Substitute Teacher resume examples
This page has 3 one-page substitute teacher resume examples: a day-to-day substitute covering 14 K-8 schools, a long term substitute running a semester-long science classroom and a substitute paraprofessional working in special education rooms. Each sample is checked against 3,135 US substitute teacher postings from 1,542 employers, and the note under it explains which counts, credentials and classroom duties it puts first.
Substitute Teacher Resume Example
Districts hiring substitutes ask for classroom management, clear communication with staff and parents, confidentiality and knowledge of fire drill and severe weather procedures, and each of these appears in a bullet with a count behind it. The state substitute license and CPR card sit in certificates, and the after-school job shows 3 more years of supervising children for an entry-level applicant.
Why this resume works:
- Complete 160+ assignments in 14 schools, teaching from lesson plans in reading, math, science and art.
- Lead fire drill procedures and tornado warning procedures for classes of up to 30, using each building's posted exits.
- Record attendance in PowerSchool by 8:15 a.m. and log behavior notes for every period, with zero missed reports.
Long Term Substitute Teacher Resume Example
Long term substitute postings ask for someone who plans, grades and communicates with families like a regular teacher, and the current role shows exactly that with 128 students, weekly grading and 40 parent conferences. Classroom management, data analysis and Google Slides, all named in these postings, are tied to measured outcomes rather than listed alone.
Why this resume works:
- Teach 128 students across 5 sections, building units and Google Slides lessons from the district pacing guide.
- Grade labs, quizzes and unit tests weekly and post scores in Infinite Campus within 5 school days.
- Apply data analysis to benchmark results to form reteach groups, raising the unit 3 pass rate from 61% to 78%.
Substitute Paraprofessional Resume Example
Districts filling substitute paraprofessional slots want someone who can step into special education rooms, follow behavior plans and record student data on the first day, and the bullets show all three across 110+ assignments. The ParaPro Assessment, CPI training and pediatric CPR are listed as certificates, which are the credentials schools check before an aide is placed.
Why this resume works:
- Complete 110+ assignments in 8 schools, including 40 days in a center-based autism program.
- Run small group instruction in phonics and math facts for groups of 3-5 students using teacher-made plans.
- Implement behavior intervention plans for 6 students, recording data collection on target behaviors every 15 minutes.
What employers ask for in substitute teacher job postings
Teacher job postings in the US, October 2026
- 44,800
- active US job postings
- 7,345
- employers hiring
- 2 yr
- median experience asked
- 36%
- ask for 1 year or less
Make sure your resume shows
- Builds relationships and communicates well with children, parents and staff (26% of employers)
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills (22% of employers)
- Strong planning and organizational skills (9% of employers)
- Classroom management and interpersonal skills (7% of employers)
- High school diploma or equivalent (6% of employers)
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (6% of employers)
Duties to build your bullet points around
What employers write most often under responsibilities. Show each one with a result (numbers, scale, outcome), not a copy of the duty.
- Keep the classroom safe, respectful and focused on learning (26%)
- Monitor student progress and keep accurate records (13%)
- Manage student behavior under the code of conduct (6%)
- Protect students, equipment, materials and facilities (8%)
- Update parents and school counselors on student progress (8%)
What changes with seniority
| Postings | Count | Skills asked more often than in the career overall |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level postings (1 year or less asked) | 1,912 | manage their behavior, instruct students, effective communication skills, general knowledge of curriculum and instruction, instructional strategies |
The examples on this page, in job postings
| Example | US postings | Median years asked |
|---|---|---|
| Substitute Teacher | 3,135 | 2 |
| Long Term Substitute Teacher | 313 | 2 |
Which job title to put on your resume: the titles employers use most, so recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for them: Substitute Teacher (1,554 employers), Special Education Teacher (575 employers), Preschool Teacher (550 employers), Elementary Teacher (441 employers), Teacher (418 employers).
Source: Owlapply analysis of active US job postings, October 2026. Requirements and duties are grouped by meaning from the postings' own bullet lists and counted once per employer.
Advertised pay, experience and the skills employers ask for: Teacher pay and requirements.
Check your substitute teacher resume against a real job posting
- Paste a substitute teacher job posting into the job match score tool to see which of its skills your resume is missing.
- Upload your resume to the ATS resume checker to read the text an applicant tracking system gets from it.
Substitute Teacher resume sample (text you can copy)
This is the text of the Long Term Substitute Teacher example above. Paste it into the resume builder and replace the details with your own.
Long Term Substitute Teacher resume sample
MARCUS WHITFIELD
Long Term Substitute Teacher
Phoenix, AZ · (602) 555-0193 · [email protected] · linkedin.com/in/marcuswhitfield
SUMMARY
Long term substitute teacher with 4 years in Phoenix-area middle schools, now leading a 7th grade science classroom of 128 students for a full semester. Handles weekly lesson planning to Arizona science standards, grades all coursework and uses data analysis of unit tests to regroup students for reteaching.
EXPERIENCE
Long Term Substitute Teacher, Saguaro Vista Middle School, Phoenix, AZ | 08/2025 - Present
- Teach 128 students across 5 sections, building units and Google Slides lessons from the district pacing guide.
- Grade labs, quizzes and unit tests weekly and post scores in Infinite Campus within 5 school days.
- Apply data analysis to benchmark results to form reteach groups, raising the unit 3 pass rate from 61% to 78%.
- Coordinate IEP accommodations with 2 special education teachers for 14 students on caseload.
- Hold parent communication through phone calls and email, completing 40 conferences in the fall term.
Substitute Teacher, Valley Unified School District, Phoenix, AZ | 08/2022 - 06/2025
- Covered 340+ daily assignments and 3 multi-week placements in 9 middle schools.
- Delivered lessons through Google Classroom during 2 staff shortages, keeping assignment completion above 85%.
- Established classroom management routines that cut office referrals to under 1 per week on long placements.
- Joined grade-level team meetings on multi-week placements to align quizzes with the regular teacher's plans.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ | 05/2022
SKILLS
Lesson Planning, Classroom Management, Google Slides, Google Classroom, Data Analysis, Infinite Campus, IEP Accommodations, Differentiated Instruction, Parent Communication, Collaboration
CERTIFICATIONS
Substitute Certificate, Arizona Department of Education (07/2022)
Identity Verified Prints (IVP) Fingerprint Clearance Card, Arizona Department of Public Safety (06/2022)
How to write a substitute teacher resume
Write a substitute teacher resume summary
- Open with your coverage: how many assignments or years, which grade levels and how many schools or districts you have worked in.
- Name your state substitute license or permit, plus CPR and first aid, in the summary; districts check these before they place you.
- Say how you hand a class back: following the posted plans and leaving notes the regular teacher can act on.
- For long term substitute roles, lead with the class you ran, the number of students and the length of the assignment.
Substitute Teacher summary (entry level)
Substitute teacher with 2 years of daily and week-long assignments across 14 K-8 schools in central Ohio. Follows posted lesson plans closely, keeps classroom management steady with clear routines and leaves detailed notes so the regular teacher can pick up without lost time. Holds an Ohio substitute license and current CPR and first aid certification.
Long Term Substitute Teacher summary (mid level)
Long term substitute teacher with 4 years in Phoenix-area middle schools, now leading a 7th grade science classroom of 128 students for a full semester. Handles weekly lesson planning to Arizona science standards, grades all coursework and uses data analysis of unit tests to regroup students for reteaching.
Write substitute teacher experience bullets
- Count your assignments, schools and subjects covered, such as 160+ assignments in 14 schools.
- Show reliability in numbers: attendance posted on time, reports never missed, repeat requests from named numbers of teachers.
- For long term roles, add the full teaching load: sections, students, grading turnaround, parent conferences and any test-score change.
- For paraprofessional work, show special education duties: behavior plans followed, IEP data collected and small groups run.
Long Term Substitute Teacher experience bullets
- Teach 128 students across 5 sections, building units and Google Slides lessons from the district pacing guide.
- Grade labs, quizzes and unit tests weekly and post scores in Infinite Campus within 5 school days.
- Apply data analysis to benchmark results to form reteach groups, raising the unit 3 pass rate from 61% to 78%.
- Coordinate IEP accommodations with 2 special education teachers for 14 students on caseload.
- Hold parent communication through phone calls and email, completing 40 conferences in the fall term.
Pick the skills for a substitute teacher resume
- Communication (about 30% of teacher postings), interpersonal skills (about 18%) and organizational skills (about 16%) lead the list; back each one with a bullet.
- Classroom management appears in about 5% of postings but is the first thing a principal asks about a substitute, so list it and prove it with class sizes and routines.
- Add the school systems you have used, such as PowerSchool, Infinite Campus or Google Slides, since substitutes often take attendance and teach from shared files.
Do's and don'ts
Do this
- List your substitute license or permit with the state and expiry year.
- Give the grade range and subjects you can cover so a scheduler can match you quickly.
- Include jobs where you supervised children, such as after-school programs, camps or tutoring.
- Mention safety work: fire drills, lockdowns and severe weather procedures you have run with a class.
Avoid this
- Don't write "supervised students" without saying how many, which grades and for how long.
- Don't bury the long term assignment among day-to-day jobs; give it its own entry with its own results.
- Don't name students or describe their IEPs in detail; it reads as a confidentiality lapse.
- Don't drop the high school or college degree line; about 6% of employers name each as a requirement.
Related resume examples
- School Counselor
- Tutor
- Daycare Teacher
- Assistant Teacher
- School Principal
- Library Assistant
- Teacher
- Professor
Substitute Teacher resume questions
What should I put on a substitute teacher resume?
A short summary with your grade levels and schools covered, your substitute license and CPR card, your assignments with counts, a skills list and your education. Employers most often ask for someone who communicates well with children, parents and staff (about 26% of employers) and keeps the classroom safe and focused (about 26%). Make both easy to find in your bullets.
How much experience do substitute teacher jobs ask for?
Substitute teacher postings ask for a median of 2 years of experience, and long term substitute postings ask for about 2. Across all teaching postings that state experience, about 36% ask for a year or less. Count work with children outside schools, such as camps, childcare or tutoring, toward that total.
How do I write a long term substitute teacher resume?
Treat the long term assignment like a regular teaching job: give the subject, grade, number of sections and students, and the length of the assignment. Show that you planned units, graded on a schedule and held parent conferences, and add any score change you can measure. The long term substitute example on this page uses 128 students, weekly grading and 40 parent conferences.
What goes on a substitute paraprofessional resume?
Lead with the rooms you have covered, especially special education, and the support you gave: small group instruction, behavior intervention plans and IEP goal data. Add the credentials schools check before placing an aide, such as the ParaPro Assessment, CPI training and CPR. Count your assignments and schools as you would for a substitute teacher.
Can I get a substitute teaching job without a teaching degree?
Many districts accept substitutes without a teaching degree, but the rules depend on your state's substitute license or permit. In teaching postings, about 6% of employers name a high school diploma and about 6% name a bachelor's degree. List whatever degree you hold and the substitute credential you have earned.
What skills should a substitute teacher resume list?
Communication, interpersonal skills and organizational skills appear in about 30%, 18% and 16% of teaching postings. Add classroom management, problem-solving and professionalism, and name the attendance and grading systems you know.