teachers, resume help please?

[krismom]

I'm working on my resume after 8 years being "off the market" do to speak. I am only interested in substitute teaching or SEIT (Special Ed Itinerant Teaching) at this point. My 4 kids are all in full day school as of last week but anticipating sicknesses, field trip chaperoning and general issues, I'm not able to go full time yet. My question to all of you is- can I put Stay at Home mom on my resume?! Is that ridiculous? Will it just be obvious that I gave up my full time teaching position to be a mom? I have a huge gap in employment from 2000-now! Also- most of my "references" have retired or moved on...my previous Principal, Special Ed coordinator, some peers,etc. Who do I use now? I guess I could hunt them down if I tried hard enough...
Does anyone have any advice about resume/ cover letter writing for a rusty teacher? I'm excited about the idea of returning to work, but nervous already!

 

[Lstar311]

Hmm, not sure if I'd actually put SAHM in my resume but possibly just make a reference to it in the cover letter. Something along the lines of "I am looking forward to returning to the teaching field after raising my children" Maybe something like that?

 

[wlfans]

I'm a Stay At Home Dad. I would put down the positives. Did you help in your children's school? Chaperone, lunch or aid in anyway put those down. Anything to show you were involved at the school help all children not just your own. I have a degree in business and left the working world while I was a buyer for a company. I then took Master in Education classes never finishing though. Be honest with person you interview with that your looking to sub. In one of my Ed classes a professor asked why you wanted to teach. Half of class answere "TOO HAVE SUMMERS OFF". I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't any of them teaching my three children. Good luck.

 

[dougsmom98]

Hmm, not sure if I'd actually put SAHM in my resume but possibly just make a reference to it in the cover letter. Something along the lines of "I am looking forward to returning to the teaching field after raising my children" Maybe something like that?

This is exactly what I was going to say. I am involved in the hiring for my department at the high school where I teach. When we review application packages to decide who to call for an interview, we look at the cover letter to get our first impression of the candidate. I have seen many people subtly explain gaps in their formal employment in their cover letters just like LStarr311 suggested.

 

[dreamydis]

I taught for 12 years and have been on interviewing committees. I would definitely include any volunteer work (chaperone, party planning, reading) you have done in your child's school. Could you perhaps ask your child's teachers to be a reference?

 

[disykat]

I did as others here suggested and addressed the gap in my cover letter. In the letter I also addressed how I kept current in the field during my time away -classes I took etc.

I also put a section on my resume that included other experience while I was home such as children's choir director, VBS director, PTA President, etc.

 

[Aliceacc]

I was amazed at the number of things about my years as a SAHM that found their way into either my cover letter, my resume, or my interviews. (And, no, I'm not a believer in padding any of the above.)

My turn as class mom, the volunteer work I did with Korean infant adoptees, the freelance writing I did, and my empathy for each kid as being the light of someone else's life, in the way I never really saw until I became a mom-- each of these thing probably contributed to my easy re-entry into the job market.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I'm working on my resume after 8 years being "off the market" do to speak. I am only interested in substitute teaching or SEIT (Special Ed Itinerant Teaching) at this point. My 4 kids are all in full day school as of last week but anticipating sicknesses, field trip chaperoning and general issues, I'm not able to go full time yet. My question to all of you is- can I put Stay at Home mom on my resume?! Is that ridiculous? Will it just be obvious that I gave up my full time teaching position to be a mom? I have a huge gap in employment from 2000-now! Also- most of my "references" have retired or moved on...my previous Principal, Special Ed coordinator, some peers,etc. Who do I use now? I guess I could hunt them down if I tried hard enough...
Does anyone have any advice about resume/ cover letter writing for a rusty teacher? I'm excited about the idea of returning to work, but nervous already!

I hire teachers as part of my job, and I would say not to put stay at home on the resume. If I see a gap like that I assume it's for similar reasons, and don't hesitate before inviting the person in. In your cover letter you can say something about being excited to return to teaching after a leave of absence due to family responsibilities.

As far as references -- yes, hunt them down if you can. If you really can't find someone then see who you can come up -- even it's a general education teacher you partnered with, or a vice principal or someone who can vouch for your work. Also, if you've done significant volunteer work since staying home add a reference from there too.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Hmm, not sure if I'd actually put SAHM in my resume but possibly just make a reference to it in the cover letter. Something along the lines of "I am looking forward to returning to the teaching field after raising my children" Maybe something like that?

Please don't use the line about "raising" your children in the resume, it's really offensive to working parents (sorry, but when I'm working to put bread on the table for my child I'm "raising" him). In the field of education it's quite likely that you'll be interviewing with a working parent, and insulting them in the cover letter will get you nowhere.

Think about something "I am looking forward to returning to the teaching field after being home with my children for the past 8 years" or something.