I can use my teaching skills to add value. I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Aisling Ferguson
CVapp.ie is here to support your professional growth throughout all stages of your career. Be sure to check out the CVapp.ie website and blog for more career tools and resources. Good luck, we believe in your greatness!