Letter of recommendation template for teaching position

It can be a sign of honor and respect when a fellow teacher trusts you enough to ask for that all-important reference. But once you’ve agreed to offer your support, how exactly do you create a recommendation letter that says all you want it to?

Perhaps you need a recommendation from another teacher yourself, and you need to help that person create the perfect letter to show why you’re right for the job. For whatever purpose, knowing how to create an effective reference letter, and produce a generic sample, is vital to succeeding.

Want to know the best way to create that recommendation, or need to know what the average sample looks like? Read on to find out more.

Using a Sample Reference Letter

The first step in the reference process is knowing how to write a generic sample. This sample can then be used to inform the creation of more detailed and job-specific recommendations. Why start with a sample?

Here are just a few reasons:

• It helps you know what kind of content you’d like to include in every letter
• It’s good practice for when you have to complete a job-specific recommendation
• It lets you know the best way to format reference letters in the future

Your sample recommendation letter isn’t the final stage of the process. The same version of your reference letter could be considered a reference document that can then be tailored to a specific purpose. Similarly to how a resume or a cover letter should be tailored, the reference letter should be treated in the same way. They are job-specific, as opposed to one-size-fits-all.

If you’re looking for a reference yourself, and your colleague or past employer has agreed to create a letter for you, including this sample as an idea of what the letter needs to look like can provide excellent support to ensure their final letter is as appropriate as possible. Offering explicit instruction of the critical information needed, as well as a copy of a resume or details of your qualifications, can further help to ensure you stand a better chance based on their detailed reference letter.

Reference letters mustn’t be simply copy-and-paste jobs of existing samples. For many potential employers, this is a big no-no. Before speaking to colleagues or past bosses about creating a reference letter for you, understanding what is required yourself can help smooth the process along and provide the best possible endorsement of your skills and abilities.

Creating a Teacher Reference Letter

Once you’re happy that you understand the basics of sample letter creation for references in general, it’s then important to look specifically at what is important for a teacher, in particular. As with any job, teaching requires a specific skill set, and there are certain things potential employers will be looking out for when it comes to the information and documentation you can offer. Here are just a few tips to get your start:

Use formal letter formatting

A reference letter should be considered a formal document. As such, it’s always recommended to create these letters in a business letter format. Even in the case where an email is required over a physical letter, attach your reference as a document as opposed to pasting it into the body of the email for best results.

Make it personal

If you’re creating a recommendation letter for a colleague or past employee, it’s well worth getting your hands on the description and information available about the job they are applying for. This allows you to tailor your letter to the exact requirements of the job position, including the use of similar language in many cases. Even for recommendations that are more generic in nature, you can still tailor your finished recommendation based on the type of job the individual is going for, whether it’s a particular type of teaching or an even more specific role. You only want to create positive references for peers or employees you can genuinely recommend.

Use real life examples

While it’s all well and good saying that you think someone is an excellent teacher, backing that up with real-world examples provides far more weight than generic statements. This is especially true when those real-life examples can be quantified, such as if the teacher has caused an increase in pass grades in their class, or if students have tested better under their guidance.

Be positive, but don’t overdo it

A letter of recommendation is designed to act as a place in which positive things can be said about the individual. This means saying why you believe this person is a strong candidate for a role, helping them to stand out as a particularly attractive option for the employer. However, ensure you don’t go overboard; a glowing review is excellent, but one that sounds unrealistic may cause more harm than good.

Provide contact details

It may be that the potential employer wants to get more information from you after reading a letter of recommendation. Perhaps they have more questions, or they’d like to clarify a statement you have made. Providing contact details can ensure they can get in contact with you if they need to. In a formal letter, these details are always included at the top.

Follow the provided guidelines

Often, employers will have specific requirements for the submission of references. This may be sending information over email, uploading your letter to a site, or even submitting it in the post. Meeting these requirements is a must to ensure you’re doing all you can to get that letter into the right hands.

George Supervisor
345 Tree Street, Village, State 67890 · 111-111-1111 · [email protected]

January 10, 20XX

Joe Employer
Boss
Tree Street School
25 Business Street
City, State 12345

Mr. Employer:

I am writing to highly recommend Susan Teacher as a potential candidate for the position of fourth-grade teacher at Tree Street School. As a supervisory teacher at Flower Road School, I’ve had the pleasure and joy of working alongside Susan for the past six years. She is an organized, practical, and driven teacher that inspires her students and supports their goals each day.

Susan has always pushed to become better as a teacher, committing to additional courses and chances of furthering her teaching skills. First coming to us as a student-teacher, she has since taken on other valuable responsibilities including managing the Art Club, as well as joining various committees. She continued this ambition by managing multiple events, including Parent-Teacher Night, throughout her tenure. Susan embraces all opportunities to develop professionally, making her the perfect choice for a leadership position.

Susan has developed an excellent rapport with her students, as well as connecting and collaborating with her peers and superiors to further enhance the school environment. Her ability to communicate with each student and talent for making even tricky subjects understandable is truly superior, something reflected in the grades of her students. She also offers excellent skills in verbal and written communication with both teachers and parents.

Susan’s commitment to innovating and thinking outside the box, combined with her positive attitude, makes her a credit to any school she chooses to move to. I can wholeheartedly say that I recommend Susan to you with no reservation.

For any further questions regarding her qualifications or background, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

Sincerely,

George Supervisor

Supervising Teacher
Flower Road School

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