what makes a good teacher personal statement

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How to write the perfect teaching personal statement

Application and interview, tes editorial.

When applying for a new job, you may be competing with tens or hundreds of other applicants in a race for the role.

The HR manager or headteacher recruiting for the job will be scrutinising every detail of your application to make sure they are bringing in the right people for interview.

The application form is the first hurdle you have to get over and sets the first impression of you as a person in the recruiter’s mind.

• Advice on honing your job search
• How to write a personal statement for teacher training
• How to write a must-read CV

The personal statement: why does it matter? 

The personal statement presents the perfect opportunity to show you are an exceptional candidate, understand teaching and know the school you are applying to.

It is not an easy task and is a tricky thing to get right. It requires being concise and clear – it shouldn’t be too long or read like a list.

You should talk about yourself and your professional achievements, while at the same time apply those experiences to the school itself.

We spoke to Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders , about what goes into the perfect personal statement. Here's what he said:

What does a great teaching personal statement look like?

"In general, I would say no longer than two sides of A4 – typescript. It needs to be well structured and linked to the specific school. It will need to include a number of key areas, including behavioural management, educational philosophy, subject expertise, pedagogy, personal organisation and skills and enrichment activities that the candidate can bring."

What should it contain?

"I would recommend that candidates include three elements in each of the key areas:

• What their beliefs/philosophy/approach is – i.e., the theory
• Their experience in that area
• How they would use that experience in the school they are applying to and specific to the job they are applying for

The statement should also include something personal in terms of their outside interests to indicate that they live an interesting and well-balanced life."

What are school leaders looking to read in a good personal statement?

"They will want to see something of the person’s character come through. It must not be just a list of achievements or repeat of the CV. It needs to be well-written, error-free and mention the school they are applying for – but not too many times. It should read as if it has been specifically written for the school and job they are applying for. I would be looking for something similar to the approach I have indicated above, covering all of the key areas and indicating that they have a vocation for working with young people. Somehow I would like to see a ‘generosity of spirit’ come through in the statement."

How can a candidate stand out in a personal statement?

"A good personal statement needs to include something of the person themselves. It has to make the reader believe that the candidate has something special without bragging or appearing arrogant – but something a bit above what other candidates may offer. A really good introduction and ending are important, and it's worth spending a great deal of time crafting those sections of the statement. Hook the reader in at the beginning and finish on a high note so that they want to meet the person and explore what has been written."

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Crafting a Compelling Teaching Personal Statement

Your teaching personal statement needs to give an insight into your personality, teaching style & unique qualities only you hold. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of writing a compelling teaching personal statement.

The best personal statements are more than just a list of experiences and achievements. A personal statement which tells a compelling story will always compel the reader to want to find out more. If you keep your philosophy as the central theme and ensure that you use examples of practice which link back to that, it will ensure that your personal statement is a coherent and interesting piece of writing.

What Inspired You:

Begin by reflecting on what motivated you to become a teacher. Headteachers want to understand your background, inspiration, the reason you trained as a teacher and why you want to teach your specialism. Highlight your passion for teaching and your genuine desire to make a positive impact on students’ lives.

Showcase Key Achievements:

Highlight your career achievements, qualifications and teaching milestones that you’re most proud of. Demonstrate your ability to drive student progress and results through concrete examples throughout your teaching personal statement. If you’re an early career teacher, discuss your teaching placements, voluntary work, or even include any quotes from observation reports.

Showcase Teaching Skills:

Demonstrate your teaching skills by providing specific examples. Discuss successful teaching strategies you’ve employed, innovative lesson plans you’ve created, or how you’ve adapted to meet the needs of diverse learners. Highlight any extracurricular involvement, such as coaching sports teams or leading clubs, which showcases your dedication to students’ holistic development.

Keep It Concise and Well-Structured:

Teaching personal statements should be clear, concise, and well-structured. Aim for a maximum of 500-600 words. Use headings or bullet points to organize your content. Start with a captivating opening paragraph and conclude with a strong summary of your qualifications and enthusiasm for teaching.

Proofread and Edit:

Thoroughly proofread your teaching personal statement to eliminate grammatical errors, typos, or awkward phrasing. Consider seeking feedback from mentors, colleagues, or friends to ensure clarity and impact. Editing is crucial to present yourself as a professional and detail-oriented teacher.

Show Enthusiasm:

Infuse your teaching personal statement with enthusiasm and optimism. Convey your passion for teaching, showcase your qualifications, and demonstrate your commitment to fostering student growth. A positive and enthusiastic tone can be infectious and leave a lasting impression.

To conclude, your teaching personal statement is your chance to shine as a teacher. Get personal. Write about what makes YOU in the classroom.

For further support and tips, please reach out to Gemma Yates.

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Writing a Personal Statement

Going for your first NQT post can be a daunting prospect... especially when in teaching, you need to write a personal statement to support your application form.

Schools use your personal statement to help short list candidates for a position by checking off the criteria of the person specification that they can see in your statement. It is always a good idea to write your personal statement alongside the person specification, ensuring that you have included all the "essential" criteria and as much of the "desirable" criteria you can that are assessed through the application.

Where possible, you should also use the language of the school you are applying to - their vision, values, mission and ethos statements will help you here and should be available on the school's website. You will also sometimes find these in the application pack. Read this carefully and then read it again, reading between the lines of what they might be looking for.

Here is an example of the structure of a personal statement for a trainee teacher applying for their first NQT job:

Begin with an impact statement that summarises your philosophy on teaching or that refers to the mission/vision/values/ethos of the school you are applying to:

I believe that it is, as Einstein said, the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. As a passionate teacher, dedicated to ensuring the very best outcomes for all students I teach, this statement resonates with me as I endeavour to awaken joy in all of the learners within my classroom. It was your belief all young people have the right to a transformational educational experience, that will enable them, no matter what their starting point, to fulfil their potential and realise their ambitions that first attracted me to your school as it aligns with my own personal and professional philosophy on education.

Throughout my practice, I constantly encourage pupils to participate and contribute in an atmosphere highly conducive to learning. I have consistently set high expectations of pupils in different training contexts. There are high levels of mutual respect between me and pupils. I am very effective in promoting learners’ resilience, confidence and independence when tackling challenging activities. In my lesson, I generate high levels of enthusiasm, participation and commitment to learning.

Back this up with an example from your training.

I have also assumed a high level of responsibility for the attainment progress and outcomes of the pupils I have taught. I have demonstrated confident judgement in planning for pupil progression both within individual lessons and over time and I am able to articulate a clear and well-justified rationale as to how I am building on prior achievement. Within my lessons, I seek to actively promote engaging and effective methods that support pupils in reflecting on their learning. I have demonstrated that I am able to set appropriately challenging tasks, drawing on a sound knowledge of the pupils’ prior attainment, which has been obtained through systematic and accurate assessment. I regularly create opportunities for independent and autonomous learning. As a result the majority of pupils make very good progress.

In order to plan effective lessons, I draw on my in-depth subject and curriculum knowledge of [your subject or phase] to plan confidently for progression and to stimulate and capture pupils’ interest. Throughout my training, I have demonstrated very well-developed pedagogical subject knowledge, by anticipating common errors and misconceptions in my planning. I am astutely aware of my own development needs in relation to extending and updating my subject, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge in my early career and have been proactive in developing these effectively during my training. I always model very high standards of written and spoken communication in all professional activities. I also successfully identify and exploit opportunities to develop learners’ skills, in communication, reading and writing.

I plan lessons that often use well-chosen, imaginative and creative strategies, and that match individuals’ needs and interests. I am highly reflective in critically evaluating my practice. I am able to accurately judge the impact of my practice on individual and groups of learners and can use my evaluation to inform future planning, teaching and learning. During my training, I have shown initiative in contributing to curriculum planning and developing and producing effective learning resources in my placement settings.

I have been able to quickly and accurately discern my learners’ strengths and needs and I have been proactive in differentiating and employing a range of effective intervention strategies to secure progression for individuals and groups. I have an astute understanding of how effective different teaching approaches are in relation to impact on learning and engagement of learners

I can confidently and accurately assess pupils’ attainment against national benchmarks. I use a range of assessment strategies very effectively in my day-to-day practice to monitor progress and to inform future planning. In my practice, I systematically and effectively check learners’ understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where intervention may be needed and do so with notable impact on the quality of learning. I have shown that I am able to assess learners’ progress regularly and work with them to accurately target further improvement and secure rapid progress.

I have been able to rapidly adapt to the different circumstances in which I have trained, working confidently within the frameworks established in different settings and applying rules and routines consistently and fairly. I have also demonstrated an ability to adapt to remote working and remote delivery in response to the Global Pandemic. I consistently have high expectations and understand a range of strategies that experienced teachers use to promote positive behaviour and apply these very effectively, including use of school sanctions and rewards, and use of praise, in order to create an environment highly supportive of learning. I am able to manage pupil behaviour with ease so that learners display very high levels of engagement, courtesy, collaboration and co-operation. Where it is needed, I actively seek additional support in addressing the needs of pupils where significantly challenging behaviour is demonstrated.

During my training, I have been proactive in seeking out opportunities to contribute in a significant way to the wider life and ethos of the school. I have built strong professional relationships and have demonstrated that I am able to work collaboratively with colleagues on a regular basis. I have taken responsibility for deploying support staff in my lessons and for seeking advice from relevant professionals in relation to pupils with individual needs. I deliberately seek out opportunities to develop my own professional learning and respond positively to all the feedback I receive. I have also demonstrated that I can communicate very effectively, both verbally and in writing, with parents and carers in relation to pupils’ achievements and well-being when required to do so formally, but I am also proactive in communicating in relation to individual pupils’ emergent needs.

I always treat pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position. I realise the need to safeguard pupils' well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions. I show tolerance of and respect for the rights of others. I do not undermine fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. I always ensure that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils' vulnerability or might lead them to break the law. I am always punctual and have good attendance. I have attended numerous CPD sessions and will continue to do so. I have also completed a weekly duty (before school and at break} and attends daily briefings (whole school, subject or pastoral). I have taken on board the policies of the school and maintain a high standard in all my practices. I have a good understanding of the framework within which I work and my professional duties

End with a statement that implies/assumes you will be invited for interview:

I would relish the opportunity to work at your school and look forward to discussing this further with you at interview.

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How to write a teacher personal statement

Your personal statement is your first opportunity to show the school you’re a great fit for the job, and gets you closer to being shortlisted for an interview. The more you show how your skills and interests match the school’s ethos and values, the better. We’ve spoken to a range of teachers to get their top tips for success.

What experience do you have?

Schools want to hear about your trainee experience with different subjects, key stages, types of school, and working with a range of pupils.

Think about your approach to teaching, how you keep pupils engaged, and how you communicate with different kinds of people (children, staff, parents and carers). Ensure you provide evidence for how you have improved student engagement and built positive relationships with pupils.

Schools will be interested in your approach to behaviour management, so think about your go-to strategies.

Are you engaged in teaching theory and research?

Think about any research that has affected your teaching practice. Explain what has worked well and if it didn’t, what you learnt.

Are you up to date on safeguarding statutory guidance?

You need to demonstrate your awareness of the importance of safeguarding and the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education . Include any examples of how you worked with a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

What are your skills and qualities?

Are you a well-organised, confident, and motivated teacher? Say it, and provide examples! Schools are looking for great communicators, team players and relationship builders. Make sure you say how you create a positive learning environment, and consider skills like time management, organisation, and flexibility. Schools will also want to know how you overcome challenges.

How can you contribute to wider school life?

Set yourself apart by showing how your hobbies and achievements could contribute to the wider school community. Could you run an after school club or organise school trips?

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Free Examples of Effective Teaching Personal Statement

Table of Contents

The personal statement is an important part of the teaching application process. It allows you to provide information about yourself that doesn’t appear in your resume or transcripts.

When writing your personal statement, be sure to focus on the qualities that make you a good teacher. Before giving you  examples of personal statements for teaching jobs , we have a few tips to help you.

Important Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for a Teaching Job

When creating your personal statement , it’s important to remember why you want to become a teacher. We dive further into this and more in this section of the article.

Start With Why You Chose Teaching As a Profession

What do you love about teaching? What drives you? Define what makes a great teacher for you and explain how your experiences have prepared you for this career.

Be specific and honest in describing both your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to teaching. Ultimately, the goal is for the recruiter to understand why you’re the best choice for the job.

Explain How You Have Developed This Passion

Your statement should explain how you developed your passion for teaching. Choosing teaching as a profession isn’t enough. How did you nurture this passion?

Describe Any Experience You Have Had Working With Students

You need to describe your previous experience working with students. Doing this helps demonstrate your ability to handle students and work in a school environment.

Highlight Your Strengths and Skills As They Relate to Teaching

Don’t be shy to highlight your teaching strengths and skills. You’re competing with others for the job. Only qualified candidates with skills related to the job get interviewed. Highlight any experience or qualifications that are relevant to the role.

Tailor the Statement to the Job Description

Like any job opening, be sure to read the job description. This helps ensure you tailor your personal statement specifically for the position you’re applying for . 

It is unbecoming for a teacher to submit a statement full of errors. Proofread and edit your statement carefully before submitting it.

Examples of Personal Statements for Teaching Jobs

We have some of the best examples of personal statements for teaching jobs for you. Read through to see what your personal statement should look like.

Teaching has been a lifelong passion of mine. I began working with children as soon as I was old enough to volunteer in my local Sunday school program. Since then, I have continued to work with students of all ages in many different settings, including public schools, after-school programs and summer camps. My experience has taught me that nothing is more rewarding than helping young people learn and grow. 

I am confident that my skills and passion for teaching would make me an excellent educator. In addition to having classroom experience, I possess strong organizational and communication skills, which are essential for successfully managing a classroom environment.

Above all, however, what makes me an ideal teacher is my dedication to the success of each individual student. Every child deserves the opportunity to find their own unique strengths and passions. It is my goal as a teacher always be there to help them discover these things within themselves.

I am a compassionate and dedicated teacher with years of experience in the field. Above all, I believe that teaching is not simply a profession. Rather, it is a calling that allows me to share my knowledge and help others learn and grow. 

My approach is student-centered. I adapt my instruction to meet their unique needs while fostering an environment where they can feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. In addition to having strong classroom management skills, I have a proven track record of developing engaging curricula tailored for students at different levels. Ultimately, I view teaching as an opportunity not only to impart important academic knowledge but instill lifelong values such as curiosity, resilience, and compassion.

It’s always nerve-racking to go through the application process for a teaching job. If you put some thought into it, it becomes easier. Focus on what’s important: the skills, strengths, and experience that make you right for the job. 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Teaching personal statement examples

Giving you the chance to show why you'd be a great teacher, your personal statement is an important part of your application and worth taking the time over

What is a teaching personal statement?

Your personal statement is used to explain why you want to become a teacher and your suitability for the role. While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it. Many candidates often spend a few weeks on this part of the application as you don't have to write it all at once. You should get someone to read over it and be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

It's important to:

• use examples based on your recent teaching experience
• tailor your personal statement according to the school/age group
• use good, clear, written English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
• be original and honest
• avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'I've always wanted to teach'
• demonstrate a passion for teaching.

While it's crucial to get it right, your teaching personal statement is only a small part of the application process. Find out how else you'll need to prepare to  get a teaching job .

How to write a personal statement for teaching

Your personal statement should be between 500 and 1,000 words. It's crucial that you  don't copy  and that the statement you provide is  your own work .

This is your opportunity to:

• write about any relevant skills and experience you have
• explain your understanding of why teaching is important
• detail why you want to become a teacher
• list any extra skills or experience you have, such as volunteering or first aid.

See  personal statements for postgraduate applications  for more guidance.

The nature of your personal statement will vary, depending on the type of teaching you'd like to pursue. Take a look at some of our example personal statements to get an idea of how they differ.

Personal statement for PGCE primary

As well as focusing on roles in which you've gained experience with primary-age children, a PGCE primary personal statement should demonstrate your well-rounded personality and any skills that could be useful for the range of extra-curricular activities primary schools provide (such as the ability to read music for recorder lessons, or drama experience to help with school plays).

Personal statement for PGCE secondary

Many good PGCE secondary personal statements acknowledge the challenges involved in teaching older pupils and provide examples of where the candidate has worked to overcome these problems. As secondary teaching roles are geared towards teaching a specific subject, training providers are looking for more evidence of your subject and degree knowledge.

Personal statement for School Direct

If you're applying for the salaried School Direct route, you should discuss the experience you've gained in the classroom prior to your application. One of your references will need to be from an employer, or someone who can comment on your work ethic and suitability for teaching. Don't worry if your degree is unrelated to the subject you'd like to teach - you may still be able to apply by completing a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course .

Find out more

• Discover how to structure a teaching CV .
• Find out what it's really like to be a primary or secondary school teacher .
• Search postgraduate courses in teaching .

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Teaching Personal Statement Advice

21 August 2023

What is a Teaching Personal Statement?

A teaching personal statement explains why you, as a candidate, have a desire to become a teacher and how suitable you are for the role you have applied for. 

The teaching personal statement is where your personality is given the opportunity to shine through and help you stand out from your competitors. Having qualifications is good, but on top of them, employers want to feel your charisma and passion for teaching.

Why is a Teaching Personal Statement Important?

Teaching personal statements enhance the opportunity to be selected for your ideal teaching role. By outlining your suitability for the position, employers can gather an overview of your performance and character and make advanced decisions on your hiring process. 

If you can deliver a well-curated and professional teaching personal statement, you will be able to impress employers and advance your chances of success in your application. 

Tips for Creating the Perfect Teaching Personal Statement

We have put together five of our top tips for creating the perfect teaching personal statement that will assist you in landing your ideal role.

Use Examples

Employers want real-life examples of when you made a difference in your teaching career to prove you would make the same difference in their establishment. Make sure each experience, if giving more than one, is evident in its approach to conveying the skills you want to show and don’t make each example too long. Short and snappy is the best way to briefly deliver your best experiences.

Be sure to tailor your statement in a way that caters to the job role you would like to fulfil. This includes being mindful of the type of school and age of pupils you will meet the needs of. 

Visit a Library

Though they are becoming quieter each year, libraries are still a brilliant way to encourage reading within your communities. Librarians are incredibly knowledgeable about different genres of books and can help you to choose the best book for your interests. Libraries pave the way for improved reading skills and encourage more regular reading.

Be Original and Honest

You need your teaching personal statement needs to reflect you as an individual. To do so, avoid clichés and general statements that have been used thousands of times. 

Instead, use words and phrases that naturally flow in your mind, giving more of a personal touch to the statement and standing out to the employer as something they have never seen before. 

Use Good, Clear, Written English

Good English is an absolute must when writing your teaching personal statement. Ensure you are always speaking in the first person, which includes using terms such as ‘my’ and ‘I’. 

As you will be seeking a path into the education of children and young adults, you must demonstrate you have the ability to teach them the basics of the English language by first showing this to the employer.

Explain Why Teaching is Important to You

Adding the personal touch is a must; hence it’s called a teaching personal statement. 

Passion and enthusiasm should go above and beyond throughout your statement, but take a subtle approach to avoid coming across as over the top. A few gentle phrases recognising your love for teaching mixed with experience to back it up is the perfect recipe. 

Details of Your Previous Education or Job Roles

As with any job role, an employer would like to see details of any previous education or educational job roles that would help strengthen your application. This means including previous teaching experiences to demonstrate you have acquired all the skills needed to fill the role appropriately.

Find your ideal teaching role with Always Flourishing.

Always Flourishing is a professional education agency specialising in education recruitment and offering teaching agency jobs. If you want to become a teacher, teaching assistant, supply teacher or any other role within the education sector, please get in touch today . We would be happy to help kickstart your career in teaching. 

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How to write a great personal statement for a teaching job.

Vinny Potter

7 Feb 2024, 16:23

Discover our top tips on what to include in your personal statement for a teaching job and how to present your skills, knowledge, experience and attributes.

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Academies Enterprise Trust

Your personal statement is the heart of your application for work as an early career teacher and should be tailored for each role. For teaching applications this is sometimes also called a letter of application, but it is essentially the same thing. This is your opportunity to provide evidence of how you match the needs of the specific teaching job you are applying for, and earn yourself an invitation to the next stage, which is likely to be a selection day held at the school.

Writing tips for personal statements

See our example personal statement for primary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

We are advertising for a Year 3 Classroom Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Committed to our school and our values
• Experience across a range of age groups
• Committed to reflection and improving practice
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum
• Excellent lesson planning
• Knowledge of assessment
• Good knowledge of SEND and positive interventions
• Positive approach to provide challenge and support student success
• Excellent behaviour management
• Good communication skills with parents
• Enthusiastic and creative approach to lessons
• Willing to contribute to the wider life of the school.

See our personal statement for secondary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

Country High School are advertising for an enthusiastic Secondary PE Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to adapt and tailor your approach for the differing needs of pupils
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum for your subject
• Knowledge of a wide range of sports
• Willing to engage in extra curricular activities and the wider life of the school
• Experience of supporting high ability students, as well as those who may be less able or motivated
• Ability to use data effectively
• Teach across all ability levels including SEND
• Ability to use Technology to enhance learning.

When completing a personal statement for a teaching job, you should typically observe the following guidelines:

• Do not write a generic statement. Instead use the person specification and job advert for the vacancy as a structure for your statement or consider using the government's Teachers' Standards if no person specification is provided.
• Do not exceed two sides of A4, unless otherwise instructed.
• Tailor your statement for each new application according to the nature of the school or LA and the advertised role.
• Always read any guidance provided – many schools and LAs will tell you how they want this section set out.
• Emphasise your individual strengths in relation to the role.
• For a pool application, make sure you give a good overview of your skills and experience.
• It is essential that you give specific examples of what you have done to back up your claims.

Primary school personal statement

Examples of a personal statements for a primary school teaching job.

Primary school personal statement example

Secondary school personal statement

See our example of a personal statement for a secondary school teaching job.

Secondary school personal statement example

What you should cover in your personal statement

When schools advertise graduate teaching jobs , they write a job description which states the essential attributes they are looking for. This is their marking criteria for the job. When they read your statement, they will usually score this based on their essential and desirable criteria. Therefore, you need to read their documents carefully to find the criteria and provide an example or evidence of each point. If the job advert does not include any documents which include their criteria, then you can use the following structure for your statement and use the Teachers’ Standards as a guide for the criteria they may be looking for.

Why you are applying for the role:

• Refer to any knowledge you have of the LA or the school, including any visits to the school and what you learned from them.
• Show you would be a good fit for the school. The best way to do this is to look at the school’s values and give an example of how you match these.
• Mention any special circumstances (for example, your religious faith) which you think are relevant.

Details about your course:

• Give an overview of your training course - including the age range and subjects covered - and any special features.
• If you are a PGCE student, mention your first degree, your dissertation (if appropriate), any classroom-based research projects and relevant modules studied. Also mention if you have studied any masters modules.

Your teaching experience:

• What year groups you have taught.
• What subjects you have covered.
• Your use and understanding of formative and summative assessment practices.

Your classroom management strategies:

• Give examples of how you planned and delivered lessons and evaluated learning outcomes, including differentiation, scaffolding etc.
• Explain how you have managed classrooms and behaviour.
• Detail your experience of working with assistants or parents in your class.

Your visions and beliefs about primary/secondary education:

• What are your beliefs about learning and your visions for the future? You could touch on areas such as learning and teaching styles and strategies.
• Reflect on key policies relevant to the age range you want to teach.

Other related experience:

• This can include information about any previous work experience.
• Include training activities you have carried out and ways in which your subject knowledge has been developed.

Other related skills and interests:

• Give details of any particular competencies, experiences or leisure interests. This will help the school to know more about you as a person and could ‘add value’ in a school environment.
• Any involvement in working with children (running clubs, youth work and summer camps) is particularly useful to include.

Aim to end on a positive note. A conclusion which displays your enthusiasm in relation to the specific application and teaching in general will enhance your application - but avoid general statements and clichés.

Written by Vinny Potter, St Marys University, Twickenham, July 2023

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6 Great Teaching Personal Statement Examples (How to Write)

Personal statements are used for different purposes, but their primary function is to convey the story of who you are and why you are apt for a job position. This guide will help you create the best statement for a teaching job so you stand out from the others.

Personal Statement

A personal statement allows an academic institution, an organization, a workplace, or a potential client to know more about you. The statement will be slightly different, but each one should highlight why you are the right candidate for the program or the position. You should also use past experiences and accomplishments to support the statement.

There is a fundamental difference between a personal statement and a cover letter , as the former is written casually and informally, while the cover letter is a formal document. 

Perfect Examples

Writing it for Teaching Job

Begin the statement by researching the institution that will read it. Read the organization’s mission statement, history, and recent news or bulletins to determine their value in a student or potential employee.

Write for a specific job

Each institution and organization will seek content specific to its mission and objectives. Do not send the same statement to several institutions and personalize each one you write.

For example, if you apply to a college that emphasizes community service and involvement, you will need to highlight your service work in that statement. However, another school may value academics more for that school and your grades.

Describe the education and experience

While you should not include a complete list of accomplishments in your statement, some of the most important ones are worth mentioning. Writing a list of your actions will help you remember each one and determine which ones to include.

The following are some formal accomplishments you can consist of:

• Academic degrees and certificates
• Scholarships, internships, and grants
• Awards or distinctions from academic institutions (departmental distinctions and list of honors.)
• Promotions, reviews, and workplace evaluations
• Speak at a conference, convention, or workshop.
• Published works in the field of specialization.
• Official recognition for community service or contributions

Show your passion

Remember, you have to impress. Start by saying how excited you were about this position and how happy you would work for this institution. Your first sentence should emphasize your passion for this job, your interest in the institution, and perhaps emphasize why you want this job. Write a list of experiences and turning points in your life that led you to develop your current career or academic interests.

The following are some questions worth asking yourself:

• When did you start showing interest in the field of your choice?
• What do you like the most about teaching?
• Why do you think a teaching position is important?
• What experiences have you had that helped you develop expertise in teaching?
• Have you missed other dreams or expectations to focus on this position?

Some institutions may ask some questions. Write your text in a way that answers these questions. These are usually questions to know a little about you, your reasons for choosing the program, and what you can add if you teach at the institution.

Put emphasis on your value

When talking about you , talk about your projects, interests, and experiences that helped you grow as a human being. Remember to name even failures (if any) if you have added some exciting learning.

What can you add to the program? Think about what they might have from you: your skills on the subject, recognized research you have developed in the field, your experiences, and acquired knowledge to enrich the program. What is good offers the institution without extolling pride or excess vanity.

Typically, you will only have 1 or 2 pages to include all the information in return. Outlining it before writing it will ensure that you include the most salient points in the limited space. Try to pick 2 or 4 critical issues to have. Prioritize the purpose of the statement in the outline.

Address the job that the institution or organization has specifically mentioned. If there is a topic that the reader demands to see, please include it in the statement.

Show your personality

The opening paragraph should grab the recruiter’s attention. A strong introductory paragraph will present the thesis or the topic of the statement, and at the same time, create a narrative sense as if you were giving a story. Use an anecdote to hook recruiters with your personality. Avoid starting with common phrases or clichés like “The most important moment of my life was when.”

A better way to present that “important moment” would be to start simply by describing it in an informal and personal way. Provide as much detail as possible in the first paragraph. Present the main idea of ​​the statement and explain how it connects to the narrative. However, save any elaborate details or related notes and experiences for the body of your essay.

One of the best ways to avoid sounding like everyone else in your statement is to omit some of the most used phrases. For example, don’t say that you are a “hard worker” or that you “go above and beyond.” Try to find unique ways to explain who you are. One way to do this is to focus on particular examples: show them who you are, rather than tell them.

Use this Checklist

Before the final submission of the statement for the teaching job, it is necessary to polish the statement to maximize your chances of getting selected. Use this checklist to help you with the process:

Many individuals just spend a few minutes proofreading, trying to spot some obvious mistakes that surface on the page. But particularly after you’ve worked long, a simple and cursory reading typically misses a great deal. Acting with a definite strategy that encourages you to consistently look for forms of mistakes is easier.  The ideal is to wait some time after writing to do the review because if you do it right away, some errors under your nose may go unnoticed.

Edit and draft

As soon as you complete your first draft, editing is something you start doing. For starters, you reread your draft to see if the document is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are seamless, and the proof supports your point. It is possible to edit on many levels.

 Structure

Does each paragraph have a simple sentence about the topic? Does one key definition stick to each paragraph? Are there any sentences in any of the paragraphs that are irrelevant or missing? Don’t forget to use short sentences and short paragraphs. Large blocks of text impair the understanding of the message where a line of reasoning begins and ends.

Spelling and grammar

A text full of misspellings can wipe out all the authority that you have struggled so hard to build, so review all the content you produce, not just to find errors but to see if it fits the standards mentioned above.

Once you are satisfied with the content, review it once to correct necessary spelling and grammar errors. Then, put the statement aside for 3-4 days and look at it again with fresh eyes. You may come across some mistakes that you missed during the first reading. Once you have resolved these issues, your statement is ready for you to submit.

Prove your writing skills

In the personal statement, you will have the opportunity to express yourself more fluently and show the reader your writing skills and your commitment to describing yourself. Remember to use a captivating and persuasive style, use keywords related to the position and the sector, and communicate enthusiasm.

Keep a positive tone

Write in an optimistic and confident tone, even if you tackle difficult topics. The statement should show how you will address problems and create solutions, and the style should reflect this. Avoid vague or weak phrases like “I’m not sure, but I think I would be a good candidate for the show.” Even when discussing the challenges or difficulties you have faced, focus on the triumphs rather than the problems.

Expand the statement if it is too short

The first draft can be as long or as short as you need it to be, but many institutions or organizations have a word or page limit for statements. If yours is not long enough, then you have space to add more additional information. When expanding your statement, look for ways to detail the information you already have. Include more specific details to create a complete description. Alternatively, you can make another point that contributes to the overall purpose of the statement.

If your statement has a short, full-page paragraph but contains all the relevant information, you do not have to expand it.

Shorten the statement if it is too long

When narrowing down the statement, check it for any parts that do not directly address the point. You should also remove any points that only serve to provide background information. You can also consider reducing the number of main points if any do not seem especially significant. Unlike a short statement, a lengthy statement cannot stay that way. Many job programs will not allow you to press the submit button until the return is of the proper length. That means if it is too long, you will have to shorten it.

Read it aloud

Reading the document out loud will give you a more accurate idea of ​​how it sounds. As you read, listen for mistakes or unclear phrases. You should also notice if there are sentences that seem out of place or inappropriate. When you hear the statement, ask yourself if it sounds like your natural voice. If you were to describe these things in person, would the way you speak sound like what you have written?

Tips for a Strong Statement

That you will get the job will depend much more on you, but we can give you some tips that will help in your approval process in the selection:

• Do not be wordy; it is not the number of words that will guarantee your approval; on the contrary, the limit of words usually imposed is to avoid this.
• The clearer and more objective, even if you emphasize some detail, the better your text will be. Find that balance.
• If you have difficulties with this, train, ask for help. But do not make that mistake.
•  Never lie! Even if your resume is not extensive, trust and bet on your qualities and your talent; focus on that. Don’t you think your information will be verified for accuracy? Yes, they will be. So, be sincere and do not overdo it. Believe in your potential and bet on it.

The focus should be on you, your work, and what you will have to share with the institution.

• One of the best ways to avoid sounding like everyone else in your statement is to omit some of the most used phrases in cover letters. For example, don’t say that you are a “hard worker” or that you “go above and beyond”. Try to find unique ways to explain who you are. One way to do this is to focus on particular examples: show them who you are rather than tell them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, 500-550 words are allowed in a personal statement.

It is not necessary to include it on a CV unless it is required.

Yes, you can talk about hobbies if they complement the application.

A personal statement gives a chance to highlight your story, experiences, and struggles. If written properly, it can be a real difference in getting a teaching position.

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Your NQT Personal Statement – 13 Tips to Make it Stand Out

When you’re applying for your first NQT teaching job it can be quite challenging. You might feel like you’re all alone, with no one to help and advise you. We don’t want you to struggle and perhaps lose the opportunity to get that teaching position you have set your eyes on. Therefore, we’ve created this post just for you.

Once you’re ready to start looking for a teaching position, one of the first things you will need to prepare is your application. There are usually three main components to an effective application, and these elements are:

• The application form
• A supporting statement or letter of application
• An executive summary to show how you comply with the criteria, and that you are the person the school is looking for.

In this article we will be focusing on your NQT Personal Statement. 

Your NQT personal statement is likely to be the first impression that you will make with this new school or NQT pool and an ideal opportunity to show your unique qualities that make you the best person for the position on offer. 

Therefore, you will want this opportunity to promote yourself to the school in the best way possible. So it’s important that your writing is coherent, focused and clearly explains your reasoning behind wanting to be a teacher. In addition, a strong NQT personal statement will set you apart from other candidates in the competitive marketplace. 

Just like a resume and cover letter for a regular job, your personal statement should be rewritten for every position you apply for.

Never use the same NQT personal statement for multiple applications. Generic personal statements are super easy for employers to spot. And after all, you want to shine, right? Plus, you don’t want to copy someone else’s statement. Your employer might screen all personal statements using a similarity detection service like Copycatch. This could really hurt your application right out of the gate. And quite possibly end up in the bin. 

Remember, your personal statement is your chance to show your personality and enthusiasm, relevant to the school and prove you understand what they are looking for.

Your personal statement also shows your communication skills. That’s why you want to grab their attention, just like you want to with your students at the start of every lesson.

What is the NQT personal statement?

The NQT personal statement is an important document which schools use to understand why you want to become a teacher and whether you are suitable to teach at their school.

Of course, your application form will lay out all your qualifications, your skills, your strengths and weaknesses and also any relevant work experience. But your NQT personal statement is where you allow your unique personality to shine.

It is important to put your heart into writing your statement. And be prepared to write multiple drafts.

How do you write an effective NQT personal statement?

Your application and your NQT statement are going to be the first steps in securing the position you are looking for. Therefore, you obviously want to make a great first impression. Be ready to go through multiple drafts. Take your time, and get feedback from friends and family members.

I’m sure you have a ton of questions, such as:

• How do I write a killer, successful NQT statement?
• Where do I start?
• What should I include in my NQT statement?

These are all important questions. And I’m sure you have many more. So, let’s dive in and show you how to write an NQT statement which will stand out and give you the best chance of getting hired in your chosen teaching position.

Are you ready to write your killer NQT personal statement?

Great. Here are some important tips to help you.

1. The first rule when writing a successful NQT statement is to know your audience.

Before you start, it’s a great idea to step back for a minute and put yourself in your hiring manager’s shoes.

Think about what's important to them. What are they passionate about? What are they looking for? How can you improve their life?

When you think about what your hiring manager is looking for, you’ll have a much better chance of writing a concise and effective personal statement.

It’s a good idea to write a list of 10 things you think will be important to them.

However, the most critical step at this stage is to do your research and find out exactly what is required for this specific application. Different schools or LEA’s will have different requirements for the personal statement and should have guidelines somewhere in their application advert or portal.

Clearly your first task is to make sure that the personal statement you prepare is tailored to the requirements that have been set out for that job.

2. What is your objective?

• What is the purpose of your personal statement?
• Why should they hire you?
• What action are you trying to get the reader to take?

You need to be clear on this before you start writing your personal statement. If the answer isn't clear to you, it certainly won't be clear to your potential employer.

3. Why do you want to be a teacher?

Seems a simple question on the surface. But this is a great opportunity to show you’ve thought through this question. You could mention a past teacher who inspired you. Or the challenges and rewards of teaching. You could also talk about any lessons you have observed or taught previously which impacted you. You could also discuss particular teaching styles and your interests in using technology in the classroom.

Key tip: Think about creating a story for this question. Remember, the hiring manager is first and foremost a human being. Many new teachers make the mistake of forgetting this vital point. You are equal to them in this respect. Use emotional language to touch your reader. Help them imagine themselves in the situation you are describing. Help them feel what it was like in the situation that drove your desire in becoming a teacher. This is a major key in rousing your reader’s emotions.

4. Make sure you start your personal statement strongly.

Just like a great book or movie, your opening sentence should stand out. Make it memorable, without being overly dramatic. Effective personal statements often start with what inspired you to enter teaching in the first place.

• Did a high school teacher inspire you?
• Was it your own experience of learning?
• Was it a good or bad teacher you had previously?

This is a great opportunity to show some passion. Like point no.3 above, use some emotional language.

5. Why do you want to teach a particular age group?

Be ready to explain why a certain age group appeals to you. Mention specific examples of your experience with this age group.

For example, anyone who has taught kindergarten knows how much energy the students have. Lessons are always full on. And as cute as the kids are, if your lessons are not jam-packed with active, high-energy games, you’re going to lose them. 

Similarly, elementary students are at a stage where they are slowly beginning to think for themselves and many of them think they already know it all. At this age role-playing is effective, as the students like to see themselves as tiny adults. 

If your chosen age group is teenagers, you’ll be aware that this age group has its own challenges. Being a teenager has never been an easy task, and with so many changes going on in their lives and their bodies, their confidence is up and down. 

So, when you answer this question, you’ll need to show that you can relate to what is going on in your chosen group’s world. Show you are able to look back to when you were their age, relate to the age group and show how you keep your lessons relevant and exciting.

6. What experience do you have?

Relevant teaching experience is always going to help you when applying for any position. But it is also important to reflect on how that experience has helped you develop as a teacher. If you haven’t had much classroom time:

• Do you have any experience in voluntary teaching?
• Have you coached a sports team or been involved with a summer camp?

Obviously, as a new teacher, you can’t recite years of experience. Help your hiring manager imagine you in action. For example, you could describe a particular lesson which was either a success or failure. Think about retelling a memorable or challenging experience with a student, or a description of what your classroom looks and sounds like on a typical day. This will be much more valuable to enable them to envision your teaching experience than to cite pedagogical terms or talk vaguely about your teaching experience.

Always use specific examples of how your experiences have developed your teaching skills.

7. You should highlight your achievements, strengths and skills

Explain what you can bring to the school. Show how you differ from the other candidates. You could mention past experience and achievements, your unique talents, as well as your professional goals. You could also add specific classroom strategies you have developed and how they helped your students.

Many applications will make it clear that they want you to cover your specific qualifications, skills and understanding of elements of the National Curriculum, your classroom and educational skills plu your short and long term goals for making a difference to the education of your pupils.

The exact requirements should be set out in the application guidelines which should also tell you what you need to focus on.

8. How long should your NQT personal statement be?

This is not an essay. It’s simply a summary of you, your skills and your experience, and how they relate to the position you are applying for. Therefore, you should be specific and keep your personal statement short and informative.

This will help you keep your personal statement under a widely recommended  500-word limit. The school will not be impressed by minor childhood achievements, so keep your statement pertinent and focused.

That said, again, check the specific requirements in each case. Some applications will welcome a longer NQT personal statement, as is the case with Lambeth where we are happy to read up to three pages of A4, but no more.

If there is no guidance then the 500 word range is a very solid guide.

9. Make every word count

It’s a good idea to take a leaf out of a professional copywriter’s book here. Don’t waffle. Make every word count. Use powerful words where possible, without being overly dramatic. Avoid weak words like may, maybe, hope, wish, try, and perhaps. Instead, use words like will and can to help your personal statement command attention.

10. Take your time

Edit and then re-edit your personal statement. Besides being difficult to read, misspelled words and grammatical errors will destroy your credibility. Once you think you’ve written a great personal statement, it’s a good idea to leave it for a day or two. Then come back and see if you can improve it.

11. Read your statement out loud

This next tip is super-effective, and one many people fail to do. Read your statement out loud. If you do this, you’ll spot areas that don’t flow properly. And if you stumble when reading your statement out loud, you can be sure your potential employer will have the same trouble.

Key tip: Why don’t you record yourself as you read out your statement? This is simple to do with your phone. Then play it back and see if you can spot areas you can improve.

12. Let friends and relatives read your personal statement

Make sure whoever you ask to read your personal statement knows you want them to be critical. The whole purpose of this exercise is to improve your statement, not to make you happy that they love it. Choose your feedback team carefully. 

13. Finish strongly

The way you finish your personal statement should reinforce your enthusiasm for your career in teaching. Acknowledge that hard work is necessary, but also make your excitement stand out.

Your personal statement for PGCE primary

You should explain the experience you’ve gained with primary-age children.

The PGCE primary personal statements usually demonstrate your personality and the various skills you have which would benefit primary schools such as being artistic, your musical talents or your sporting prowess. 

All these types of skills would be very useful during primary schools’ extracurricular activities.  

Your personal statement for PGCE secondary

In this type of personal statement, you will want to make it clear you understand the challenges of teaching older students.

You could mention specific examples of situations and challenges you have faced teaching this age of students, and how you overcame them.  

You’ll also want to document how your degree ties in with the position you are applying for.

Final thoughts on your NQT Personal Statement

So, that is the nuts and bolts of what your NQT personal statement should include. The basic foundation for an effective personal statement is that it’s all about the pupils. What the school wants for the pupils, what you can provide for the pupils.  

You should always write your personal statement, and indeed your whole application from the angle of what will benefit the pupils, not what’s best for you.  The school is not interested at this stage in what’s good for you, it’s more interested in what’s good for its pupils, and if you can provide that. 

Now you know the structure of a strong NQT personal statement, we hope you will be in a perfect position to write an effective statement to get that dream job you’ve had your eyes on.

There’s more on the specific requirements of what Lambeth are looking for in the NQT personal statement for the Lambeth NQT pool on pages 10 and 11 of the NQT Information Pack which you can download here .

Remember that, as we said at the start of this article, each job you apply for should come with clear requirements for the application and hopefully some guidance. In the case of Lambeth we have a requirement for your NQT personal statement to clearly cover how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of being an NQT, and we outline a set structure that helps you do that.

Download our NQT Information Pack now to learn more.

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Teaching personal statement example.

My lifetime goal and aspiration since a young age has been to become a school teacher. While I was in school, I had a favourite teacher whose impactful teaching inspired my interest. Her kindness, genuine appreciation for me, and unique teaching style sparked my passion for becoming an educator. I always want to work with children as I care for them a lot. I always find it interesting to handle children. I can understand well their situation. During my time in school, my principal noticed my rapport with younger students and suggested I assist primary teachers. Engaging with the kids and their fondness towards me inspired me to start teaching. I was able to assist the children in reading, helping them with words that they think are difficult. Witnessing their growth and fostering their self-confidence was immensely rewarding. I just loved having the responsibility of supervising children.

I used to teach my younger brother from kindergarten to fourth grade. He felt most comfortable learning from me within our family. Sometimes, when I had exams, I couldn't teach him, and surprisingly, his grades did not improve during those times. However, whenever I resumed teaching him, his results became excellent, catching everyone's attention. I felt incredibly proud. I recall how my brother wasn't very interested in Bengali initially, but my teaching approach motivated him to study harder, eventually achieving the highest marks in his class.

I have a fondness for children and believe that they can be taught vital and valuable life lessons during their time in primary school which will then help them to grow emotionally and mentally into mature young people. It is this that I want to be a part of, the progression to their success. I remember as a child the amount of respect that teachers earned from their classes which drove me to learn in primary school. I'm extremely passionate about having a big input into a young person's life and making a difference. it is my ambition to become a good role model for the next generation. I am a responsible, hard-working and friendly girl who is known for my strong passion to attain a career as a primary school teacher. I firmly believe that in order to become a great teacher, the desire to help and assist children should be there. The learning process can be tough and challenging, which is one of the reasons that I really love about this profession.

I completed an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Business Management. I learned independently through online classes. I went to university for Business Management but realized it wasn't right for me. The course didn't make me happy. My inner self urged me to follow my true passion. I discovered I love teaching children the most and being around them brings me joy and real happiness. I'm good at talking with people and making things easy to understand. At work, I learned a lot and got inspired. People know me for being friendly and reliable, and I love taking on challenges. In my role at work, I am responsible for providing initial training to new employees. Colleagues find me approachable, and I have a knack for explaining things in a way that's easy for them to understand. I genuinely enjoy teaching people new things. I have great communication skills and work well with others, but I can also do things on my own. When things get busy, I stay organized and always meet goals on time.

The new lessons going to be learned from this program can make me further more suitable and stronger to take up teaching as profession in primary school. Definitely, I will use wisely my past experience to gather more knowledge from this program and groom myself as a best teacher for the primary school. All my past experiences and this current one will help me to explore new heights in your program and I am going to be a special student among the program for sure too.

I feel that my experience and enthusiasm for Primary teaching would make this a fulfilling and rewarding career. I am very much looking forward to expanding my practical and theoretical knowledge by attending university. In pursuing a degree in teaching, I seek to advance my knowledge and work to achieve my life ambition. I believe I have the commitment, patience and persistence to succeed. My teaching practice has confirmed my belief that teaching is one of the most challenging, demanding, exhausting but varied and exciting careers there are. look forward to university and ultimately having a job that is so important and a vital part of so many young lives.

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How to write a personal statement that stands out

As part of your application for teacher training, you’ll need to include a personal statement. The personal statement is at the heart of the application process and is your opportunity to showcase your skills and make sure you stand out from other applicants.

Teacher Training Providers and Lead Schools use personal statements to shortlist applications. This is why it is vital that you take the time and effort to research and prepare. Here are our tips to make sure your personal statement makes you stand out from the crowd.

What to include in your trainee teacher personal statement

A good personal statement will demonstrate why you are an ideal candidate for teacher training and should include your reasons for teaching as well as any relevant experience. Generally, it is a good idea to cover these key areas:

• Your reasons for wanting to teach
• The skills and qualities you can bring to teaching and to the wider life of a school
• An example of when you have made a positive impact on a young person
• Passion for your subject or age range
• Details of any classroom experience or examples of when you have worked with young people

Check, double check then check again

Space is tight (just 4,000 characters) so you need to think carefully about what to include and use the space wisely. Be mindful that the lead school and training provider that you apply to will probably bring a printed copy of your DfE application to your interview to use as a basis for discussion. Make sure all the information is accurate and be prepared to ask answer questions about what you have included.

Don’t forget the students

As well as writing about yourself make sure you include how your experiences and qualifications would benefit children and young people.

Olivia Couzins, Head of Recruitment at Leigh Academies Trust, explains: “Working with children is central to life as a teacher. If you have volunteered in a school recently, I want to know what you learnt from the lessons you observed. If you’re a career changer, tell me how your transferable skills will be relevant to working with students. It sounds obvious, but I read some applications that don’t even mention children.”

Get some support writing your personal statement

There are many ways you can get help with writing your personal statement; You can visit the Get into Teaching site to watch some video tips on the application process or to read their tips for effective personal statements.

The Get into Teaching service also has a team of Teacher Training Advisors who can support you with your application, the link to register for their support is below. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to speak to someone in person you can attend local information evenings where providers will be happy to help.

Further reading/information

• Register with the Teacher Training Advisors to get support with your application: https://register.getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/register
• Complete our contact form to get in touch with KMT for more support with your application: https://www.kmtraining.org.uk/register-interest
• Visit the Get Into Teaching site to watch some video tips on the application process: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/how-to-apply-for-teacher-training/preparing-your-teacher-training-personal-statement
• Find out more about the applicant journey and get answers to some common questions about the process: https://ceset.co.uk/application-process/
• Want to speak to someone in person? Attend one of the many teaching events across the south east: https://ceset.co.uk/recruitment-events/

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Center for Teaching

Teaching statements.

Print Version

• What is a teaching statement?
• What purposes does the teaching statement serve?
• What does a teaching statement include?

General Guidelines

• Reflection questions to help get you started
• Exercises to help get you started
• Evaluating your teaching statement
• Further resources

What is a Teaching Statement?

A Teaching Statement is a purposeful and reflective essay about the author’s teaching beliefs and practices. It is an individual narrative that includes not only one’s beliefs about the teaching and learning process, but also concrete examples of the ways in which he or she enacts these beliefs in the classroom. At its best, a Teaching Statement gives a clear and unique portrait of the author as a teacher, avoiding generic or empty philosophical statements about teaching.

What Purposes does the Teaching Statement Serve?

The Teaching Statement can be used for personal, professional, or pedagogical purposes. While Teaching Statements are becoming an increasingly important part of the hiring and tenure processes, they are also effective exercises in helping one clearly and coherently conceptualize his or her approaches to and experiences of teaching and learning. As Nancy Van Note Chism, Professor Emerita of Education at IUPUI observes, “The act of taking time to consider one’s goals, actions, and vision provides an opportunity for development that can be personally and professionally enriching. Reviewing and revising former statements of teaching philosophy can help teachers to reflect on their growth and renew their dedication to the goals and values that they hold.”

What does a Teaching Statement Include?

A Teaching Statement can address any or all of the following:

• Your conception of how learning occurs
• A description of how your teaching facilitates student learning
• A reflection of why you teach the way you do
• The goals you have for yourself and for your students
• How your teaching enacts your beliefs and goals
• What, for you , constitutes evidence of student learning
• The ways in which you create an inclusive learning environment
• Your interests in new techniques, activities, and types of learning

“If at all possible, your statement should enable the reader to imagine you in the classroom, teaching. You want to include sufficient information for picturing not only you in the process of teaching, but also your class in the process of learning.” – Helen G. Grundman, Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

• Make your Teaching Statement brief and well written . While Teaching Statements are probably longer at the tenure level (i.e. 3-5 pages or more), for hiring purposes they are typically 1-2 pages in length.
• Use narrative , first-person approach. This allows the Teaching Statement to be both personal and reflective.
• Be sincere and unique. Avoid clichés, especially ones about how much passion you have for teaching.
• Make it specific rather than abstract. Ground your ideas in 1-2 concrete examples , whether experienced or anticipated. This will help the reader to better visualize you in the classroom.
• Be discipline specific . Do not ignore your research. Explain how you advance your field through teaching.
• Avoid jargon and technical terms, as they can be off-putting to some readers. Try not to simply repeat what is in your CV. Teaching Statements are not exhaustive documents and should be used to complement other materials for the hiring or tenure processes.
• Be humble . Mention students in an enthusiastic, not condescending way, and illustrate your willingness to learn from your students and colleagues.
• Revise . Teaching is an evolving, reflective process, and Teaching Statements can be adapted and changed as necessary.

Reflection Questions To Help You Get You Started:*

• Why do you teach the way you do?
• What should students expect of you as a teacher?
• What is a method of teaching you rely on frequently? Why don’t you use a different method?
• What do you want students to learn? How do you know your goals for students are being met?
• What should your students be able to know or do as a result of taking your class?
• How can your teaching facilitate student learning?
• How do you as a teacher create an engaging or enriching learning environment?
• What specific activities or exercises do you use to engage your students? What do you want your students to learn from these activities?
• How has your thinking about teaching changed over time? Why?

* These questions and exercises are meant to be tools to help you begin reflecting on your beliefs and ideas as a teacher. No single Teaching Statement can contain the answers to all or most of these inquiries and activities.

Exercises to Help You Get You Started:*

• The Teaching Portfolio , including a section on teaching statements, Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence. This website includes five effective exercises to help you begin the writing process
• Teaching Goals Inventory , by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross and their book Classroom Assessment Techniques . This “quiz” helps you to identify or create your teaching and learning goals.

Evaluating Your Teaching Statement

Writing A Statement Of Teaching Philosophy For The Academic Job Search (opens as a PDF), The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.

This report includes a useful rubric for evaluating teaching philosophy statements. The design of the rubric was informed by experience with hundreds of teaching philosophies, as well as surveys of search committees on what they considered successful and unsuccessful components of job applicants’ teaching philosophies.

Further Resources:

General information on and guidelines for writing teaching statements.

• Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement , Faculty and TA Development at The Ohio State University. This site provides an in-depth guide to teaching statements, including the definition of and purposes for a teaching statement, general formatting suggestions, and a self-reflective guide to writing a teaching statement.
• Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement , Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Iowa State University. This document looks at four major components of a teaching statement, which have been divided into questions—specifically, to what end? By what means? To what degree? And why? Each question is sufficiently elaborated, offering a sort of scaffolding for preparing one’s own teaching statement.
• Writing a Meaningful Statement of Teaching Philosophy , McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. This website offers strategies for preparing and formatting your teaching statement.

Articles about Teaching Statements

• Grundman, Helen (2006). Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement (opens as a PDF), Notices of the AMS , Vol. 53, No. 11, p. 1329.
• Montell, Gabriela (2003). How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy , from the Chronicle Manage Your Career section of the Chronicle of Higher Education .
• Montell, Gabriela (2003). What’s Your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter? , from the Chronicle Manage Your Career section of the Chronicle of Higher Education .

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Writing a Teaching Personal Statement

This advice can be used for both undergrad (leading to Qualified Teacher Status) and postgrad statements, apart from where it specifies a difference. There is a short separate section on education degrees that do not lead to QTS.

Some of the advice here will be mirrored in the general PS writing guidance as well, particularly in the extra curricular section and the style advice. Both applications through UCAS (undergrad) and GTTR (postgrad) have the same limit - either 4000 characters or 47 lines, whichever limit gets passed first.

Start writing your personal statement early as many people will get through a huge number of drafts before they are happy with their PS. This is the general format for a PS and some good advice (you don't have to use this format, just make sure you include all the sections).

If you know where you want to apply, make sure you have a look on the websites for any specific advice on what they want to see in your personal statement as different universities may have different things they want you to include. For primary, think about what subjects they offer specialisms in (less of an issue for postgrad unless applying for MFL/to Exeter).

Remember, all universities will interview before offering you a place on either postgrad or undergrad courses, so don't include anything in your PS you wouldn't be happy to expand on at interview, as they may well use your PS to base some of your questions on.

Introductory Paragraph

All PSs will have an introduction in some form. This needs to start in an interesting way, to draw the reader in straight away. Remember that admissions tutors will read hundreds, if not thousands of them! 'I am applying to study BA/BEd Education' is (a) a waste of characters, as the admissions tutors will be from the education department and (b) a very boring way to start a PS. Avoid cliches such as 'I have always been interested in' - technically that can't be true, as it would have not been the case as a baby! Also, it is best advised not to use quotes in your PS - it is meant to be personal to you, so the admissions tutors want to know what YOU think, not what someone else does.

Use the introduction to possibly talk about HOW you got interested in teaching/education and why. It's a vocational course (when accompanied with Qualified Teacher Status), so you need to show your enthusiasm for doing something that is meant to be your career. Don't talk too much about any experience in school in your intro, save the detail for later. It should focus on the age range/subject you are applying for, e.g. why primary/secondary? Why English?

As already mentioned, this is important for vocational courses, as it shows you are making an informed decision in your career choice. This can be working as a TA or volunteering in a school; experience with children in a non-educational setting (e.g. Brownies) is also useful, but the main focus should be on experience in schools. However, it is not important to name the school, or mention the location - 'primary/secondary school' is enough. It is also a waste of space to mention that this experience increased/cemented your desire to teach - if it hadn't, you wouldn't be applying for the course! Use this space to reflect on what you saw/discussed with the teacher, such as:

• Behaviour management;
• Teaching styles, including ways to answer questions;
• Teacher-student interactions;
• Differentiation/special educational needs and EAL (English as an Additional Language), including groupings (mixed ability vs. set, individual vs. paired vs. group work);
• Assessment and recording;
• Resources (including displays);
• Transitions/routines: e.g. how does the teacher get the students in and out of the class, issue equipment to them, change activity. Procedures for smooth running of the class;
• Lesson objectives and success criteria, including how they are told to the students. How plenaries are used;
• Deployment of additional adults (and the teacher);
• Cross-curricular links/creative curriculum/EYFS (more relevant for primary);
• Talk to pupils, look at how engaged they are.

Teaching is not easy and this will help you show (briefly) that you know what you're letting yourself in for! What worked and why? How could you use this in your teaching? They obviously aren't expecting you to be the finished product when you arrive, but some awareness of the issues that teachers face is crucial.

One example of reflecting on your experience would be: 'The teacher used positive praise effectively with individual children when they were listening. This improved the behaviour of the children who were not behaving properly, as they wanted to be praised as well.' The first sentence describes briefly what the teacher did (or indeed, what you did if that's the case!); the second explains WHY it worked, which shows reflection.

Something else that is good to mention is any recent educational issues (e.g. the Rose/Cambridge reviews, sex education, MFL in KS2) and provide your take on it. You can get info from newspapers or the Times Educational Supplement, which you can find online or buy a paper copy of every week.

You also need to show that you are a good candidate for teaching: having the right skills/qualities for teaching. It would be a good idea to link this with what you've seen in the classroom (although to make it flow, it would be better to have a separate paragraph for it). It would be better to bring these in through your experience in schools (e.g. when you've supported children in their learning), but can be done through other means (even experience with adults, although school-based is more preferable).

Academic content should come next, although this isn't as important. I suggest (if applying for primary) showing you are capable in the core subjects (maths, English and science) along with your experience with ICT. However, this could even be implied through any teaching methods that require good subject knowledge (if relevant to you). If you have done a degree, say how it's helped you with your subject knowledge that you can bring to teaching. With secondary, if your degree is directly related to the subject you are applying to teach (e.g. BSc Physics for a Physics PGCE) then this is less important, but if it isn't (say a BA Sociology/RE for a PGCE in Citizenship) then you need to show your subject knowledge. Talk about what you enjoy related to the subject - after all, you will be involved in the same subject day in, day out! You may also want to include ICT competency, as you would use ICT a lot in schools whatever the subject.

You could also talk about your knowledge of how children learn if you've done a subject like psychology at college, although this is by no means essential, even if you did the subject.

Extra Curricular

This section is for anything that is not specifically related to your interest in teaching, and is FAR more relevant for undergraduate applications. In fact, I would say that unless any of the extra curricular activities are particularly pertinent to teaching or skills related to it (e.g. activities related to your secondary subject; running a netball club for primary teaching; or you can demonstrate a skill here that you cannot mention anywhere related to teaching), PGCE applications should avoid it completely.

This part should be short, a maximum of 1/3 of your PS. It can include things from school/college as well as in your free time (including a part time job). For school/college, you may want to talk about peer mentoring, prefects. Keep everything relevant - in the last TWO years (i.e. don't go talking about being a prefect when you're applying for a PGCE!). Remember to keep your sentences short and snappy. If they're long, people get bored and stop reading. Cut out all unnecessary words. Don't start your sentences with verbs unless absolutely necessary (e.g. “Being a prefect” is too informal). Say what you did/do, then what you learned from it, and sometimes explain why that is useful, but not at the expense of it being interesting. Don't repeat things you learned- you only need to demonstrate characteristics once each throughout the statement. You don’t need 3 examples of how you can handle responsibility! Other characteristics you can talk about are team work, communications skills, leadership, confidence, etc. Don’t worry if you don’t include them all. If it is just going to sound fake and boring, it’s probably better not to bother. You do not need to relate everything to teaching - you are allowed to have a break from it, even at university!

As for your interests outside of roles of responsibility, keep it very brief. Sport and musical interests are generally good ones to include and just briefly say why you enjoy it. Less important are things like 'I enjoy going down the pub with my friends/shopping/going to the cinema' etc. As long as you have SOMETHING written about your extra-curricular activities (if just to show you exist outside of college), it doesn't matter how many. Quality is better than quantity, and you want this section to be brief, so there is no point in listing a load of activities. Think about how they've helped you. You could also say how you can bring these into your teaching, although this is more relevant when applying for jobs (e.g. for running a lunchtime or after-school club).

If you are deferring entry, it would also be useful to include any gap year plans and say why you are doing that.

Your final paragraph should conclude why you are a good candidate and why you want to teach. Although you should be confident that you are a good candidate, it is important not to sound arrogant (e.g. 'I will be an amazing teacher'), as it's very off-putting. You shouldn't include any new information in the conclusion, expect possibly career plans (e.g. headteacher/SENCo), but these are less important in a vocational degree such as this. Don't refer to the university directly ('your university') as this comes across as very insincere considering you're applying to 4 or 5 universities for undergrad, or using the same PS should you be unsuccessful at one university for the PGCE.

Education Degrees Or Joint Honours With Education (non-QTS)

Only degrees with QTS are vocational; for the others, you would need to do a PGCE afterwards to qualify as a teacher. For degrees that don't lead to QTS, your experience in schools is less important, so you should talk more about the theory (e.g. learning styles) and why it interests you, rather than showing how you have the skills to be a 'good teacher'. However, you may have opportunities to observe/volunteer in nurseries, schools etc during the course.

For this, like other academic degrees, academic content should take up approximately 2/3 of your PS. It can be split into two: college academics (A Levels etc) and academic interests/activities outside of your formal education. The latter is obviously more interesting, as it shows more motivation to know more about the subject you are wanting to spend 3 years studying. However, you may not want to separate them that crudely - for example, covering something at A Level may have enthused you to discover more about that subject, so put it together.

This is not the place to list your A Levels and what you've done in them. It is also not the place to try and link everything to education, no matter how tenuous the link. Try and avoid saying 'Studying English literature has improved my essay writing skills and helped me construct concise arguments/Mathematics has helped with my data analysis skills'. These will be pretty self-evident and a waste of characters. Instead, talk about what in your A Levels (related to education) has interested you and why. Don't just explain concepts/theories - reflect on them. You're not trying to teach the admissions tutors, you're trying to show your interest in the subject. The most important question to come back to is WHY (WHY is this interesting?).

The second part would be far more interesting. This can come in a variety of forms: reading undergraduate level text books/reading academic journals (including those aimed at college students)/work experience. If you are talking about school experience, you don't need to mention the name of the school, just say 'a local primary school' (e.g.) and relate your experience back to theory. If talking about books you've read, like above, talk about WHY it is interesting and see if you can provide some sort of evaluative comment (e.g. how it can be applied, strengths/weaknesses of the theory etc). Look for what kinds of modules you'll be studying - e.g. there isn't much point in saying you're interested in areas that your chosen universities do very little (or none) of.

If you are applying for a joint honours course (with education), it is important to balance the amount of space dedicated to each subject. Note the difference between "Education with X" and "Education and X"; the first implies a 67/33 split between education and the other subject, while the second implies a 50/50 split. The amount of space in your PS spent talking about each subject should be adjusted accordingly. You should if possible avoid mixing choices of straight education and education joint honours. Any indication that you are not 100% committed to the course admissions tutors see you applying for can count very strongly against you. Think carefully about what you want to study for the next three years before you apply! You also need to show a link between the two - answering the question 'why do you want to study them together?'. Remember you will most likely have to do a dissertation that covers both, and while you don't have to have an idea about what you'll do at this stage, you need to show interest in both and how they link together.

General Hints/Tips

When you've written your PS, read and reread it. Read it aloud to see how it sounds. It's surprising how many times you can notice poor grammar/repeated words close together when you hear it, rather than reading it silently! Get other people to read it - teachers, parents, friends, siblings. Try and keep things up-to-date. If applying for undergrad, generally things from sixth form only, although a brief mention of things done during GCSE years may also be OK. For a PGCE, keep everything ideally since you started university, or in the last couple of years if you graduated a while back. Check the universities' requirements for the recency of any school experience, too.

Writing Style

Keep your sentences varied - don't start all your paragraphs/sentences with the same format (e.g. 'I did X/I did Y' or 'My A Level in...'/'My studies of...'), as it doesn't flow very well and sounds very boring. Also, one sentence (or even two) do not make a paragraph!

Don't have ANY sentences that put yourself down- even if you try to turn it round, it's better not to say anything negative to start with.

You are writing formally- “Can’t” should be “cannot”. “Doesn’t” should be “does not” etc. Do not include digit numbers- write them out. "I did two weeks..." not "I did 2 weeks". Do not include brackets- (...), they are too informal. Be careful not to miss out words like "have", "I", and "that", like most people do in spoken language. It is safer not to use exclamation marks at all. Look up 'how to use commas and semi-colons'. Spelling and grammar can make or break a PS.

Some words and phrases are extremely cliché: Passion, fascination, love, aspiration, intrigued by, broadened my knowledge, enhanced my skill, affirmed/confirmed my decision. Use these words with caution. If you're using alternatives, be careful not to sound like a thesaurus.

Using phrases such as "quenched my thirst for" or "sparked up my interest" also don't read anywhere near as well as you think they do.

There's a tendency to use "also" all the time, when it's not needed. Be concise! Unnecessary linking words like "Futhermore" and "As a result" get used too often. A few of them are OK, but only a few. Remember to use commas after these linking words and phrases.

Don't use complex words in extremely long and convoluted sentences. People lose interest (and it makes you look somewhat pompous). Keep it short and make it flow.

Capital letters: NOT needed for subject names, teacher, secondary school, etc. Be careful where you use them.

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By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 14 November 2023 | 5 min read

Teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

Here's some useful advice and insider knowledge on writing your personal statement from a sixth form tutor...

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If you want to make a solid impression on the universities you're applying for, it's a good idea to put a lot of effort into your personal statement. But what should you write about? We asked a sixth form tutor with over 25 years of experience how to make your application stand out. Here are Mrs Kinetta's tips for writing a top notch personal statement.

What is a personal statement? 

Your personal statement is a key part of the university application process – you have 4000 characters or 47 lines (whichever you hit first) to talk about your background and interests. The main thing to notice here is that it's a character limit – not a word limit – so spaces will be included in the count. It's worth copying and pasting your text directly into the Ucas form, as their formatting can be slightly different to other word-processing programs. You only get to submit one personal statement and it'll be sent to all of the universities you apply for. For this reason, you'll probably want to avoid mentioning specific universities. It also makes sense to apply for courses that are all similiar, so you'll be able to write a specific and targeted statement that will demonstrate your passion for the subject. If you're applying for two completely different subjects, it'll be hard to write a general statement that covers both areas.

• Read more: how to write your university application

So, how do you write your personal statement?

Here are some tips gained from more than 25 years of experience as a sixth form tutor, based on loads of tried and tested applications.

Paragraph spaces are included in your character limit

The Ucas formatting can be awkward and it automatically removes indents – this means you'll need to add a whole line of spaces to sepeate your paragraphs, and this will be included in your character count. 

• Read more: how to write an excellent personal statement in ten steps

Spelling, grammar and punctuation matter

Admissions tutors read loads of personal statements and you want to stand out – but not in a bad way. Try to avoid clichés like 'my love for science began when...' and 'I have been interested in history ever since I was a child'.  You can get creative, but make sure it's relevant. It's a good idea to keep your writing clear and simple, and give yourself plenty of editing time to remove any errors from your statement.

• Read more: the ten biggest mistakes when writing your personal statement

Don’t plagiarise

Ucas will test the originality of your personal statement by using their plagarism software. They will be able to find certain phrases or structures from your statement that have been taken from the internet, even if you've tweaked them slightly.  There are plenty of personal statement examples online, but these should just be for inspiration. It can be good to get an idea of what a top personal statement looks like, but don't just copy it – your statement will be a lot better if it shows your own personality and experiences. 

Don't focus too much on extracurriculars...

If you're applying for an academic course rather than a vocational one, it's a good idea to make about 75% your personal statement about your specialisation in the subject. Most admissions tutors for these type of degrees are looking for candidates who are serious about their studies. You can still write about what you get up to in your spare time – it shows that you're well-rounded – but try to keep your hobbies and part-time jobs to a quick summary.

...unless your course is vocational

But if you're applying for a vocational course, you should focus your statement around what you've learned from your relevant experience. This is because vocational degrees focus more on practical work instead of traditional exams.  When you're writing about your extracurricular activities, be clear about what your role was and explain the effect it had on you. It's better to have a few key examples rather than loads of examples with minimal detail.

• Read more: how long does it take for universities to reply to your application?

Be relevant

It can be tempting to make connection between all of your A-levels and the degree you're applying for, but you don't need to – it probably won't help you stand out.  A better approach would be to expand the detail in your main examples, as they will be much more relevant. 

Say what you've learned from books

Writing about relevant books that have influenced you can be a good way to demonstrate your dedication to the subject area, but stick to about two or three examples – and make sure you explain what you've gained from reading them. You should use more examples if you're applying for a literature-based course, as it can show your enthuasiasm for reading beyond the syllabus – without being forced to do it by your teachers.

• Read more: personal statement FAQs

You're not expected to be an expert 

You're applying to university to learn, so admissions tutors are looking for your commitment and potential rather than existing expertise. It helps to be honest about how your interest in the subject has developed – maybe you've only recently started researching the subject? You can explain what made you apply.

Focus on the positives

Don't worry about including mitigating circumstances in your personal statement, these should be mentioned in your reference instead – if you're using a teacher for your reference , make sure you tell them anything you'd like them to include.  As you don't need to write about mitigating circumstances, you can use all of your character limit to demonstrate why you'd be a great student on the course.

• Read more:  6 steps you need to take to apply to university

Make sure it reads well

Reading your personal statement out loud to yourself or a family member is a good way to check if everything flows well – you might be able to hear if any of your grammar sounds awkward.  Focus on making your statement clear and easy to read. All it takes is a simple explanation of why you want to study the course and why you would be good at it.

• Read more: universities reveal all about personal statements

Take your time and start early

It's worth putting in enough time to make your personal statement the best it can be. Plan an early first draft as soon as you know what course you want to do, and then set it aside for a few weeks before revisiting it. You might find ways to improve your statement after looking at it with fresh eyes. Some students even start their first draft at the end of year 12. This can be a good idea as it gives you something to work on over the summer holidays and you'll have time to research your courses – you'll also have enough time to start again if it isn't going too well.

You may want to look at these...

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps.

Help and advice on putting your application together

6 steps you need to take to apply to university

Find out more about choosing a university and course, writing your application and personal statement

Personal statement FAQs

We've gone through some of the most commonly asked personal statement questions and put all the answers in one place

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Peter DeWitt's

Finding common ground.

A former K-5 public school principal turned author, presenter, and leadership coach, Peter DeWitt provides insights and advice for education leaders. Former superintendent Michael Nelson is a frequent contributor. Read more from this blog .

What Makes an Inspiring and Passionate Teacher? 

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In an Education Week Opinion Blog last year, Raj Tawney wrote a powerful story about a teacher that changed his life after many years of feeling like an outsider looking in. Tawney said, “In 10th grade, however, my English teacher, L. John Friia, saw me for the first time. He was cool and easy to talk to. I felt comfortable opening up to him and expressing my hobbies and interests.”

What we know is that every student deserves to be seen and heard, but it doesn’t happen as often as we think. In surveys of over 1 million students, Russ Quaglia found that 54 percent of students in grades 6-12 stated that their teachers do not know their names. And even if that’s not the case, it doesn’t matter because the perspective for the student is much more impactful than the possible reality.

Odetola (1972) found that students feel alienated from school for two reasons. One, they don’t have an emotional connection to their teacher or school. Two, they don’t feel like they have a voice in their own learning.

Additionally, in a meta-analysis, John Hattie , found that the greatest influence on student progression in learning is having highly expert, inspired, and passionate teachers and school leaders working together to maximize the effect of their teaching on all students in their care.

We both (Michael and Peter)have had teachers and coaches who were highly expert, inspired, and passionate. Public rhetoric about teachers and education is not as positive as it should be, and we believe like Tawney, that we should all share stories of those teachers who have had an enormous impact on us. Michael shares a story about one of his most influential educators. Her name is Mrs. Roche.

It started with reading a book a week.

On the first day of 4th grade, Mrs. Roche challenged the class to read a book a week. She walked us to the library where the librarian reinforced this challenge. I distinctly remember being walked over to the C section and being asked by Mrs. Roche, “Have you read any books by Beverly Cleary? She’s one of my favorite authors.” I had not read any of Cleary’s work, but within a few months, I would have read the entire Beverly Cleary section. On this day, I picked out Henry Huggins. It was the first time I saw myself as a reader and a learner.

Do you remember moments like that? Moments where you actually saw yourself as a reader and a learner? Not because someone wanted you to compliantly follow along with a lesson but because they inspired you?

She loves you.

I remember my mom meeting Mrs. Roche for the first time during student conferences. When my mom arrived home from the conference, I couldn’t wait to hear what Mrs. Roche might have said about me. I was the third of three boys in my family. What Mrs. Roche said to my mom changed the trajectory of my life.

“Michael,” my mom said, “I have been to many conferences, but I have never had a teacher tell me this.” My shoulders slouched for a moment, and I became nervous. Luckily, my mom quickly continued. “Michael, Mrs. Roche loves you. Never in all of my years of going to conferences have I had a teacher tell me this. This is going to be a very special year of learning for you.”

You see, growing up, my parents both told me that being a teacher was the most noble of professions, so the fact that my teacher saw something in me that I hadn’t recognized in myself yet was a profound moment for me. It’s why I remember it so vividly to this day.

It is OK to show emotions.

The reading of the classroom chapter book always occurred after lunch recess. Mrs. Roche had picked Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Along with my classmates, I could not wait for this time each day. Later on as a teacher, it was those moments I looked forward to as well.

As the book was coming to a close, Mrs. Roche put the book in her lap and said, “I’ve read this book each year to my students, and at this point in the story, I usually cry. I will most likely cry this time as well. I don’t want you to focus on my tears, but I want you to really listen to the story with your head and heart. I really want you to hear the words that Wilson Rawls wrote. You may find yourself tearing up, and that’s OK.” I had never had someone share with me that it was OK to show emotions.

She looks at me.

Raised in a small community outside of Seattle, I have many lifelong friends who also had Mrs. Roche as their 4th grade teacher. Each person still shares similar stories of how she would “look” at you when talking.

She did not look above or below you or watch something else going on in the room, she looked at you. She was fully present for you. This was behavior and feeling that I have tried to emulate for students in my classrooms as a teacher, then as a principal and superintendent.

Mrs. Roche believed in her students’ ability to feel and be learners. Her passion and expertise guided this group of 4th graders in such a manner that 50 years later I can remember the learning that occurred during that school year. Mrs. Roche was a model and an example of what s an expert, inspired, and passionate teacher is like. In fact, I recently did an interview with Bob Greenberg where I talked about Mrs. Roche, which you can watch here .

Who was your Mrs. Roche? Have you told them the impact they had on you?

The opinions expressed in Peter DeWitt’s Finding Common Ground are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Who Is Tim Walz, the Minnesota Governor Kamala Harris Picked to Be V.P.?

Mr. Walz captured Democrats’ attention with his “weird” takedown of Republicans. Here’s a look at the new vice-presidential candidate.

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By Neil Vigdor

• Aug. 6, 2024 Updated 10:49 a.m. ET

A couple of weeks ago, few Democrats could have identified Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.

But in a matter of weeks, Mr. Walz has garnered an enthusiastic following in his party, particularly among the liberals who cheer on his progressive policies and relish his plain-spoken attacks on former President Donald J. Trump.

That support helped him become Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. Here’s a closer look at Mr. Walz.

How old is he and where is he from?

Mr. Walz is 60 years old. He grew up in rural Nebraska and received a social science degree from Chadron State College in Nebraska. Mr. Walz also served 24 years in the Army National Guard and was a command sergeant major.

Mr. Walz met his wife, Gwen, while the two were teachers. They have two children.

Where did he get his start in politics?

Mr. Walz had been teaching high school social studies when he decided to run for office. In 2006 he knocked off a Republican incumbent, a rare feat, in Minnesota’s First District, a rural area that leans Republican.

Mr. Walz spent six terms in the U.S. House before he was elected governor in 2018. He won by more than 11 percentage points, propelled by voters in the cities and the Minneapolis suburbs. He ran again and won in 2022.

What are his top issues?

The political landscape has become more favorable for Mr. Walz during his second term as governor. Democrats flipped the State Senate, giving them control of both chambers of the State Legislature.

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Watch CBS News

Kamala Harris running mate Tim Walz's accomplishments, setbacks during his time as Minnesota governor

By Stephen Swanson

Updated on: August 6, 2024 / 6:30 PM CDT / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her presidential running mate. While Walz might not be a household name, his political star has been on the rise in recent weeks after making several viral cable news appearances.

Walz was also credited with helping launch the "weird" movement among his fellow Democrats, which has gained traction and put former President Donald Trump, his vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance and other Republicans on the defensive.

He has also been applauded and condemned for several progressive laws passed while in Minnesota's highest office, especially in his second term when the DFL Party took total control of state government following the 2022 elections.

He also faced severe criticism in his first term for how he handled the dual crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the violent uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. 

In an interview with CNN last month , host Jake Tapper pressed Walz about whether he could harm the Democratic ticket, as the Trump campaign works hard to portray Harris as an ultraliberal. Walz said he was "more than happy" to take any label they have.

"What a monster! Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health care decisions. And we're a top-five business state and we also rank in the top three of happiness," Walz said.

Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, believes Walz is an asset to Harris' campaign because of his "attack dog" skills.

"I think we'd see Tim Walz really going after the Trump-Vance ticket, and it'd probably be a harsher tone than what we've seen here in Minnesota in his everyday conduct. And he'd really be counted on to win the key states in the Upper Midwest," Jacobs said.

Here are several of Walz's accomplishments — with an unusual number of legislative successes scored in March 2023 alone — and setbacks during his tenure as governor.

The pandemic

Walz's use of emergency powers during the pandemic — including the institution of a mask mandate, business shutdowns and a hotline number established to report people violating social distancing guidelines — outraged his critics.

Several lawsuits followed, including one filed in 2020 by the conservative Upper Midwest Law Center alleging Walz misinterpreted the Minnesota Emergency Management Act and illegally bypassed state lawmakers when issuing a peacetime emergency.

The case, which focused on the mask mandate, eventually made its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court , which sent it back to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. In July 2023, that court ruled that Walz indeed had the authority.

During his 2022 reelection campaign against GOP candidate Dr. Scott Jensen, who was banned from some social media platforms for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, Walz consistently defended the "hard decisions" he made during the pandemic. He went on to defeat Jensen by nearly 200,000 votes.  

The murder of George Floyd and its aftermath

Conservatives lashed out at Walz for his delay in the historic activation of the Minnesota National Guard , which helped restore order on Twin Cities streets during the unrest in May 2020.

The delay drew the ire of then-President Trump , who went on to falsely claim he ultimately made the call. Months after the chaos, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he asked Walz for troops three days before he gave the green light.

Walz, who served in the Army National Guard for nearly a quarter of a century, clapped back at Frey .

"I don't think the mayor knew what he was asking for," Walz said. "I think the mayor said, 'I request the National Guard, this is great. We're going to have massively-trained troops.' No, you're going to have 19-year-olds who are cooks!"

In a recent interview with Fox News , Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann accused Walz of delaying guard activation because "he was fearful of alienating his progressive base, who were supporting the riots."

"[Walz has] been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having," Hann said. "He displayed a remarkable lack of leadership in dealing with the riot that was very destructive, and the aftermath of which is still affecting the quality of life and the business climate in Minneapolis."

Abortion rights

In a 1995 ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld abortion rights in Minnesota. In January 2023, Walz signed the PRO Act (Protect Reproductive Options Act) into law, making abortion a "fundamental right," as well as access to contraception, fertility treatments, sterilization and other reproductive health care.

The law made Minnesota the first state to codify abortion rights in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which nullified Roe v. Wade after nearly 50 years of precedent.

"Your access to reproductive health and your right to make your own health care decisions are preserved and protected," Walz said during the signing ceremony. "And because of this law, that won't change with the political wins or makeup of the Supreme Court. This is a bill for Minnesota today and all future generations."

Republicans vigorously opposed the PRO Act, which was labeled as an "extreme law" by the party's top lawmakers, who failed to add amendments that would've banned third-trimester abortions and required clinics to be licensed.

In April 2023, Walz signed the  Reproductive Freedom Defense Act  into law, shielding women and providers from any legal action originating from the patient's state.  

Pro-LGBTQIA+ legislation

Walz has a long history of supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. While teaching at Mankato West High School in the 90s, he helped found its first gay-straight alliance group.

"You have an older, White, straight, married, male football coach who's deeply concerned that these students are treated fairly and that there is no bullying," Walz said in a 2018 campaign ad .

In March 2023, Walz signed an executive order to protect the right of residents to have access to gender-affirming health care . Weeks later, he signed the "Trans Refuge" bill, banning the enforcement of arrest warrants, extradition requests and out-of-state subpoenas for those who traveled to Minnesota for care.

"When someone else is given basic rights, others don't lose theirs," Walz said. "We aren't cutting a pie here. We're giving basic rights to every single Minnesotan."

Republicans sought to place an amendment in a separate bill to outlaw access in line with some neighboring states.

Other critics, including Christian conservative groups, claimed the law places vulnerable youths in danger of irreparable harm.

Proponents say gender-affirming care treatments are evidence-based with plans developed on a person-by-person basis, taking into consideration the patient's developmental stage.

The practice of putting LGBTQIA+ youths into " conversion therapy ," which aims to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, was also formally banned in early 2023, although Walz issued an executive order two years earlier to restrict the practice.

Opponents of conversion therapy, like Children's Minnesota pediatrician Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd, say the practice can cause psychological trauma, and increase the risk of self-harm and suicide.

Opponents of the ban said it was ultimately an attack on religious freedom .

Later that year, Walz signed a public safety package including a "red flag" law that allows family members, roommates or law enforcement to petition the courts to remove firearms from the possession of anyone deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Another law within the package required private gun transfers to be subject to background checks.

"This is not about the second amendment," Walz said. "This is about the safety and security of our communities. That's what's happening here today."

Republicans and gun rights advocates accused Walz and DFL lawmakers of burying the gun control measures into the enormous package, and unfairly impacting the rights of lawful gun owners.

Paid family, medical and sick leave

In May 2023, Walz signed a law creating a state-run program to provide paid family and medical leave for Minnesota workers, funded by a 0.7% payroll tax on employers, by 2026.

While proponents say the law is an "equalizer" that provides a road map for a similar federal effort, critics claim it would cost much more than estimated and devastate small businesses.

Legalization of recreational marijuana

In May 2023, Minnesota became the 23rd state in the nation to legalize recreational cannabis use . Three months later, people 21 and older could start to possess certain amounts of marijuana at home and on their person, in addition to legally growing up to eight plants at a time.

Minnesotans with minor marijuana convictions are also eligible to have their criminal records expunged, and residents from communities of color — which were disproportionately targeted for arrests and convictions for possession for decades — are given preferential status in applying for cannabis-related business licenses .

Republican lawmakers accused the Democratic majority at the Capitol of forcing through legislation that was full of loopholes that ultimately endanger youths and increase public safety risks, especially the prospect of more impaired drivers on state roads.

Driver's licenses for undocumented Minnesotans

Walz also signed a bill into law in March 2023 that allows Minnesota residents of any immigration status the ability to obtain a driver's license .

Advocates for the bill, which had strong backing from law enforcement, business and religious groups, said it would lead to safer roads and a stronger economy.

Opponents accused lawmakers and Walz of potentially opening a Pandora's box that could blur eligibility for voting and enrollment in other state programs.

Republican lawmakers also unsuccessfully sought to make special licenses for undocumented Minnesotans that would be easily distinguishable from the standard cards.

Restoration of voting rights for former felons

In that same watershed month, Walz signed a bill that restored the right to vote to more than 50,000 convicted felons who had already served their time .

"We are in a country of second chances, we're a country of welcoming people back in. And the idea of not allowing those voices to have a say in the very governing of the communities they live in is simply unacceptable," Walz said.

Several Republicans lambasted the legislation, saying those still serving probation for felonies should not have the right to vote. Sen. Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, went further, saying the law "opens our elections to being influenced by convicted felons and illegal immigrants."

Universal school meals

Amid the increase in food insecurity for many Minnesotans during the pandemic, and the subsequent strain on the state's food shelves that remains to this day , Walz signed a bill in March 2023 that ensures all K-12 students in the state have access to free breakfast and lunch on school days.

"As a former teacher, I know that providing free breakfast and lunch for our students is one of the best investments we can make to lower costs, support Minnesota's working families, and care for our young learners and the future of our state," Walz said.

Initially pegged to cost $388 million in the state's two-year budget, the cost ballooned by more than $80 million , stoking sentiment among Republican lawmakers that the program is a waste of taxpayer funds, and largely provides meals for students of families that can easily afford to pay for them.

Walz's clashes with Hennepin County's attorney

In April 2023, Walz became the first Minnesota governor in three decades to reroute a criminal case from a county attorney to the state attorney general's office .

The case involved the 2022 murder of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever . The father of her young child was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for orchestrating her death. Two teenage brothers, one of whom fired the fatal shots inside her Brooklyn Park apartment, were also sent to prison.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty originally put together a plea deal for the brothers that would've seen them serve time in juvenile detention instead of being sent to adult facilities. The move angered McKeever's family and community members, and their outcry led Walz to intervene and place the case in the hands of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Earlier this year, Moriarty faced fierce criticism for charging a White Minnesota state trooper in the death of a Black motorist in 2023 . Her office eventually dropped the charges , and Walz told reporters soon after he had planned to intervene again if Moriarty hadn't made "the right decision."

Moriarty called Walz's move in the McKeever case "deeply troubling" and alarming to "prosecutors across the state." That sentiment was shared by the National Lawyers Guild , which called Walz's conduct "not just wrong, but in the context of other decisions, shows that you are making these sensitive decisions based on political expedience."

Following the end of the state trooper case in June 2024, Moriarty accused Walz of unfair treatment due to her gender and sexuality, as she is the first openly LGBTQIA+ Hennepin County attorney, pointing to the lack of criticism her predecessor Mike Freeman enjoyed.

When pressed by the media about Moriarty's claims, Walz simply said they were "false."

Stephen Swanson is a web producer at CBS Minnesota. A 21-year station veteran, Stephen was a floor director for a decade before moving to the newsroom, where he focuses on general assignment reporting.

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