• Log in
  • Site search

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 .

How would you rate this page?

On a scale where 1 is dislike and 5 is like

  • Dislike 1 unhappy-very
  • Like 5 happy-very

Thank you for rating the page

Teacher Education Personal Statement

What is a personal statement.

Ranked 22nd in the world for the discipline of Education,* we are committed to creating a learning community where you are provided with the best environment and academic opportunities to excel in your chosen field of study. From 2018, we have required a personal statement with all applications to the University of Sydney’s teacher-education degrees (excluding early childhood). The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership responded to the Federal Government's request to create selection guidelines for all universities to assess both the academic and non-academic qualities of all students applying for entry into a teaching degree. The personal statement applied by the University allows you to demonstrate your suitability for teaching through the right combination of qualities to enable you to become an effective teacher.

* 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject

How do I submit my statement?

Undergraduate uac applicants.

If you are applying through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) to study a teacher education degree at the University of Sydney (excluding early childhood), you will be prompted to complete a personal statement questionnaire during the application process. Please refer to UAC’s guidelines and the relevant UAC form when submitting your personal statement. More information is available on the  UAC website .

Undergraduate direct applicants

Because the number of applications from qualified applicants for many Teaching Areas exceeds the quota of places available, you are required to submit a statement, not exceeding 1000 words, addressing the following four questions about your motivation and suitability for teaching. You must answer all four questions to be considered for selection to the course.  Your responses will be used in the selection process.

  • Tell us what has inspired you to become a teacher and tell us why you think teaching is a good career choice for you. Describe who and what has inspired you to become a teacher and describe the types of skills and abilities you will bring to teaching.
  • Describe one or two leadership, community and/or learning and development activities that you have engaged in. Describe how these leadership, community and/or learning and development activities demonstrate your conscientiousness and coping strategies when you are faced with challenges.
  • Describe how you manage your time when you are both planning and coordinating activities in your personal schedule. Provide examples of how you have put both your planning and coordinating skills to use.
  • Tell us about one or two times where you have utilised your problem-solving skills to achieve an outcome. Explain what you learned, regardless of whether the outcome you achieved was positive or undesirable.

You need to submit your answers to these questions in a Word document or a PDF. It is recommended, for your own ease, to answer these questions as four separate items.

Postgraduate applicants

If you are applying for one of our Master of Teaching degrees, you will be required to fill out our Master of Teaching supplementary form and upload it to your online application.

Study with us

  • Schools directory
  • Back issues
  • New Teachers
  • Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

How to write the perfect teaching personal statement

Application and interview, tes editorial.

Teacher Personal Statement

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."

Want to keep up with the latest career advice? Follow  Tes Jobs on Twitter  and like  Tes Jobs on Facebook

  • AI Content Shield
  • AI KW Research
  • AI Assistant
  • SEO Optimizer
  • AI KW Clustering
  • Customer reviews
  • The NLO Revolution
  • Press Center
  • Help Center
  • Content Resources
  • Facebook Group

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

man and woman sitting on chairs

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. 

Free Examples of Effective Teaching Personal Statement

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.

Explore All Write Personal Statement Articles

How to draft meaningful length of law school personal statement.

Are you confused on how to write a law school personal statement? One of the essential elements of your application…

  • Write Personal Statement

Effective History and International Relations Personal Statement to Try

Are you considering studying history and international relations? Or you may be curious about what a degree in this field…

Guide to Quality Global Management Personal Statement

Are you applying for a global management program and want to stand out from the crowd? A well-written personal statement…

How to Draft Better Examples of Personal Statements for Residency

Achieving a residency can be a massive accomplishment for any aspiring medical professional. To secure your spot in one of…

Tips for Drafting a Free Example of Personal History Statement

A personal history statement can be crucial to many applications, from university admissions to job search processes. This blog will…

Writing Compelling Dietetic Internship Personal Statement

Applying for a dietetic internship is a rigorous process and requires submitting a personal statement, which is an essential part…

Dark background

Light background

Text only mode

How to get into teaching

How to write your teacher training personal statement

Your teacher training personal statement should express why you'd make a great teacher and spell out your experiences, qualities and skills. We've got the inside track from Admissions Tutors on how to go about writing a good teacher training personal statement, what to do and what not to overlook...

6 minute read

Share to: Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter

Let's start with a look at when to apply for teacher training. Places on teacher training courses are filled on a first come first serve basis. This is due to two factors. Firstly, the Department for Education set the maximum number of trainees on some courses. But the thing that really limits the number of places available is ensuring that there are enough school placements for all trainees. Training providers can only recruit up to a number that is manageable in terms of providing the trainees with the placement experiences they need.

Student types her personal statement using a laptop

Places for the most popular subjects tend to go early, for example, Physical Education (PE), Primary and Psychology. Shortage subjects such as Chemistry, Computing, Maths and Physics don’t fill up so fast.

The route you are taking into teaching may also influence when you apply. School Direct is run by the schools themselves and they can only take as many trainees as they can train within their schools. They may only have the one place available for your chosen subject and once those placements are gone, they’re gone. Universities tend to have larger and wider networks of partner schools which provide school placements. This gives them more options for finding school placements so they may have places available for longer. Unlike School Direct you don’t get to choose exactly which school you go to, though they’ll try to match your school placements to your preferences as much as possible. If you apply late you run the risk that all the placements are gone.

So, you want to apply as soon as you can, with a brilliant personal statement that reflects who you are and why you want to become a teacher. So, what does that look like?

Your teacher training personal statement broadly needs to convey four things:

  • Your passion for wanting to become a teacher and commitment to the profession.
  • Your reasons for wanting to teach your chosen subject.
  • The skills and experience that you’ll bring to the role of teacher.
  • Your awareness of the realities of what lies ahead - it’s a challenging but rewarding role so you need to be realistic about this and be aware of some of the hot topics facing the sector.

Kate Brimacombe, Associate Professor of Education and Associate Director of the Teacher Education Partnership at Plymouth Marjon University, explains what she is looking for in a teacher training personal statement:

“It's really lovely to get something that's individual and firstly I want to see that passion for wanting to work with children. You absolutely can get that across - it comes off the page.

“It can’t feel half-hearted, it needs to feel committed. If independence, motivation, and self-reliance don’t sing off the page, then that's an error in a sense. You need to get your personality into the written word, I’m looking for that fire that says ‘this is absolutely what I want to do’. One common mistake is being too short so that it doesn’t get that passion across. The lack of content and desire are the main reasons I don't shortlist candidates.”

You must convey why you want to teach your subject. What is your expertise? Why do you love it? What are the challenges facing teachers of your subject? Why do you want to teach this? Think about the age group you’ll be teaching and discuss why you want to teach them. What relevant experience do you have? How does your experience to date influence your thinking?

Ultimately, you’ve got to inspire others to love your subject, so be clear about how your own relationship to it is going to enable this.

The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are:

  • Passion for teaching. Express your drive and fire on the page.
  • Be individual. Stand out in a positive light; one tip here is not to waste characters on quotes, they don’t say anything about you.
  • Convey your desire to work with children. Explain where this comes from.
  • Prove it. Include the things you have actively done, what you’ve learnt from real life experiences in schools and/or working with children, and what you got out of it.
  • Demonstrate the qualities of a teacher. Point out your commitment, empathy, independence, innovation, motivation, patience, self-reliance, and tip-top organisation skills.
  • Depth. Don’t cut it too short, you’re allowed up to 4000 characters which is around 600-700 words, so write until you’re thereabouts, and then edit it so that it reads even better.

In addition, for a strong personal statement you’ll want to demonstrate some awareness of the national curriculum for your subject and then highlight how your subject knowledge maps to it.

Back to Kate for another crucial tip: “The other big thing is that we’re checking the accuracy of your spelling and grammar, it must be correct if you’re going to be a teacher. To be fair, we don't get a lot of mistakes because I think people understand that expectations around written and verbal communication are high in teaching.”

Some aspiring teachers know they want to teach but are uncertain on the age group or subject. For example, maybe you love sport and are keen to be a secondary PE teacher, but you also enjoy working with younger children at sports clubs so you’re feeling split. In this scenario, try to settle this before you apply but if you can’t then write honestly about the situation and take extra care to ensure that neither option comes across being the fallback one that you’re not really committed to.

The magic ingredient: Examples from your own experience

There's no one way to structure your teacher training personal statement but be sure to back up every point you make with evidence. A great way to do this is give real life examples of what you actually did, and what you learned from it. It’s not enough to just list your work experience, you need to explain what you learned and how this experience will help you as a teacher.

You don’t need school experience to apply for a teaching course, though it helps. But if you don’t have school experience then you at least need some transferable skills, so any other experience of working with children is valid here, things like helping with sports teams and youth clubs are valid too. Use your examples to demonstrate the skills you’d bring to the role of teacher.

You could also refer to a teacher who made a difference to you at school, or who influenced your love of working with children and helping them to learn.

By discussing examples, you can also demonstrate that you are realistic about the role, in that is challenging as well as rewarding. For example, you might discuss a session you observed or taught, reflecting on what went well, how you adapted to the situation and how you would improve on it.

This is how to make effective use of real life examples, according to Julie Stevens, course leader for PGCE Secondary Education at Plymouth Marjon University: “I want to read about how you’ve helped a pupil to make progress. What did you change? How did you recognise they weren’t learning? What did you adapt to help them understand? Maybe you modelled it or talked it through? How did the child respond? You might talk for example about why a child was messing around or why a seating chart was put together in a certain way. It’s really encouraging when a candidate offers insights into teaching and that sense of self-reflection”.

You can talk about that examples that demonstrate transferable skills. For example, maybe you had to be resilient to get your Duke of Edinburgh award, maybe you’re a leader on the sports field or maybe you’re a dedicated musician with the music exams to prove it?

In addition, the way you talk about children is really important, the training provider needs to know that you see them as individuals and that you want to help them become independent thinkers. Back to Julie again for more about this: “I want to see candidates who talk about children as individuals and how you can help them make the best progress they can. Helping young people to make decisions for themselves and become independent learners, so that they take responsibility for their own success is essential for adulthood.

"It’s great when someone can talk about innovative things, like how to use social media for good outcomes. Anything like that is powerful because it means they understand our role as educators – we aren’t just filling them with knowledge, we're trying to get children and young people to understand how to develop themselves.”

Get your referee geared up

References really do matter. Julie and Kate report that in practice most of barriers to shortlisting a candidate come not from the personal statement, but from references that are too short. They’ve seen references as short as three lines and that doesn’t tell them enough about you and your suitability for a career in teaching. You could be an impressive candidate, but you can’t be offered a place until your reference checks out.

If you’re applying for undergraduate teacher training through UCAS then one reference is required. If you’re applying for postgraduate teacher training then you’ll need two references. If you’re at university, or have been within the past five years, then one reference must be from someone at your university. The other reference can be from someone who knows you from work, and if you’re applying for School Direct then one of your references must come from your current employer.

A good reference says good things about you and backs up some of qualities and skills you’ve outlined in your personal statement. Your referee needs to talk about your character and why they think you could be a great teacher. The training provider is looking for insight; a different perspective on you, and hopefully one that that verifies the impressions they’re taking from your statement.

You can do a lot to make sure your reference is on point. First ask your referees if they are willing to be your referee and if they think you’ve got the potential to be a good teacher. Next you need to arm them with all the arguments as to why you’ll be a good teacher, they probably don’t know everything you do. Ideally they would read your personal statement so that they can write a reference that complements it.

If applicable, ask your referee to comment on your academic abilities, including your predicted grades. If possible, go through the reference with your referee as you might see something they’ve missed. If so, ask if they are willing to add it, it’s up to them but you can suggest things.

A good teacher training personal statement shows passion and love for teaching, as well as that you’ve done some research and that you’re dedicated to teaching career. Show your personality; show them the teacher you could be. @marjonuni

Back to Kate for closing advice: “Speak with honesty and speak from the heart. I’m looking for passion. I'm looking for somebody I think the has the potential. Then when you come to interview, I already know that you have that passion and so you just need to add the shine to that and tell us more about it in-person, one to one. In that way your teacher training personal statement is the stepping stone into the interview, if it does its job then we’ll be excited to find out more about you”.

You’ve got this. Follow the advice above and you’ll have a brilliant teacher training personal statement in the bag. The next step will be your teacher training interview, so why not check out our articles on how to ace your teacher training interview and teacher training interview questions .

Share this page on

Writing a Postgraduate Teacher Education personal statement

Updated on 7 July 2023

Guidance on how to write a PGDE/CE personal statement and an example to help demonstrate your skills, experience and motivation for teaching.

A personal statement is a short piece of writing (47 lines/4000 characters) which you are asked to submit in support of your application to study a PGDE/CE made through UCAS. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills, experience and motivation for teaching.

Before you start

Remember that this is a very important part of your application. Take your time to carefully plan out and practise your statement. It is a good idea to draft your statement in a word document and get some feedback on it before committing to the final version..

  • Don't waste space with irrelevant or repetitive information. Be succinct and avoid complicated language and overly long sentences.
  • Be specific about what you have to offer. Detail what you have gained from your experiences in schools/working with children. Give appropriate evidence of the skills you possess for teaching.
  • Indicate the relevance of other types of experience or skills you possess, e.g. supervising people or sports
  • Avoid using negative language. Present any gaps in skills or experience positively.
  • Finish with a summary of what you have to offer     leave the selectors with a clear understanding of your suitability for the course.
  • Let your enthusiasm for teaching and working with children shine through in everything you say.
  • Check grammar and spelling thoroughly! Do not rely on the spelling and grammar check on your word processing package alone. Ask someone to proof read it for you.
  • If you are cutting and pasting from a word document, remember to check the formatting.

Questions to consider when structuring your Personal Statement

  • Why do you want to be a teacher? - What has inspired you; who/what influenced you?
  • Why do you want to work with young people? - What appeals to you about working with this age group; what skills do you possess that will help you?
  • Why do you want to teach your subject? For primary: demonstrate a breadth of knowledge across a range of curriculum areas. For secondary, show how your subject knowledge is relevant to the curriculum.
  • What have you gained from working with young people? - Have you had any experience in schools or working with children in other settings? Reflect upon what you did, what you observed, what you learned.
  • What else can you offer? Skills in sports, music, languages, arts and crafts, ICT etc.

This is an example personal statement. There is considerable room for improvement and the notes make suggestions to help you with writing yours.

I am applying for the PGDE course because I have always wanted to be a teacher. I really like working with children and think that I have the right kinds of skills to become a good teacher .

  • The above statement is far too short: you are allowed 47 lines/4000 characters so use them.
  • Remember to specify whether you are applying f or primary or secondary courses.
  • It is not enough to say that you have developed the "right kinds of skills". Be specific about them.
  • It is important to have a strong opening statement . It is the first thing the selectors will read so you want to make an impact. 
  • Think about why you have always wanted to teach and clearly demonstrate.

New Paragraph

At school, I was involved with the Primary 1 class when I was in final year. I helped the less able children with reading on a one to one basis. I also help out at my local Brownie pack every week, keeping the girls busy with various activities. I have applied to do the Student Tutoring Scheme.

  • When describing experience with children, make sure you are specific about what you learned from the work and the skills you developed.
  • You need to demonstrate (by providing evidence) that you have developed/ have the potential to develop skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, organisation, planning and time management.

At school I studied a wide range of subjects but the one I enjoyed most was History so that is what I have studied at university. I also took Psychology and Politics in first year and Politics in second year too.

  • When describing your studies, remember to show how this is relevant to the subject(s) you will be teaching.

I have been a babysitter for two children for several years and enjoy helping the older child with his homework now that he is at school.

  • When describing your experience remember to demonstrate the transferable skills you have gained in this role that would be relevant to teaching. For example with babysitting you could link to the skill of 'behaviour management'.

I am very interested in education generally and keep up to date with current issues by reading the BBC website.

It is not enough to say that you 'keep up-to-date' here. Give a summary of what you have to offer and stating why you should be offered a place on the course.

Careers service

[email protected]

  • Personal statement advice: teacher training and education

Applying to university

  • Getting started
  • UCAS Tariff points
  • Calculate your UCAS Tariff points
  • Amendments to the Tariff consultation
  • Offer rate calculator
  • How to use the offer rate calculator
  • Understanding historical entry grades data
  • Admissions tests
  • Deferred entry
  • Personal statement advice and example: computer science
  • Personal statement advice: English
  • Personal statement advice: Midwifery
  • Personal statement advice: animal science
  • Personal statement advice: biology
  • Personal statement advice: business and management
  • Personal statement advice: chemistry
  • Personal statement advice: dance
  • Personal statement advice: dentistry
  • Personal statement advice: drama
  • Personal statement advice: economics
  • Personal statement advice: engineering
  • Personal statement advice: geography
  • Personal statement advice: history
  • Personal statement advice: law
  • Personal statement advice: maths
  • Personal statement advice: media studies and journalism
  • Personal statement advice: medicine
  • Personal statement advice: modern languages
  • Personal statement advice: music
  • Personal statement advice: nursing
  • Personal statement advice: pharmacy
  • Personal statement advice: physiotherapy
  • Personal statement advice: politics
  • Personal statement advice: psychology
  • Personal statement advice: social work
  • Personal statement advice: sociology
  • Personal statement advice: sports science
  • Personal statement advice: statistics
  • Personal statement advice: veterinary medicine
  • Personal statement: finance and accounting
  • Filling in your application
  • Staying safe online
  • How to write a personal statement that works for multiple courses
  • How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement
  • Fraud and similarity
  • How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber
  • How to end your personal statement
  • Introducing the personal statement tool
  • Personal statement dos and don'ts
  • What to include in a personal statement
  • Using AI and ChatGPT to help you with your personal statement
  • Using your personal statement beyond a university application
  • Carers, estranged students, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain
  • Personal statement guides
  • References for mature students

If you want to study for a teacher training degree that leads directly to qualified teacher status (QTS), then you'll need to write a strong personal statement that reflects your ambition and experience.

Remember, if you're applying to a non-QTS degree and planning to qualify as a teacher through the postgraduate route then your experience in schools is less important at this stage, but will be crucial in three years' time.

Teaching training: experience is essential

Degree courses that lead to QTS usually require you to meet certain criteria over and above their entry grades, often asking for you to have built up experience of working in a classroom or learning environment.

Universities may insist that you have a minimum of two or three weeks’ classroom experience, and they will want this to be recent or current. If you have worked in two or more contrasting schools or with different age groups, that’s all the better.

If you've had additional experience of working with children or students in other settings, that may also provide some useful content for your statement, although it won’t be sufficient on its own.

How to expand on your classroom experience

  • Outline your classroom experience and reflect on what you did, what you observed, and how it has informed your understanding of the role of teachers, the challenges they face, the nature of teaching and learning, or the interaction between the two.
  • Most importantly, describe some of the skills or qualities you’ve seen teachers use in the classroom, and show how you’ve demonstrated some of them yourself.
  • Reflect on any effective strategies you have seen teachers use to create a motivating and engaging learning environment, the way they interact with and inspire pupils, the way the classroom is managed, the way behaviour is managed, the way the curriculum is planned, or anything else that has made an impact on you.
  • Also reflect on anything significant you have gained from any experience of working with children in other settings.

More teacher training statement dos and don'ts

  • Explain why you want to teach , why you are interested in your chosen age range, and (if appropriate) why your specialist subject?
  • Say something relevant about your academic studies , and demonstrate your own enthusiasm for learning.
  • Mention any personal accomplishments or extra-curricular activities that you might be able to contribute to a school community.
  • Expand on any relevant skills or qualities you've demonstrated in a part-time job.
  • Comment on any current professional issues you’ve read about in, for example, the Times Educational Supplement (TES).
  • Don't forget the basics – the presentation, organisation, coherence, spelling, grammar, and punctuation of your statement will be crucial.
  • Don't include bland clichés such as 'I love children,' 'I was born to teach,’ 'I am passionate about teaching,' 'I have wanted to be a teacher from a young age' – or the word 'babysitting.'

If you are applying for a general degree in education that doesn’t lead directly to QTS, then demonstrate that you understand what the course involves, explain why you’re interested in it, and relate your academic interests and experiences to it.

Sponsored articles UCAS Media Service

Five reasons to sign up to the ucas newsletter, do you need to take an english test to study at university in the uk, three reasons you should attend a ucas exhibition.

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 .

Creative Commons License

Teaching Guides

  • Online Course Development Resources
  • Principles & Frameworks
  • Pedagogies & Strategies
  • Reflecting & Assessing
  • Challenges & Opportunities
  • Populations & Contexts

Quick Links

  • Services for Departments and Schools
  • Examples of Online Instructional Modules

The University of Manchester logo

  • Careers Service
  • Which career
  • Jobs / experience
  • Applications / interviews
  • International
  • CareerConnect
  • Applications for further study
  • Personal statement for teaching
  • UCAS personal statement for medicine

Writing a personal statement for teacher training

These guidelines apply to applications for a PGCE or Schools Direct which are both made through Apply on the .Gov website

Include the following:

  • Your reasons for teaching: Avoid clichés like, "I've always wanted to be a teacher".
  • Choice of programme: Demonstrate that you have made a well-researched and informed choice. Show your knowledge of Initial Teacher Training providers.
  • Knowledge and commitment to the age range you are applying for: If you are applying for both primary and secondary places in the same application, you need to make a strong case for your preferred option.
  • Subject specific commitment: Subject tutors read the forms, so if you are applying for secondary it is important to mention this.
  • Enthusiasm: Selectors look for clear-headed, informed enthusiasm. You need to demonstrate you understand the demands of the profession. Why would you be a good teacher?
  • the national curriculum, national strategies and subject organisations eg The Association of Science Education
  • classroom management (behaviour, groups, resources, timing and pastoral care)
  • teachers roles and responsibilities
  • classroom organisation
  • differentiation- special education needs (SEN)
  • the role of ICT
  • assessment for learning
  • awareness of possible gaps - eg if you have a C grade in English and are applying for primary, you need to show that you are willing to polish up
  • Mention any geographical restrictions you have, as these may be taken into account.
  • Get advice on your personal statement
  • Information on routes into teaching

Further advice

  • From the Department for Education
  • Target Jobs advice on writing your personal statement
  • Getting in touch

Careers Service, The University of Manchester

Connect with us

Facebook icon

  • Copyright notice
  • Accessibility
  • Freedom of information
  • Charitable status
  • Royal charter number: RC000797

Cookies on Teaching Vacancies

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use this service and help us improve it. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

beta This is a new service - your feedback will help us to improve it.

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?

Search for roles

Search for roles on Teaching Vacancies now.

Get university advice on The Student Room app

  • Teacher training
  • Bangor University
  • Birmingham City University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of Aberdeen
  • University of East Anglia
  • University of Hull
  • University of Kent
  • University of Reading
  • A-level choices
  • GCSE choices and university
  • Choosing a course
  • Making firm and insurance choices
  • University open days
  • Top questions to ask at a university open day
  • Ucas Extra explained
  • Understanding conditional offers
  • University offers: what they mean and what to do next
  • Getting the most from Ucas university fairs
  • What do I need to get into Oxbridge?
  • What to do if you don’t get an offer from your first choice university
  • What you need to know about getting a university scholarship, grant or bursary
  • AS and A-levels explained
  • Is a higher or degree apprenticeship right for you?
  • Universities

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...

Share this page

Email & print.

teachers personal statement for university

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

Related to this article

Search the uni guide, find further advice or search for information on a course or university.

  • Search Advice
  • Search courses &/or universities

The Uni Guide and The Student Room are both part of The Student Room Group.

Promoted universities

  • Durham University
  • Lancaster University
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of the Arts London
  • University of Southampton
  • Aston University, Birmingham
  • Swansea University
  • Ulster University
  • Cardiff University

Browse expert advice

  • Oxbridge applications
  • Ucas application
  • Personal statements
  • Ucas deadline 2024 countdown
  • Clearing and results day
  • Preparing for university
  • Student accommodation
  • Student life
  • Student finance
  • Advice for parents

About this site

  • Cookie policy
  • List of universities and colleges
  • Privacy notice
  • Terms and conditions
  • Where we get our info

Who we work with

  • Your account settings

Ad privacy settings

Popular tools and features

  • A-level Explorer
  • Course search

teachers personal statement for university

Connect with us

teachers personal statement for university

  • Applying to Uni
  • Apprenticeships
  • Health & Relationships
  • Money & Finance

Personal Statements

  • Postgraduate
  • U.S Universities

University Interviews

  • Vocational Qualifications
  • Accommodation
  • ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
  • ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
  • ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
  • ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

  • ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
  • ​​​​​​​Technology
  • ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements

International Student Personal Statements

Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

Teacher training personal statement example (primary pgce) 8.

I am hard-working, confident and conscientious and have a keen desire to be a primary school teacher. Working every day at an after school club for primary age students has given me excellent experience in this field and confidence in my ability in it. I am organised, reliable and enthusiastic and I work well in a team. At the club I have developed my behaviour management skills; I have gained the confidence and trust of the children and we have a mutual respect.

My first formal experience of working in a primary school was during work experience, two years ago. This was a most rewarding experience for me; I quickly learnt valuable skills and the ability to be patient, self-assured and understanding when dealing with young people in a learning environment. Last year I returned to the same school to mentor a child with social and learning difficulties. This was an invaluable experience; I felt that I was able to build up Thomas's interpersonal skills and self-confidence.

Since September of this year I have worked every day as an assistant play worker at the same primary school's after school club. My role involves organising activities for a large number of younger children. Working at the club has given me the experience to deal with awkward situations, the ability to be flexible when working as part of a team and the skill of performing well under pressure.

I recognise the importance of having a good sense of humour to establish a rapport with the children and to take a positive approach in establishing good behaviour. I will be working at this school until the end of this year; for the past week I have been building on my experience with children by working full time with pupils in Years 3-6. Later in the year I will be working at a different school to widen my experience of the classroom environment.

At St Ivo School I have contributed to a wide range of student support groups. I have assisted on school field trips and in lessons; in recent years I have worked in the school's listening service helping younger students with social and academic problems to develop ability and confidence in themselves. Outside of school I was a member of the Scouting Organisation for nine years.

During the latter part of this time I volunteered in organising Beaver groups (for younger children) in evening activities, organised games and other events. I also learnt a wide number of outdoor pursuits whilst scouting such as kayaking, sailing and camping. I have similarly taken part in school productions such as, 'Oh What a Lovely War', which has given me a good deal of confidence in public speaking.

I have a real passion for English; I take a deeply analytical approach to textual study in lessons and enjoy reading for pleasure. Psychology has taught me how children think and has been of considerable benefit in developing my teaching skills. Similarly drama/ theatre studies have given me a good deal of confidence in public speaking and the ability to work in a team.

Teaching is a career that I have been working towards for many years; I have gained considerable experience in working with young people which has given me plenty of qualities and skills to draw on in a teaching course at university.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by mrtomhill for application in 2011.

mrtomhill's Comments

Okay so it's gone now so too late for changes but I need a bit of confidence about it, I am begging for unconditional offers. (I realise that's unlikley but pressure overload atm)

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

i think it´s good

Thu, 30/12/2010 - 18:03

Mon, 13/02/2012 - 16:31

Can be also this issue because the truth can be achieved only in a dispute :DD

Add new comment

Texas A&M University logo

  • Faculty Development
  • Faculty Resources
  • Award Amplification Program
  • Evaluations & Professional Advancement
  • Promotion & Tenure
  • Get Involved

teachers personal statement for university

  • Get Your Career Started
  • Explore the Place You'll Call Home
  • Why Texas A&M University?

empty classroom

  • Leadership Toolkit
  • New Faculty Leader Reference Materials
  • Professional Development for Academic Leaders
  • Getting Started as an Academic Leader

teachers personal statement for university

Example and Guide for Impact Statement

The impact statement should translate your experience detailed in the CV into a narrative for how the whole body of work has been valuable and impactful. Keep in mind this narrative   should be accessible to a broad audience , thus be careful with overly technical or specific details and jargon. In this statement, you make your case for the impact of your work. The statement should address your perspective on past, present, and future performance and accomplishments. Avoid reiterating facts from your CV. The statement should be well-reasoned, well-elaborated, and well-written, and emphasize your primary areas of strength. You should get feedback from the department head and mentors on the statement before uploading it for review. Write to engage and be understood by both a general academic readership including college/school P&T committee, dean, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and President and by a professional readership comprised of the departmental and external reviewers. Be sure to explain critical terms or discipline specific information in a simple and clear way. Provide a narrative that puts your accomplishments in context

  • Convey what is exciting about your research, teaching, and service activities
  • Describe the innovative approaches or cutting-edge aspects of your work
  • Emphasize the broadest implications of your work
  • Highlight potentially hidden strengths
  • Address perceived weaknesses
  • Imagine your worst critics – use your statement to undermine their case
  • Be honest – acknowledge weaknesses, but demonstrate how you have overcome them
  • Explain gaps in your record – be your own spin doctor, contextualize the strategic choices of your career
  • An example: If you had a series of poor teaching evaluations for a period of time, you need to address it. If the teaching evaluations were poor early on, but improved with time, discuss what you did to overcome the challenges. How did you adjust your teaching methods to address the needs and/or concerns of the students? If your teaching evaluations were weak during a semester in which you were experimenting with a new course or new teaching method, what did you learn from the constructive feedback?
  • Make the case for contributing to the overall stature of your academic unit
  • Describe evidence that you are widely perceived as outstanding among peers
  • Explain the ways you are instrumental in advancing the academic needs of your unit
  • Explicitly address your contribution to strategic initiatives for your unit, college/school, and the university
  • Focus on value and impact of your efforts in all areas of responsibility

Research Statement

  • Describe how your strategy for conducting research or your approach to original creative work contributes to the quality of your efforts
  • Explain how your research is relevant to issues that relate to your field(s) of study
  • Elaborate about the ways your scholarship breaks new ground or how is it innovative
  • Make clear how your individual research projects contributed to your program of research, or how individual projects contributed to the focus of your original creative work.
  • Explain how your research shows promise for ongoing publication and external research funding (as applicable) =   TRAJECTORY!
  • Reflect upon how the strategic decisions you made on publishing and presenting your work furthered your program of research/focus or original creative efforts
  • Specify the contributions you make within collaborative or team research projects, especially indicating ways in which you provide leadership and/or unique expertise and demonstrate you independence as investigator
  • That your research was featured or widely discussed in popular media may be documented in the dossier
  • Show integration between your research and other areas of responsibility
  • Explain the ways your class discussions or projects have been used to explore potential questions for your own research/original creative work (or vice versa)
  • Discuss how your service to professional associations has provided opportunities to further your program of research/focus of original creative work (or vice versa)
  • Recognize years in rank do not change the expectations of what is required; however, it is reasonable to expect there may be a shift in emphasis between criteria to reflect the many different individual professional careers
  • Describe the experiences that played a key role in your tenure case, if/when the experiences are of historical interest and can be used to document impact (citations, reviews, etc.)
  • Highlight evidence of an enhanced international/national reputation over time
  • Conference organization vs. presentation
  • Panel leader vs. member
  • Professional society board position vs. membership o Describe your leadership in research in the department, college/school, and university  Mentoring junior faculty about the research enterprise (e.g. reading manuscripts, grant-writing, networking within the discipline)

Teaching Statement

  • Address how your philosophy of, methods of, or assumptions about teaching is/are congruent with the typical needs of your students
  • Explain how you foster student achievement by balancing high standards for performance with appropriate levels of support
  • Discuss the ways in which your course content has contributed to the attainment of knowledge and skills needed by your students
  • Elaborate on how your course content, including instructional resources that you have developed, is congruent with current knowledge and professional practice
  • Address your involvement in course and curriculum development, as well as development of specializations, majors, distance learning programs, certificate programs, or degree programs. Specifically, how have these efforts contributed to the attainment of the knowledge and skills needed by our students. Further, how have these efforts advanced the academic needs of the unit
  • Elaborate on the ways your work in mentoring and academic advising contribute to the professional identities of your students and the development of their skills in research and practice
  • Show integration between your teaching and other areas of responsibility
  • How you have used your research to improve your instruction (courses, directed individual study, and supervised research)
  • How you have involved students in your research
  • How you used your professional association work to keep your courses up-to-date with current knowledge and practice
  • To specifically address teaching and Promotion to Full Professor: o Provide evidence of “next level” high-quality performance
  • Explain the ways you have invested significantly in improving and/or innovating within your teaching via any variety of technological improvements or cutting-edge pedagogical approaches
  • Describe your leadership in teaching in the department, college/school, and university
  • Discuss any mentorship of junior faculty about teaching best practices
  • Highlight student committee service
  • Elaborate how you have led within your department for course/curriculum conceptualization, design
  • Acknowledge speaking engagements to participate in a culture of teaching excellence

Service Statement

  • Relate how your service contributions relate to ongoing or emerging needs of the institution
  • Describe how your service contributions relate to ongoing or emerging needs of the profession
  • Address the ways your service work contributed to meeting needs identified in your community, state, nation, and other countries
  • Explain integration of your service with other areas of responsibility
  • How has your research expertise contributed to the work of your professional organization?
  • How has your research expertise contributed to being an editorial board member for a refereed journal or a federal grant review committee
  • How has your research expertise has been of service to, or supported the work of, your program, department, school, college/school, and university
  • Explain the ways your service today meets the greater expectations associated with being a senior faculty member
  • Committee chair vs. member
  • Professional society board position vs. membership
  • Officer in shared governance bodies at TAMU

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

FACT SHEET: President   Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families   Together

Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border and address our broken immigration system. As Congressional Republicans have continued to put partisan politics ahead of national security – twice voting against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades – the President and his Administration have taken actions to secure the border, including:

  • Implementing executive actions to bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum when encounters are high;
  • Deploying record numbers of law enforcement personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the Southern border;
  • Seizing record amounts of fentanyl at our ports of entry;
  • Revoking the visas of CEOs and government officials outside the U.S. who profit from migrants coming to the U.S. unlawfully; and
  • Expanding efforts to dismantle human smuggling networks and prosecuting individuals who violate immigration laws.

President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country. The Day One immigration reform plan that the President sent to Congress reflects both the need for a secure border and protections for the long-term undocumented. While Congress has failed to act on these reforms, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to strengthen our lawful immigration system. In addition to vigorously defending the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals) policy, the Administration has extended Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients and streamlined, expanded, and instituted new reunification programs so that families can stay together while they complete the immigration process.  Still, there is more that we can do to bring peace of mind and stability to Americans living in mixed-status families as well as young people educated in this country, including Dreamers. That is why today, President Biden announced new actions for people who have been here many years to keep American families together and allow more young people to contribute to our economy.   Keeping American Families Together

  • Today, President Biden is announcing that the Department of Homeland Security will take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
  • This new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country.
  • These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.
  • In order to be eligible, noncitizens must – as of June 17, 2024 – have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements. On average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years.
  • Those who are approved after DHS’s case-by-case assessment of their application will be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible.  
  • This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.

Easing the Visa Process for U.S. College Graduates, Including Dreamers

  • President Obama and then-Vice President Biden established the DACA policy to allow young people who were brought here as children to come out of the shadows and contribute to our country in significant ways. Twelve years later, DACA recipients who started as high school and college students are now building successful careers and establishing families of their own.
  • Today’s announcement will allow individuals, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, to more quickly receive work visas.
  • Recognizing that it is in our national interest to ensure that individuals who are educated in the U.S. are able to use their skills and education to benefit our country, the Administration is taking action to facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers. 

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.

teachers personal statement for university

Clearing Universities & Courses

Clearing advice.

Recommended Clearing Universities

Popular Course Categories

Take our quick degree quiz.

Find the ideal uni course for you with our Course Degree Quiz. Get answers in minutes!

Take our full degree quiz

Get more tailored course suggestions with our full Course Degree Quiz and apply with confidence.

Search by Type

Search by region.

Recommended Universities

teachers personal statement for university

The University of Law

London (Greater) · 93% Recommended

teachers personal statement for university

Heriot-Watt University

Scotland · 97% Recommended

teachers personal statement for university

Northeastern University - London

London (Greater) · 100% Recommended

Search Open Days

What's new at Uni Compare

teachers personal statement for university

dBs Institute

Discover Music, Game, and Tech degrees at a premier UK institution.

teachers personal statement for university

Bangor University

Find the perfect Criminology degree which allows you to specialise in your interests

Ranking Categories

Regional rankings.

More Rankings

teachers personal statement for university

Top 100 Universities

Taken from 131,500+ data points from students attending university to help future generations

teachers personal statement for university

About our Rankings

Discover university rankings devised from data collected from current students.

Guide Categories

Advice categories, recommended articles, popular statement examples, statement advice.

teachers personal statement for university

What to include in a Personal Statement

teachers personal statement for university

Personal Statement Tips

Personal statement example education (primary) personal statement.

Uni Logo for University of Roehampton

Do you want to inspire young people and help change lives?

Choose to study Education at Roehampton, one of the UK's leading providers of teacher education.

Education (Primary) Personal Statement

I believe teachers are given the opportunity to set the foundations of a prosperous future, not only for individual children but for our society as a whole.  Although this is a huge responsibility, I also believe that through the education of children, we are able to deliver children the opportunity to find a future which they enjoy, and this is a responsibility which is very much worth working towards. Overcoming the hardships involved in working with young people in such a transitional and dynamic time of their lives will be a challenge, but I believe the reward of seeing children flourish is more than worth the effort and dedication required.

I have chosen this course in particular as it is a vital step in my path towards teaching, and one which can equip me not only with the skills required to teach, but with the skills required to engage pupils in subjects which they require to form the basis of their education [this will be extended once I work out if I am doing a subject joint with education/which subject]. I am extremely interested in the sociological aspect of this course, as it is fundamental, in my opinion, that we understand the social issues surrounding childhood, e.g. the creation of childhood as a concept or racism in education, if we are to more adequately raise children in a society based in equality.

I spend most Sundays caring for my younger cousins (from infancy to the age of 11) which has created a passion for helping the young. Likewise, I spend around four to five hours each week voluntarily helping young people on the website ‘7 Cups’, which involves helping them through issues such as bullying, stress, and family issues. I have dedicated time to reading research of education, with the book ‘Racism and Education’ in particular standing out as a hugely important collection of essays.

My A2 and AS level choices have equipped me with skills which will benefit my further education and work with young people. English Literature has been a passion of mine since year 7, and means that I have learnt key skills such as analytical techniques and different social perspectives, as well as empathy which is required in understanding the perspective of authors, which is essential for caring for young people. Similarly, History has given me an understanding of the modern education system and principles on which it is based, for example, universality. Psychology has involved a unit specifically focusing on childcare attachments in young children and the effects this can have in later life, and so I am more aware of the importance of high quality care and what that involves e.g. a high level of involvement in the work of each individual child, though of course this is difficult in the context of a classroom of children. Finally, and possibly most importantly, Sociology has given me a grasp of the social context in which we teach, i.e. the effect class, race, and gender have on children, and how teachers are responsible to educate themselves in regards to their own inherent cultural biases, meaning that we can combat the effects which these biases have on young people and our wider society.

[I'm currently searching for work experience and so I have not completed this section]

Going forwards, I hope to strive towards a career in primary teaching, wherein I will have the capabilities, upon completion of this course, to help enable children to reach their potential, both in terms of their educational success and their personal well-being.

Recommended Course

teachers personal statement for university

Recommended Statements

Submitted by anonymous

Child Integrated Professional Care Personal Statement

My passion for midwifery has grown with time. At 15 I made ...

Submitted by Lubay

Childhood Studies Personal Statement

Children should have somebody that believes in them and supports them to become the person that they aspir...

Submitted by Jordon

Teaching Personal Statement

My ambition is to one day become a teacher . Personal...

Submitted by Lauren

BA for Primary Education (QTS) Personal Statement

The role of a teacher demands a hardworking, assiduous and empathetic character. Teachers must be able to ...

undergraduate Universities

Undergraduate uni's.

Photo of The University of Law

126 courses

Photo of Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt Uni

337 courses

Photo of Northeastern University - London

Northeastern Uni

Photo of SOAS, University of London

467 courses

Photo of University of East London

Uni of East London

570 courses

Photo of University of Westminster

Uni of Westminster

515 courses

Photo of Leeds Beckett University

Leeds Beckett Uni

459 courses

Photo of Goldsmiths, University of London

Goldsmiths, UOL

342 courses

Photo of University for the Creative Arts

Uni for Creative Arts

610 courses

Photo of University of Roehampton

Uni of Roehampton

468 courses

Photo of University of Surrey

Uni of Surrey

740 courses

Photo of Swansea University

Swansea Uni

1360 courses

Photo of University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD)

893 courses

Photo of University of Sunderland

Uni of Sunderland

332 courses

Photo of Cardiff Metropolitan University

Cardiff Met Uni

500 courses

Photo of West London Institute of Technology

West London IoT

Photo of New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, NMITE

Uni of Chester

630 courses

Photo of University of Bradford

Uni of Bradford

393 courses

Photo of University of Winchester

Uni of Winchester

258 courses

Photo of University of Leicester

Uni of Leicester

436 courses

Photo of Middlesex University

Middlesex Uni

670 courses

Photo of University of Bedfordshire

Uni of Bedfordshire

651 courses

Photo of University of Hertfordshire

Uni of Hertfordshire

598 courses

Photo of University Academy 92, UA92

Ravensbourne

103 courses

Photo of Escape Studios

Escape Studios

Photo of Coventry University

Coventry Uni

780 courses

Photo of University of South Wales

709 courses

Photo of University of Suffolk

Uni of Suffolk

222 courses

Photo of Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University

Photo of University of Essex

Uni of Essex

1397 courses

Photo of University of Kent

Uni of Kent

588 courses

Photo of Staffordshire University

Staffordshire Uni

478 courses

Photo of Queen's University, Belfast

Queen's Uni

634 courses

Photo of University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol

UWE, Bristol

495 courses

Photo of Wrexham University

Wrexham Uni

294 courses

Photo of Bangor University

826 courses

Photo of University of Huddersfield

Uni of Huddersfield

784 courses

Photo of University of Reading

Uni of Reading

692 courses

Photo of Kingston University

Kingston Uni

619 courses

Photo of Anglia Ruskin University

Anglia Ruskin Uni

876 courses

Photo of Bath Spa University

Bath Spa Uni

512 courses

Photo of University of Portsmouth

Uni of Portsmouth

779 courses

Photo of University of Hull

Uni of Hull

Photo of Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent

930 courses

Photo of University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

Highlands & Islands

451 courses

Photo of University of Central Lancashire

Uni of C.Lancashire

795 courses

Photo of University of Brighton

Uni of Brighton

521 courses

Photo of ARU Writtle

ARU Writtle

Photo of Edge Hill University

Edge Hill Uni

400 courses

FIND THE IDEAL COURSE FOR YOU

Degree Course Quiz

Find the ideal university course for you in minutes by taking our degree matchmaker quiz today.

Find the latest from Uni Compare

Image of dBs Institute

Northeastern Uni London

Want to earn two globally recognised degrees simultaneously? Look no further!

Image of University of Law

University of Law

Ranked Top 20 amongst English universities in the 2023 National Student Survey!

Watch CBS News

Louisiana becomes first state to require that Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms

Updated on: June 19, 2024 / 9:18 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the latest move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor.

The legislation that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law on Wednesday requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in "large, easily readable font" in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities.

Opponents questioned the law's constitutionality and vowed to challenge it in court. Proponents said the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the language of the law, the Ten Commandments are "foundational documents of our state and national government."

The posters, which will be paired with a four-paragraph "context statement" describing how the Ten Commandments "were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries," must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025.

Under the law, state funds will not be used to implement the mandate. The posters would be paid for through donations.

The law also "authorizes" but does not require the display of other items in K-12 public schools, including: The Mayflower Compact, which was signed by religious pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620 and is often referred to as America's "First Constitution"; the Declaration of Independence; and the Northwest Ordinance, which established a government in the Northwest Territory - in the present day Midwest - and created a pathway for admitting new states to the Union.

Not long after the governor signed the bill into law at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Lafayette on Wednesday, civil rights groups and organizations that want to keep religion out of government promised to file a lawsuit challenging it.

The law prevents students from getting an equal education and will keep children who have different beliefs from feeling safe at school, the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation said in a joint statement Wednesday afternoon.

"The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional," the groups said in a joint statement. "The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government. Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools. "

In April, State Senator Royce Duplessis told  CBS affiliate WWL-TV  that he opposed the legislation. 

"That's why we have a separation of church and state," said Duplessis, who is a Democrat. "We learned the 10 Commandments when we went to Sunday school. As I said on the Senate floor, if you want your kids to learn the Ten Commandments, you can take them to church."

The controversial law, in a state ensconced in the Bible Belt, comes during a new era of conservative leadership in Louisiana under Landry, who replaced two-term Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards in January. The GOP holds a supermajority in the Legislature, and Republicans hold every statewide elected position, paving the way for lawmakers to push through a conservative agenda.

State House Representative Dodie Horton is the author of the bill. In April, she defended it before the House, saying the Ten Commandments are the basis of all laws in Louisiana, WWL-TV reported.

"I hope and I pray that Louisiana is the first state to allow moral code to be placed back in the classrooms," Horton said. "Since I was in kindergarten [at a private school], it was always on the wall. I learned there was a God, and I knew to honor him and his laws."

Similar bills requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms have been proposed in other states including Texas, Oklahoma and Utah. However, with threats of legal battles over the constitutionality of such measures, no state besides Louisiana has succeeded in making the bills law.

Legal battles over the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms are not new.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law was unconstitutional and violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can "make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but rather served a plainly religious purpose.

More from CBS News

Lawsuit challenges Louisiana's Ten Commandments classroom law

Democrats and their allies sue to keep RFK Jr. off the ballot in several states

Pedestrian traffic deaths decline for first time since pandemic

Former Republican Rep. Kinzinger endorses Biden

The Evolution of Technology in the Classroom

Technology has always been at the forefront of human education. From the days of carving figures on rock walls to today, when most students are equipped with several portable technological devices at any given time, technology continues to push educational capabilities to new levels. In looking at where educational methods and tools have come from to where they are going in the future, technology’s importance in the classroom is evident now more than ever.

A History of Classroom Technology: The Primitive Classroom

In the Colonial years, wooden paddles with printed lessons, called Horn-Books, were used to assist students in learning verses. Over 200 years later, in 1870, technology advanced to include the Magic Lantern, a primitive version of a slide projector that projected images printed on glass plates. By the time World War I ended, around 8,000 lantern slides were circulating through the Chicago public school system. By the time the Chalkboard came around in 1890, followed by the pencil in 1900, it was clear that students were hungry for more advanced educational tools.

  • Radio in the 1920s sparked an entirely new wave of learning; on-air classes began popping up for any student within listening range.
  • Next came the overhead projector in 1930, followed by the ballpoint pen in 1940 and headphones in 1950.
  • Videotapes arrived on the scene in 1951, creating a new and exciting method of instruction.
  • The Skinner Teaching Machine produced a combined system of teaching and testing, providing reinforcement for correct answers so that the student can move on to the next lesson.
  • The photocopier (1959) and handheld calculator (1972) entered the classrooms next, allowing for mass production of material on the fly and quick mathematical calculations.
  • The Scantron system of testing, introduced by Michael Sokolski n 1972, allowed educators to grade tests more quickly and efficiently.

The pre-computer years were formative in the choices made for computers in the years following. Immediate response-type systems (video, calculator, Scantron) had become necessary, and quick production of teaching materials, using the photocopier, had become a standard. The U.S. Department of Education reports that high school enrollment was only 10% in 1900, but by 1992 had expanded to 95%. The number of students in college in 1930 was around 1 million, but by 2012 had grown to a record 21.6 million. Teachers needed new methods of instruction and testing, and students were looking for new ways to communicate, study, and learn.

The Entrance and Significance of Personal Computers

Although the first computers were developed in the ‘30s, everyday-use computers were introduced in the ‘80s. The first portable computer, in 1981, weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. When IBM introduced its first personal computer in 1981, the educational world knew that it was on the verge of greatness. Time magazine named The Computer its “ Man of the Year ” in 1982, and aptly so: the foundation of immediate learning capabilities had been laid. Time declared, “it is the end result of a technological revolution that has been in the making for four decades and is now, quite literally, hitting home.”

  • Toshiba released its first mass-market consumer laptop in 1985 (the T1100), and Apple’s infamous Mac (which later evolved into the Powerbook) was available starting in 1984.
  • In 1990, The World Wide Web was given life when a British researcher developed Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML, and when the National Science Foundation (NSF) removed restrictions on the commercial use of the Internet in 1993, the world exploded into a frenzy of newfound research and communication methods.
  • The first Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were released by Apple Computer Inc. in 1993, and with that, computers were a part of every day, if not every moment. By 2009, 97% of classrooms had one or more computers , and 93% of classroom computers had Internet access. For every 5 students, there was one computer. Instructors stated that 40% of students used computers often in their educational methods, in addition to interactive whiteboards and digital cameras. College students nowadays are rarely without some form of computer technology: 83% own a laptop, and over 50% have a Smartphone.

The Future of Technology in the Classroom

It seems like years since MySpace, first introduced in 2003, Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2007) have changed both the communication and business worlds. Instant connectivity has branched out from merely a tool of personal communication, to a platform for educational instruction and outreach. Social media is now being recognized as an accepted form of instruction in some instances, and groups such as Scholastic Teachers provide excellent support and tips for instructors. Many instructors use social media to communicate directly with their students, or to form forum-style groups for students to communicate with each other, and the method seems to be proving valuable in providing one-on-one attention to student’s questions and concerns.

With the classroom having already evolved into a hotbed of technological advances, what can the future possibly hold that could further educational proficiencies even more?

  • Biometrics, a technology that recognizes people based on certain physical or behavioral traits, is on the technological horizon. The science will be used to recognize the physical and emotional disposition of students in the classroom, altering course material to tailor to each individual’s needs based on biometric signals.
  • A second up-and-coming technology is Augmented Reality (AR) glasses , rumored to be on Google’s release list, and this technology could be a whole new world for education. AR Glasses (or even contact lenses) will layer data on top of what we naturally see, to allow for a real-world learning experience. For example, a student wearing AR Glasses could potentially sit at his desk and have a conversation with Thomas Edison about invention. It was Edison, after all, who said that “Books will soon be obsolete in schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye.”
  • Multi-touch surfaces are commonly used through equipment such as the iPhone, but the technology could become more relevant to education through entirely multi-touch surfaces, such as desks or workstations. This could allow students to collaborate with other students, even those around the world, and videos and other virtual tools could be streamed directly to the surface.

Educators and the Evolution of Technology in the Classroom

With the evolution of technology, educational capabilities are growing and changing every day. The Internet is a vast electronic library of information, and both research and instruction can be achieved through a click of the mouse. With these advances come new responsibilities to the instructor and therefore increase the value of a Master of Science in Education in Learning Design and Technology. As technology advances, an educator’s abilities will grow by leaps and bounds, and without the knowledge of these changes and capabilities, an instructor has a good chance of being left behind.

A career in education requires hard work and dedication, but, for the diligent educator, can prove very rewarding. For those who are serious about success in the education field, staying well-informed of current and changing technologies is imperative. As the world of technology evolves, the learning environment, both on-campus and online, will equally progress, and the need for teachers who are educated in technology and design will continue to grow.

Learn more about the online MSEd in Learning Design and Technology at Purdue University today and help redefine the way in which individuals learn. Call (877) 497-5851 to speak with an admissions advisor or to request more information.

IMAGES

  1. Teaching Statement

    teachers personal statement for university

  2. a paper with the words educational psychology personal statement

    teachers personal statement for university

  3. Teaching Statement

    teachers personal statement for university

  4. Personal statement for teacher training

    teachers personal statement for university

  5. How to Write a Personal Statement For University in Canada

    teachers personal statement for university

  6. University Personal Statement Guide Step by Step Help Sheet

    teachers personal statement for university

VIDEO

  1. Personal Statement-University of Victoria MGB Program

  2. HOW TO WRITE PERSONAL STATEMENT: UNIVERSITY ADMISSION GUIDE

  3. How to write a great Personal Statement

  4. HOW I WROTE MY OXBRIDGE PERSONAL STATEMENT!

  5. How To Write The Best Personal Statement For UK / USA Universities

  6. HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT PERSONAL STATEMENT

COMMENTS

  1. Teacher Personal Statement Examples (With Helpful Tips)

    Here are a few teacher personal statement examples you can use as a reference when you're writing your own: Example 1: Entry-level teacher I recently graduated from Little Valley University with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. I'm seeking the role of preschool teacher at your school.

  2. Personal Statement Examples For Teaching

    Teacher Training Personal Statement Example 2. I am applying for these courses because I believe it will help me succeed in my dream to become a teacher. I have always craved teaching and learning, one of my first memories is of me, around the ages of 4 teaching my toys how to count and taking a register, ever since then I have known I wanted ...

  3. PDF Your personal statement

    The basics. Your personal statement is: Around 1 page of A4 47 lines long About 4000 characters including spaces Verdana size 11 font. It will be put through Copycatch, the UCAS plagiarism checking system. Don't copy anything from the web, no matter how good it sounds. Make sure you read and answer the question.

  4. Teaching personal statement examples

    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.

  5. Teaching Personal Statement

    Teaching Personal Statement. Submitted by Jordon. My ambition is to one day become a teacher. Personally, I have had a hugely positive experience of both primary and secondary education. I am applying for primary education because I feel I have the potential to inspire and encourage children of all abilities to reach their full potential.

  6. Teaching Personal Statement Example

    This personal statement is unrated. 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.

  7. Teacher Education Personal Statement

    From 2018, we have required a personal statement with all applications to the University of Sydney's teacher-education degrees (excluding early childhood). The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership responded to the Federal Government's request to create selection guidelines for all universities to assess both the academic ...

  8. How to write the perfect teaching personal statement

    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 ...

  9. Teacher Training Personal Statement

    How to write it. You can use up to 47 lines of text (4,000 characters) in your personal statement. Some word processing packages calculate line counts differently from the UCAS Teacher Training system, so you might need to redraft your statement if there's a discrepancy between the counts. Write in English (or Welsh if you're applying to ...

  10. PDF Personal Statement Guide Teaching

    Personal Statements Everything you need to know about writing your Personal Statement for Teaching! The Personal Statement is an important part of your UCAS applicaon. It's your chance to describe your ambions, skills and experience to university and college admissions staff. Watch the video from the link below before you start:

  11. How to Write a Personal Statement

    Watch out for cliches like "making a difference," "broadening my horizons," or "the best thing that ever happened to me." 3. Stay focused. Try to avoid getting off-track or including tangents in your personal statement. Stay focused by writing a first draft and then re-reading what you've written.

  12. Free Examples of Effective Teaching Personal Statement

    Template 1. 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.

  13. How to write your teacher training personal statement

    The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are: Passion for teaching. Express your drive and fire on the page. Be individual. Stand out in a positive light; one tip here is not to waste characters on quotes, they don't say anything about you. Convey your desire to work with children.

  14. Writing a Postgraduate Teacher Education personal statement

    A personal statement is a short piece of writing (47 lines/4000 characters) which you are asked to submit in support of your application to study a PGDE/CE made through UCAS. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills, experience and motivation for teaching. Before you start. Remember that this is a very important part of your application.

  15. Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples

    University Subject Guides Learn about hundreds of university subjects. ... PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLES Teacher training personal statements . Discover personal statement examples written by students accepted onto teacher training and related courses. Read through the examples to help shape your own personal statement.

  16. Teaching And Education Personal Statement Advice

    Say something relevant about your academic studies, and demonstrate your own enthusiasm for learning. Mention any personal accomplishments or extra-curricular activities that you might be able to contribute to a school community. Expand on any relevant skills or qualities you've demonstrated in a part-time job.

  17. Teaching Statements

    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 ...

  18. Personal statement for teaching (The University of Manchester)

    Writing a personal statement for teacher training. These guidelines apply to applications for a PGCE or Schools Direct which are both made through Apply on the .Gov website. Include the following: Your reasons for teaching: Avoid clichés like, "I've always wanted to be a teacher". Choice of programme: Demonstrate that you have made a well ...

  19. 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.

  20. Teacher secrets for writing a great 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 ...

  21. Teacher Training Personal Statement Example (Primary PGCE) 8

    This personal statement is unrated. I am hard-working, confident and conscientious and have a keen desire to be a primary school teacher. Working every day at an after school club for primary age students has given me excellent experience in this field and confidence in my ability in it. I am organised, reliable and enthusiastic and I work well ...

  22. Personal Statements (Undergraduate)

    Personal Statement uofl.edu/writingcenter [email protected] (502)852-2173 Common features (cont.) If the story of what inspired you to enter the field shows your dedication to the field, who you hope to be in the field, or that you are intentional and have initiative to thrive

  23. Example and Guide for Impact Statement

    In this statement, you make your case for the impact of your work. The statement should address your perspective on past, present, and future performance and accomplishments. Avoid reiterating facts from your CV. The statement should be well-reasoned, well-elaborated, and well-written, and emphasize your primary areas of strength.

  24. FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families

    We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build ...

  25. Education (Primary) Personal Statement

    Education (Primary) Personal Statement. I believe teachers are given the opportunity to set the foundations of a prosperous future, not only for individual children but for our society as a whole. Although this is a huge responsibility, I also believe that through the education of children, we are able to deliver children the opportunity to ...

  26. Louisiana becomes first state to require that Ten Commandments be

    The posters, which will be paired with a four-paragraph "context statement" describing how the Ten Commandments "were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries ...

  27. Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the Office

    Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) entering into resolution agreements with the University of Michigan and the City University of New York regarding Title VI of the of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI):

  28. The Evolution of Technology in the Classroom

    The number of students in college in 1930 was around 1 million, but by 2012 had grown to a record 21.6 million. Teachers needed new methods of instruction and testing, and students were looking for new ways to communicate, study, and learn. The Entrance and Significance of Personal Computers