Skills
Elementary School Teacher Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in elementary school teachers, and how to build and show them.
Elementary School Teachers need technical skills such as lesson planning, reading and math instruction, and classroom management, plus people skills like patience and communication. They also use tools such as Curriculum materials and Interactive whiteboards.
Technical (hard) skills
- Lesson planning
- Reading and math instruction
- Classroom management
- Assessment
- Differentiation
- Educational technology
People (soft) skills
- Patience
- Communication
- Organization
- Creativity
Tools, equipment and technology
- Curriculum materials
- Interactive whiteboards
- Learning management systems
- Assessment platforms
- Classroom supplies
- Family communication apps
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how elementary school teachers put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Lesson planning” and “Reading and math instruction.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “patience,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as State teaching license near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our elementary school teacher glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Elementary School Teacher training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.