Whether you’re a newly qualified teacher who is looking to land their first role in September or you are looking to give your teaching application a glow-up, every primary school teacher needs a personal statement. While you may assume that the most important thing that you need to demonstrate when going for a teaching position is that you’re a good teacher, you also need to explain a bit about yourself and why you are a good fit for the role.
No matter how good or experienced you are as a teacher, for most people talking about themselves is never easy. But don’t worry. We have put together all the top tips you need to help you write the best primary teacher personal statement that will leave you top of the class.
What is a primary teacher personal statement?
A personal statement is part of an application or admission process that is used as a way for you to explain why you want to be a teacher and what makes you suitable for the role. While of course your application form is focused on your work experience, qualifications and skills, your teacher’s personal statement is where your personality takes the forefront.
It is crucial that your personal statement stands out from the crowd and signals you out as different to the rest of those applying. You can include anything that you think makes you a unique and valuable teacher.
What should a strong primary teacher personal statement include?
It can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to creating the perfect primary teacher personal statement. But to help you we’ve put together some of our top tips:
- Use your recent teaching experience when discussing examples.
- Use clear written English in first person terms such as ‘I’ and ‘my’.
- Include the key stages and subject areas that you’ve taught previously.
- Your training course, including the modules you’ve covered.
- Include any classroom management strategies you have successfully implemented.
- Assessment practices and curriculums you have an understanding of.
Tips for writing a primary teacher personal statement that will get you the job
1. Avoid Cliches and Be Honest
It can be difficult to know what to include in a primary teacher personal statement, but one thing you must avoid is general statements and cliches. Instead of saying ‘I’ve always wanted to teach’ think about how you can demonstrate the passion you have for teaching. Every time you may be a point in your personal statement, consider whether you are able to back it up with a real teaching example. If not then we would recommend that you leave it out.
As well as avoiding general and sweeping statements, you need to be honest and transparent throughout your personal statement. Just like when applying for any job, it is important that you
2. Do Your Research
Just like when applying for any role, it is important that you do your research for an organisation or school before you start writing your application form/teacher personal statement.
Be sure to look up the school that you’re applying for and find out any information you can about how they operate. Being better informed makes it easier for you to tailor your personal statement in a more effective way rather than creating generic multiple school applications.
3. Take Your Time
Don’t make the mistake of leaving your primary teacher personal statement until the last minute. While you may think that your personal statement can be done quickly, leaving it until the night before you won’t be able to do it justice. Therefore, we recommend that you get started on your personal statement as soon as possible.
Applying for any teaching role can be daunting, but by taking the time to write the best primary teacher personal statement you can you can significantly improve your chances of landing the job!
Need to brush up on your interview skills? We’ve got you covered there too!
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