Math Teacher Resume Guide 2024: How to Write a Middle and High School Math Teacher Resume

Attention to detail, problem-solving, and maintaining a positive attitude are attributes of the best middle and high school math teachers. With evolving mathematics educational standards, teaching candidates need to clearly articulate their relevant education, experience, and interpersonal skills to stand out among their peers. The question often asked of new teaching candidates is how to write a high school math teacher resume?

Are there certain soft and hard skills that a high or middle school math teacher resume should include? Which math skills or mathematical concepts on a resume should be showcased, and which ones are not necessary? Is it best to document math teacher skills that focus on technical ability to educate, or is it a good idea to highlight communication and creativity?

These are all questions we will answer with the math teacher resume example and information posted below.

We will outline some best practices for writing a resume for math teachers, outline which soft and hard skills are vital for this position, and provide a real-world mathematics teacher resume you can review below.

Math Teacher Resume Example

Here is a great example of a math teacher's resume template. The resume features a strong personal statement, is easy to follow, and is written with a professional, yet conversational tone. Take some time to review each section of the math teacher resume sample, and then – continue to the individual sections listed below for practical tips and suggestions.

Download this resume example - Middle school math teacher

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While many math teacher resume examples focus on general educational experience, you can clearly see that Kathy Smith's resume for mathematics teacher is 100% focused on this career path. In the resume, you can see that she lists her education and work experience that highlights specific training that has prepared her to become an exceptional middle school math teacher.

The math teacher resume sample focuses on maintaining an easy to follow structure, pays attention to the smallest details, and most importantly, highlights the special skills and abilities recruiters are seeking in future math teachers.

Math Teacher Resume Guide: How to Write a Successful Math Teacher’s Resume

Math teachers have a strong analytical mind. However, writing a dazzling resume is a situation where you don’t want to overthink the solution. A middle school math teacher should demonstrate experience and education that focuses on entry-level mathematic specialties such as basic math, beginning geometry, and algebra.

A high school math teacher needs to demonstrate a diverse mathematical background, with a strong focus on Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus. The best way to begin any resume is to start with a strong outline – or what we call a master resume.

The master resume permits you to outline each phase of your resume, listing all your skills, experience, education, and certifications in chronological order. It also allows you to fine-tune and edit your content to connect to your intended audience, including providing information on how you create stimulating lesson plans.

Here are some specific tips for building out each section of your math teaching resume.

1. List Your Personal Information

We opened this article by introducing a few of the crucial skills any math teacher must-have in today’s educational industry. Attention to detail and accuracy in communication are on top of this list. As such, it makes sense that these are attributes you must showcase in your math teacher resume. It begins with your personal information.

When you review the sample math teacher resume above, you will see all the basic contact information listed, including address, phone number, and email. One tip we recommend is to provide your cell phone number – as many hiring managers or school districts will contact you via SMS text to set up an interview.

The critical point to drive home here is to be accurate and consistent with your information. If you have a change in any personal information, update it immediately. Also, if you set up a new email account for your professional career, make sure it works perfectly – as you don’t want prospective employers to receive a bounce-back email or their reply landing in your spam folder.

Accuracy and attention to detail are two critical interpersonal skills that any ESL teaching candidate

What are Hard Skills for a Math Teacher?

Hard skills are the abilities you’ve learned or tools you use to be a better math teacher. For math teachers, it’s implied that you know how to use calculators, computers, powerpoint, graphs, and other tools of the trade. As such, there is no need to highlight those on your resume.

The hard skills you want to highlight are certifications, and communication or teaching tools including using multiple Microsoft or Apple software solutions (for creating presentations, charts, and other math teaching guides).

With certifications, you’ll want to document this information in your education section – especially those state-specific teaching licensing exams which are required to become a math teacher in the United States.

What are Soft Skills for a Math Teacher?

Soft skills are the vital interpersonal skills that allow middle school or high school mathematics teachers to connect with their students. Today’s students simply learn differently than in years past – as they depend on streamlined information and practical examples to retain lessons taught. The best math teachers are those with a strong ability to connect with students on a personal level.

A few of the important soft skills to document on your resume include strong written and oral communication skills, critical thinking, classroom management, enthusiasm, conflict resolution, and of course – compassion.

For your master resume, write down all the interpersonal skills you possess – and then make sure the items above – or those that are relevant to your specific job application are listed on top. The best advice we can offer here is to rank your strengths, from expert to ‘experienced’ levels, and place your highest skills on top.

2. Work Experience for Becoming a Middle or High School Math Teacher

Previous teaching experience section is always best to showcase on a math teacher's resume. This is especially important with middle and high school students. Like other resumes, you’ll want to start with your most recent or current job, then list previous experience in chronological order.

If you are an experienced mathematics teacher for high school students or middle school, list your three most recent jobs. For those without a lot of teaching history, or if you’re applying for your first job, begin with your most recent job – especially if it’s a student teaching position.

If you’ve only had one or two previous teaching jobs, you will want to add one more (as you should always have three previous jobs on your teaching resume). If that third or second job is not specific to teaching, choose one that allows you to showcase those soft skills you mentioned in your section.

Here are some practical examples to consider in your job description section.

• Communication. Math teachers need to communicate complex problem-solving techniques in a clear, and easy to retain way. If you’ve had a previous job where you’ve been tasked to ‘teach’ other employees how to solve problems in a leadership role, that’s the one you’d select. This is shown in the sample resume above – where Kathy was a supervisor for a manufacturing company and taught assembly to a team of 50 employees.
• Leadership. A math teacher needs to be a leader and help educate younger people through their leadership abilities. If you don’t have previous math teaching experience, list a previous job where you’ve been a proven leader and create a positive learning environment.
• Problem Solving. At its core, math is all about solving problems using proven methods and techniques. When you’ve held a job where you’ve had to integrate problem-solving into the daily tasks, use this as your previous work history.

3. Education for Math Teacher Resumes

In the education section, teachers need to document the education that qualifies them for being math teachers. In the United States, there are a few required degrees and certifications that must be completed for specific levels of math teaching. Earn a bachelor’s degree in math or a subfield of math that includes a state-approved teacher preparation program.

Complete a student teaching internship in math at the grade level(s) where you wish to become certified.

Pass your state’s required tests for teachers.

Apply for your teaching credential.

Begin applying to open math teacher positions - even those at an elementary school.

• Undergraduate degree. Middle and high school math teachers must obtain a Bachelor of Science in Education – with an emphasis in mathematics.
• PRAXIS II Exams: The second requirement of math teachers is to pass PRAXIS II exams – specific for each US state and in some cases, for individual math disciplines. Make sure to check your individual state's requirements – as this is one section that can be confusing for new math teachers.
• Student Teaching (internship): This is usually completed after passing your certification exams. To become a teacher of mathematics with middle or high school students, you should complete student teaching with those grade levels. The best candidates are those who apply for jobs in the same state, and same student demographics as they are applying.
• Master’s Degree. This degree is optional for many math teaching positions. However, if you’re going to focus on high school, teaching higher-level mathematics, you should earn your Master’s Degree first before applying for these jobs – as most candidates will have completed this secondary education.

4. Certifications & Licensing

The certification and licensing section are where you’ll list the state-specific certifications and teaching credentials. There is no need to extrapolate in this section – just list the location and dates of your certifications and licensing.

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5. Achievements

The achievement section will focus on the candidate's professional achievements. In the sample math teacher resume posted above, you can see that Kathy Smith listed her college achievement as being listed on the Dean’s List each year. You don't need to list your GPA, but focus on educational achievements.

She also mentions being a member of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). If you've had a chance to develop instructional materials used elsewhere, this is the section you'll document that achievement.

Recap on Your Master Resume for Being a Math Teacher

Here are some important points to follow when outlining your master resume.

1. Write down ALL of your work and educational experience.
2. Fine-tune and edit all the content for correct grammar and spelling.
3. Choose the skills, education, and work experience that are relevant to the specific job you’re applying for. List all experiences in chronological order – from most recent to oldest.
4. Follow the template structure as listed above – including spacing, using a black font on a clean white background document.
5. Consistency through your resume is crucial. Follow the same format for each section.
6. List at least 2 professional and 1 personal reference. Make sure their contact information is accurate, and always gain their approval before listing them as a point of contact. Collect a cover letter or letters of recommendation from each source you list.
7. The final step is to edit all content in professional grammar and spell check platform. We recommend Grammarly.com. These details can separate you from others and hopefully land that job interview.

Putting Together the Math Teacher Resume Format

The master resume is a great tool to document and fine-tune all your content. But, formatting it in a resume template that is crisp, professional-appearing, and easy to follow will separate you from peers. When you apply for a math teacher job, it's important to list the math concepts you specialize and the math courses you've taught previously in a cover letter.

Step 1 – Create Your Opening Statement

Your personal statement is likely the first item any hiring manager or recruiter will review. This statement is also called your resume objective – or what you bring to the table as the best math teacher. Here are some critical tips for crafting an effective personal statement for becoming a middle school or high school math teacher.

• Should be written as an elevator pitch. Imagine you have 30 seconds to impress an employer. What would you say? A candidate for middle school or high school math teaching jobs should mention those critical buzz terms or soft skills that separate good teachers from exceptional ones. Some of them would include classroom management, lesson planning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, teaching methods, patience, and compassion.
• Always use a professional – yet conversational tone. Math teachers have a horrible reputation for being very dry and boring in their communication. That simply won’t work in today’s educational world. Read your personal statement aloud – to determine if it “sounds good”.
• Short and sweet does the trick. Your opening statement should not be any longer than 5 sentences.
• When you’ve finalized the personal statement, run it through an online platform called Grammarly.com. This will ensure your spelling, punctuation, and tone are on par with grammatical best practices. It can also help you in your job and accelerate your professional development as an effective communicator.

Step 2 – List Your Education, Work History, and Certifications in Order

You should always list items in these three sections in chronological order. Always start with your current or most recent professional experience – then proceed to include two other relevant examples. It’s best to only post three in each section. Allow yourself to discuss each previous experience during your interview – so keep the information short and sweet.

Step 3 – Which References to List?

With references, you’ll want to provide three – with providing personal contact information on request. Here is a good tip. Find a reference that can support three important areas of your resume – including education, work history, and personal achievements.

Final Points on Math Teacher Resumes

As mathematics continues to evolve, middle school and high school teachers will likely be a critical component with implementing new techniques, improving student progress monitoring, and problem-solving skills. The teaching candidate who has a strong ability to showcase their ability to embrace new teaching standards will find themselves receiving interviews.

Here are a few important final thoughts to consider.

• Make sure your resume formatting is strong - flows from start to finish – and is reader-friendly.
• Always write your resume on a plain white background with black font.
• Edit the document SEVERAL TIMES – through Grammarly.com and visual inspection.
• Ensure it’s well-spaced, organized, and professional.
• List all education, experience, and certifications in chronological order.
• Verify your reference's contact information and use ones that support your resume.
• Consider using a professional resume builder to help with the final phase.

The best math teaching jobs are those that pair the perfect candidate with a student group that they connect with on a personal level. Consider this when applying for positions, and when putting the finishing touches on your math teacher resume.