New Teacher Cover Letter: Examples for First Year Teachers

Create your cover letter now

Tom Gerencer, CPRW

Career Expert

Updated: 17 July 2025

Reviewed by:

Roma Kończak, CPRW

Article Helpfulness:

4.33

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Your new teacher cover letter has to show the principal you can wrangle that unruly mob of kids. It has to prove you can create lesson plans and inspire young minds. And maybe most importantly, it has to do it fast. How can a first-year teacher cover letter do all that in 3 paragraphs?

With a letter that shines like a brightly-polished apple.

Below, you’ll see a sample cover letter for new teachers that gets jobs, with simple steps to adapt it to your story.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

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New Teacher Cover Letter Sample

Lisa R. Santos

High School Teacher

2889 Devils Hill Road

Jackson, MS 39211

601-628-0535

lisa.zr.santos@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/lisazrsantos

6/5/20

Granville Sullivan

Principal

Randal J. Washington High School

3310 Washington Avenue

Jackson, MS 39211

Dear Mr. Sullivan,

As a passionate teacher with 1 year of experience, I’m very enthusiastic about your teacher job opening at Randall J. Washington High School. I read your job offer thoroughly, so I know you’re seeking a candidate who can engage students, grade quizzes, and foster communication between parents and teachers, making sure all parties stay abreast of student progress. I believe my resume will interest you, particularly because of a few of my education accomplishments from the past year.

Working as a substitute teacher in 2019, I received Teetle High School’s Most Engaging Teacher. During that year, I graded 100+ quizzes assigned by long-term teachers, subbed a total of 70 days, and communicated with over 100 parents and teachers to track student progress in an engaging and supportive way.

The thing that interests me most about serving students at Randal J. Washington High School is your focus on creating an inclusive classroom environment. That fits well with my belief that students of all backgrounds should have a comfortable, engaging place to learn and grow. I would value the opportunity to discuss how my writing, public speaking, and conflict resolution skills can help your school continue to improve its quality of education. Could we set aside some time next week to meet?

Best regards,

Lisa R. Santos

High School Teacher

601-628-0535

lisa.zr.santos@gmail.com

That new teacher cover letter sample will move you to the head of the class. But how’s your resume? See our guide: New Teacher Resume Sample & First Year Teacher Resume Sample

Looking for other new teacher jobs? See these guides:

New Teacher Cover Letter Template

Here’s how to write a cover letter for a new teacher job application:

1. Create the right new teacher cover letter format and layout

To turn a modern cover letter template into a job-getting machine, follow these tips:

Cover letter structure: write 3 or 4 paragraphs—no more, no less.
Cover letter template: use 1-inch margins to make your first year teacher cover letter look professional.

Cover letter line spacing: set your spacing at 1.15 lines. That’s the standard business-letter height.
Cover letter font: choose one tried-and-tested font like Didot or Helvetica.

2. Write a clean-looking new teacher cover letter header

What should your cover letter heading look like? Your contact info, the date, and then their contact info, all stacked in the top left.
Make sure your info has your name, job title, and street address. You’ll also want to list your email address, phone, and LinkedIn link.
Put a blank line space between your info and the date, and another between the date and the principal’s contact information.
Add the school’s name and mailing address.

3. Write an A+ first paragraph

Get attention with the principal’s name. Most people’s eyes go straight to their names, so it’s a good icebreaker.
Avoid the Dear Hiring Manager cover letter trap by looking up the principal’s name on the school’s website.
Jump right in with the title of the teaching job you’re applying for.
Stop them from daydreaming by listing off the job’s requirements. That’s almost as good as using the principal’s name in your cover letter greeting.

**4. Show the perfect new teacher achievements**

What should your cover letter say in paragraph #2? It’s time to prove your thesis. Show your teaching achievements match the job description from their online posting.
To do it, share some resume accomplishments that capture times you’ve passed with flying colors.
Earn extra credit by adding numbers of students or percents that show improvement. It’s one thing to say you’ve done the job. It’s something else to say you excelled at it.
In a new teacher cover letter with no experience, pull accomplishments from school or non-teaching jobs.

**5. Convince them this teaching job is right for you**

In the last paragraph of your resume cover page show them you won’t start looking for greener pastures by saying this teaching position matters to you.
In your final cover letter part, say something about their approach to education that really speaks to you.
Drawing a blank? Skim through the school’s website or look for news items about the principal or teaching staff that resonate.

There are over one million teaching jobs in the U.S., according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But to get that perfect one with a great principal, you need a standout first year teacher cover letter.

6. End your new teacher cover letter with an offer

Killer cover letters ask for the interview, but there’s a right way and a wrong way.
When you ask, include some tempting topics of discussion.
If they mentioned public speaking and conflict resolution near the bottom of the job description, promise to discuss how your skills in those might help the school.

7. Add a professional sign-off to the end

End your perfect cover letter with “Best regards” or another professional sign-off.
Include your name and basic contact information, like your email address and phone number. Yes, they’re at the top, but it’s customary to end with them as well.
You can also create a list of the documents you’re going to include with your cover letter off to the side (if the job ad asks for cover letter enclosures).
Name your cover letter file with the job title and your name.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

https://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm

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