Teacher skills

Essential skills

• Lesson planning: Employers check lesson plans for clear objectives, suitable activities and links to curriculum requirements.
• Classroom management: Employers look for examples of how you set expectations, keep students engaged and respond to disruptions.
• Assessment and feedback: Employers check how you monitor progress, give constructive feedback and adapt teaching in response.
• Subject knowledge: Employers assess your grasp of the subject through interviews, teaching demonstrations or sample materials.
• Differentiated instruction: Employers ask how you adjust lessons for students with different abilities, needs and learning styles.
• Safeguarding and student wellbeing: Employers check your knowledge of school policies, professional boundaries and procedures for raising concerns.

Technical and specialised skills

• Curriculum knowledge: Employers check your familiarity with the relevant curriculum, standards and learning outcomes.
• Educational technology: Employers may ask you to demonstrate how you use learning platforms, digital resources or classroom equipment.
• Special education support: Employers look for experience or training in supporting students with disabilities or additional learning needs.
• Literacy and numeracy support: Employers check how you build reading, writing and maths skills within your subject or year group.
• Record keeping: Employers review how you document attendance, progress, behaviour and other required information.
• Language support: Employers ask how you make lessons accessible to students who are learning the language of instruction.

Soft skills

• Communication: Employers assess how clearly and respectfully you explain ideas to students, families and colleagues.
• Patience: Employers ask how you respond when students need extra time, support or repeated explanations.
• Adaptability: Employers look for examples of changing a lesson or approach when circumstances or student needs shift.
• Empathy: Employers check how you build trust and respond thoughtfully to students’ concerns.
• Collaboration: Employers ask how you work with colleagues, families and support staff to help students learn.
• Organisation: Employers assess how you manage planning, deadlines, classroom materials and competing priorities.

How to show these skills on your resume

• Planned and delivered lessons aligned with curriculum outcomes, using varied activities to engage students.
• Monitored student progress through classwork and assessments, then adjusted instruction to address learning needs.
• Collaborated with colleagues and families to support student wellbeing and learning goals.

How to build them

• Practise lesson planning: Write plans with specific objectives, checks for understanding and options for different learning needs.
• Seek classroom experience: Volunteer, tutor or take supervised teaching opportunities to practise managing a group and explaining material.
• Learn from feedback: Ask a mentor or colleague to observe a lesson and suggest practical improvements.
• Develop assessment skills: Try a range of ways to check understanding, such as quizzes, discussions and student work.
• Refresh specialist knowledge: Take relevant training in curriculum changes, educational technology, safeguarding or additional learning needs.
• Reflect regularly: Note what worked, what students found difficult and what you would change next time.