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  • mrsstrickey
  • Jan 16, 2021

Writing a Personal Statement

teacher development personal statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back this up with an example from your training.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can download the word version of this

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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.

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Teaching personal statement examples

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

What is a teaching personal statement?

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

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

It's important to:

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

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

How to write a personal statement for teaching

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

This is your opportunity to:

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

See  personal statements for postgraduate applications  for more guidance.

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

Personal statement for PGCE primary

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

Personal statement for PGCE secondary

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

Personal statement for School Direct

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

Find out more

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

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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...

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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 .

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Teaching Leadership Personal Statement

Example Teaching Leadership Personal Statement

Like many people who are passionate about their career, I find that I work at my best when faced with a fresh and exciting challenge. Having spent almost twenty years as a primary school teacher, during which time I have held several positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in my current position of Assistant Headteacher, I am highly motivated to take on a position of greater leadership in a school that corresponds to my core teaching values of inclusion, openness and continually striving to improve its pupils’ learning experience.

Since attaining Qualified Teacher Status in 1994, I have been eager throughout my career to be as closely involved with continuing professional development initiatives as possible. In addition to gaining expertise in qualitative analysis of data and overseeing SEN initiatives through the different positions of responsibility that I have held, I also regularly participate in training programmes to develop my skillset. Recently, for example, I completed the Barnet’s Deputy Heads Course, and in the past have attended courses on subject leader and senior management training. Furthermore, in the leadership positions that I have held to date I have placed significant emphasis on encouraging staff to become more closely involved with CPD initiatives.

I have always prided myself on my commitment to teaching excellence, something which is corroborated by the high levels of positive feedback that I have received from assessments of my lessons. I have a very broad range of primary teaching experience. I have been involved in teaching children at all years within the primary range, and in the past have also held co-ordinator positions for numeracy, physical education and Key Stage Two. My lesson delivery is based on a pedagogical philosophy of taking a hands-on and enthusiastic approach to teaching and creating a learning environment that is characterized by empathy, mutual support and, above all, an inclusion of all pupils. Wherever possible I have sought both the feedback and input of colleagues to help to continually improve my own teaching skills, as well as enthusiastically share my own teaching techniques and experiences with my colleagues.

Over the course of my career I have been involved with monitoring pupils’ achievements with a view to improving pupil attainment levels. During my time at Sacred Heart RC Primary School I completed a Foundation Stage Profile on all of the children in my care. Doing so gave me an insight into how the collection of such data can be used to chart pupils’ progress and to set future targets, which in this case were based around the achievement of Early Learning goals. In my current position I have created an assessment tracking system that reflects the changing pupil population of our school. The system has produced highly satisfying results, with the average point progress of our pupils increasing to 3.5 APS.

I have always performed my teaching and leadership duties in a way that has placed emphasis on the latest educational developments. Whilst working as a numeracy co-ordinator, for example, I spearheaded training initiatives to bring my colleagues up to speed on the national numeracy strategy, and was involved in similar training initiatives whilst working as Key Stage 2 co-ordinator. My current role has been very much shaped by responding to the new budgetary demands under which all schools are now operating. This positionalso offered me a unique opportunity to reflect on all aspects of current primary educational needs in the form of the move that our school made in 2009 to a new building. The process of the move gave me a much greater appreciation of the overall impact of learning areas – not just classrooms, but communal and outside areas – on the wellbeing of the school’s children, and it was rewarding to be able to be involved in focusing on these matters with a view to ensuring the new premises offered an optimal learning environment.

Having spent my professional life so far working in primary schools within London, I am acutely sensitive to the need for primary schools to cut across the social and cultural diversity of the city to provide an inclusive educational experience for all pupils. In my classroom I have always sought to foster an open environment that embraces the rich breadth of my pupils’ backgrounds. As an Assistant Headteacher, I have been at the forefront of tracking initiatives that have ensured that the school can respond to the challenges of a changing pupil demographic. Above all, however, I have tried to maintain a positive dialogue with parents with the goal of ensuring that they understand the objectives of the school. This has included giving presentations to parents on matters such as sex education and safeguarding of pupils, this latter topic being within my remit of overseeing child protection at the school.

Seeking to encourage inclusion at my current school has also entailed making the effort to work with groups within the school that require special attention, such as EAL and SEN pupils. For example, I have become increasingly involved with the implementation of pupil progress meetings with the parents of SEN pupils to help focus on pupil attainment, an initiative that over the last three years has delivered excellent results for our SEN pupils. In my current role I have also spent a significant amount of time examining the links between the social background of pupils and their levels of attainment in the classroom, with the goal of ensuring that pupils are not left behind and are offered support when they need it. This is an aspect of school leadership that I think is essential, and I will be firmly committed to developing other such initiatives in my future professional roles.

Through my current role as Assistant Headteacher and in my past co-ordinator positions I have acquired considerable experience in staff leadership and in managing teams of staff. To me it is essential to include staff members in consultation processes and make as much use as possible of their personal insights when leading a team. Having risen through the different grades of responsibility, I am attuned to the expertise of middle-level leaders, and as a consequence I am always eager for middle leaders to be closely involved in initiatives that are aimed at improving the school’s performance. At the heart of my teaching and leadership style is a focus on excellent communication skills. I ensure that in communications with colleagues and parents, whether in spoken or written form, are clear, concise and sensitively written.

I have been involved in leading teams for specific, short-term projects such as school sports days, as well as more complex, longer-term challenges, such as leading preparations for an OFSTED inspection whilst working as acting Deputy Head. My current position at Parkfield Primary School has offered me several opportunities to make use of my leadership skills for the betterment of the school. Amongst other initiatives, I led the school away from the QCA framework and towards a more creative curriculum. This process was made possible through the positive relationships I had forged with colleagues, who were able to assist me in developing a curriculum that met the needs of our diverse community of pupils. More recently I oversaw the introduction of a new behavioural policy at the school, which was drawn up and implemented with the full collaboration of staff and pupils. Because of the close involvement of all stakeholders in this policy, we have found that the new code has been adopted efficiently and enthusiastically, with behavioural standards at the school increasing significantly as a result.

I have also taken a leading role in helping to mentor newly qualified teachers and student teachers, as I believe that a positive mentoring experience can have a crucial impact on the development of new teachers. My approach to date has been based on assessing the individual needs of each trainee, implementing a structured timetable of classroom observations and offering feedback sessions that are open and democratic, in which the students can express their perspectives on the training experience as well as receiving insights from experienced teachers.

Throughout my career I have taken special efforts to gain professional qualitative skills in order to be able to be able to correctly interpret data and therefore make informed management decisions. Whilst working at Sacred Heart, for example, I played a key role in making use of Early Years Foundation Stage data to create attainment profiles for Year 1 students. I have found that developing these data analysis skills has paid off as it has allowed me in my current position to make effective use of pupil data to help develop strategies for pupil inclusion based on the changing profiles of our pupil intake.

For me, the most satisfying aspect of my transition into an increasingly leadership-based role has been the opportunities that it has given me to help my schools become an integral part of their local community. Through being an Assistant Headteacher I have gained an overall appreciation of how, through elements such as its curriculum, its physical environment, its approach to the diverse needs of its pupils and the relations it maintains with parents, a primary school can – and should – provide a nurturing environment, in which pupils from all backgrounds feel included and able to take part in an enriching learning experience, and where local parents can feel confident about sending their children. This overall vision guides my current work, and will continue to do so as I seek new professional challenges.

We hope that this Teaching Leadership Personal Statement will be a good point of reference for those looking for help with writing their own statement.

To help with your application, please visit Personal Statement Service .

Personal Statement

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How to write your teaching personal statement

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Teaching Personal Statements

What is a teaching personal statement?

teacher development personal statement

UCAS Teaching Personal Statement

Your statement is the biggest part of the UCAS application process for becoming a teacher, and is the part you should spend the most time on. Try to make sure that you aren’t repeating things that have gone elsewhere in your application. All statements are different and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through, but the main themes you want to include are:

  • Why you want to be a teacher 
  • What you understand the role of a teacher to be
  • What your teaching experience or your relevant experience with young people has taught you
  • Proof that you have the skills needed for the classroom
  • That you understand the Scottish education system
  • That you understand the Curriculum for Excellence
"I’m originally from Dublin, but moved to Scotland to work in a primary school four years ago. At St David’s I work in a promoted post as a Development Officer. I’m a member of the management team and I’m also developing play-based learning. I would encourage anyone to teach here – there’s so many great opportunities." Aoife Lambert – Primary Teacher at St David's RC Primary School

teacher development personal statement

How to write your personal statement

Your personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters long, around 1,000 words. It might sound a lot, but it may be less than you think, so it is important to be concise and not use convoluted language. But it is also vital that you give yourself plenty of time to write it, and try to write multiple drafts to give yourself every chance of getting it right.

You need to outline why your skills are relevant to a classroom environment. Talk about any classroom experience you have. Talk about lessons you’ve observed and what it taught you about your own teaching practice. Talk about other relevant experiences you have with young people. Discuss the transferable skills you have from previous roles/education and how they relate to teaching.

Write it in Microsoft Word first and make sure you thoroughly proof-read it as the grammar and spelling need to be impeccable. If possible, get someone else to read it over for you. Don’t use different formatting such as bold or italic text, and ensure it is 100% your own work.

"I wanted to be a teacher from a young age. I knew I could help young people to better themselves and felt my work would have purpose. As a Business and ICT teacher, I cover a variety of subjects including Business Management, Administration, IT and Tourism. I teach pupils to be enterprising and develop practical skills for creating and running businesses while acquiring ICT skills." Mary Osei-Oppong – Business Education and ICT Teacher at Brannock High School

Mary Osei-Oppong

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How to write a teacher personal statement

What experience do you have, are you engaged in teaching theory and research, are you up to date on safeguarding statutory guidance, what are your skills and qualities, how can you contribute to wider school life, search for roles.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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teacher development personal statement

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How to Write a Personal Statement

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Teach.com / Online Education / Education Degrees / Online Master of Arts in Teaching Programs (MAT) / Applying for Your Master’s / How to Write a Personal Statement

Brainstorming

Before you start outlining your statement, ask yourself a few questions to get an idea of what you’ll need to include. Jot down each of the following questions and leave some space to answer them.

  • Why do I want to be a teacher?
  • How should I address my academic record?
  • How can my experiences enhance my application?
  • Who is my audience?

Now take a few minutes and come up with some answers to these questions. Don’t spend too much time on this step; just write down your general thoughts. Once you do that, you will be ready to dive in and start writing your personal statement.

The Introduction

Your introduction needs to grab the reader’s attention at once. Remember that they are most likely staring at a pile of applications, and yours will be one of many they’ll read in this sitting. You need to be memorable right from the start. Follow this general form for a solid intro.

  • HOOK:  Grab the admissions officer’s attention with a broad, but strong statement about the teaching profession.
  • LINE:  Write two to three sentences that develop that idea and narrow it down to focus on you.
  • SINKER:  Deliver your thesis. This is where you state specifically why you want to study education at their school.

Begin with a short summary of your educational background. Do not turn this into a resume; just briefly give an overview of your studies in both your major (English, math, etc.) and in your education concentration. If you have any inconsistencies in your academic record, this is where you should address them. Do not give excuses, but if there are reasons why you did poorly in an area, state them here.

The second body paragraph is where you get to tell your story. Why do you want to become a teacher? What inspires you about this profession? What type of teacher do you see yourself becoming? How did your student teaching experience inspire you to continue on this path? Anecdotes are best, but don’t get carried away. Keep it concise and to the point.

Once you have explained who you are and what your professional goals will be, the third body paragraph should explain why you think you are a good fit for that particular school. Hopefully you did some research before applying, and you have some concrete reasons for choosing this college. Tell them your reasons, but don’t go overboard with platitudes. They know what awards they have won and where they rank in the U.S. News college rankings. Be honest and explain what attracted you to their program of study and what you hope to get out of it.

In order to ensure the clarity of your work, each body paragraph should be formatted the same. This way the reader will be able to quickly read without losing track of the point. After the first body paragraph, begin each subsequent paragraph with a transition phrase or sentence, and then provide a clear topic sentence. Support that topic sentence with solid evidence. Finally, provide examples to back up that evidence.

The Conclusion

Conclusions are hard, and they are hard for a reason. Ideally, you have made your case in the body of your personal statement, so you understandably ask yourself, “What else can I say?” Try one of these strategies:

  • Widen the focus a bit and validate your thesis without being redundant.
  • Project where you see yourself in 10 years after completing your degree and becoming a successful teacher.
  • Reaffirm your passion for your subject area.

However you decide to close, do not fall back to your middle school days and simply restate your case in the conclusion. Take some time to craft a closing that will leave them with an overall positive impression.

The Nuts and Bolts of Academic Writing

It is certainly worth noting a few of the technical aspects of writing your personal statement. Many programs will have specific items they want you to cover in your statement. Be sure you have carefully read and then answered their questions. Use a basic font like Times New Roman or Calibri and either a 10- or 12-point font. Always use 1-inch margins and single space your document. The general suggested length is 500 to 1,000 words. Don’t feel like you have to hit the word limit, but don’t only get halfway there either.

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Early Childhood Education Personal Statement Example

I believe that early childhood is the most crucial stage in a child’s life, it has become my goal to be an early years teacher so I can offer support at this important stage and help children learn and grow as they interact with the world around them. The skills children learn at this age will stick with them for life such as reading, writing and communication, to be able to a part of this process would be very rewarding.

During my A-levels, I completed a weeks work experience at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. I was a teaching assistant for year groups two and three. This role allowed me to work closely with the children and support them in their lessons. This experience was gratifying, and I enjoyed helping the children learn and solve problems. I found myself excited to get to work and see the children and they seemed just as excited to see me. Although I only spent a week at St Joseph’s, I still formed a friendship with lots of the children and learned some essential skills for working with young children such as safeguarding and following a curriculum. Lastly, I taught a child with special needs and supported him in his lessons.

After my A-levels, I decided to take a gap year. Although the pandemic disrupted my original plans I tried my best to make the most of this time and keep motivated. Throughout lockdown, I completed an online course on the Open Learn website through the Open University called “An Introduction to Social Work.” This course covered a variety of subjects including the Attachment Theory developed by John Bowlby. This theory highlights how the brain develops differently depending on what kind of experiences it receives, especially in the early years. I found this very fascinating as I have loved learning about people since I started studying sociology at GCSE. I am intrigued by what influences people to act the way they do and have a particular fascination with how children develop in society. Becoming an early years teacher would allow me to make a difference in children’s lives and see this development first hand.

During my gap year, I also developed leadership and teamwork skills while working at my local café: Deli-Licious. I started this job in 2019 as Saturday help and gradually progressed and gained more responsibility, such as gaining more hours and eventually becoming a key holder. This customer-facing role allowed me to develop good people skills and taught me how to deal with the many characters I came across every day. I was also often in a leadership role allowing me to gain the skills and experience needed to be a good team leader. Furthermore, this job required great communication skills which are very useful when working in a team, especially while looking after children.

I have recently been offered and enthusiastically accepted a job at Bright Horizons Day Nursery as a Nursery Assistant. My responsibilities will include supervising children at playtime, engaging with the children in learning and play activities as well as working with the other nursery staff and attending staff meetings. This job will allow me to build skills such as childcare, proactivity, and time management which will help me build a strong foundation for early years teaching. I am excited to start this job as it is the first step I am taking to pursue a lifetime career in early education.

Studying early childhood studies at university will be a perfect opportunity for me to further my understanding of children in early years and allow me to learn about new areas I haven’t come across yet. My goal is to gain practical experience working with young children while also gaining relevant qualifications to be the best early years teacher I can be.

Profile info

There is no profile associated with this personal statement, as the writer has requested to remain anonymous.

Author's Comments

I got an offer for a degree in Early Childhood Studies with this personal statement so I hope it can help someone out there :)

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How to write a teacher training personal statement or Initial Teacher Training application

Teacher training personal statements: the dos and don'ts

An Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or teacher training personal statement is a key part of any initial teacher training application – it's your chance to sell yourself.

Your personal statement gives teacher training providers an opportunity to find out more about you – your motivations for pursuing a career in teaching, your reflections on any school experience you have and the skills, competencies, values and attitudes that you bring to the table. What can you offer teaching? What will make you an outstanding teacher who will inspire, engage and challenge pupils? 

A teacher training personal statement shouldn’t be a list of all your jobs or qualifications – those are set out elsewhere in your application. Nor should it simply be a factual account of what you have observed or what you did in a classroom during your school experience. While it's important to give a brief context of this, it's much more important to explain what you learnt during your time in school; skills you developed and reflections on what you observed or did. Teacher training providers or ITT partnership schools need to see that you have thought about your experience carefully.

It's also worth reiterating how important it is to check your spelling and grammar. You're going to be in charge of educating the next generation – you must have strong written communication skills.

Examples can be a great way of demonstrating what you have learnt

Steer away from overusing general teaching related statements such as “I’ve always wanted to work with children”, especially when writing a primary school teacher training personal statement. Obviously, teacher training providers want to see that you have an interest in working with children but this can be demonstrated through your reflections on what you learnt during any school or similar experience and what you found rewarding about the work.

Examples can be a great way of demonstrating what you have learnt. Think about the skills that  make a good teacher  and give examples of any relevant projects you've worked on or any children you've worked with (always remember to anonymise the people involved). What was challenging about the situation, what did you learn and what were the outcomes you achieved?

By all means draw on skills you've gained elsewhere, maybe in a different career field or in your own education or family life. If you've overcome obstacles or challenges that you believe show your resilience and adaptability, draw on that experience to demonstrate how you would handle the pressurised environment of teaching and working in a school.

Your teacher training personal statement should be coherent and well-structured

If you hold a non-subject specific degree and you know you have some gaps in your subject knowledge, it’s a good idea to mention this in your teaching training personal statement but to also offer the provider a solution. You can demonstrate that you've done some research and you've already considered a solution to this challenge by mentioning that you would like to do a  subject knowledge enhancement  (SKE)  course prior to starting your teacher training to bring your knowledge up to the level you need to teach.

Find out more about about SKE

There are plenty of guides on how to write a personal statement for teacher training which outline the basics, but the most important thing remains your own personal reasons for applying. Be clear about what motivates you. A personal statement that suggests you haven't thought through your reasons for going into teaching will not help your application to succeed. Teacher training providers are less likely to be concerned about someone who has had a diverse career but is now committed to teaching than someone who says they have always wanted to teach but can’t give clear reasons why. If you’re not currently based in the UK, include reasons why you want to pursue your teaching career here. And last but definitely not least, your personal statement should be coherent and well-structured.

In summary:

  • Draw on your experiences  (especially teaching experience) to show what you've learnt and what you will bring to the teaching profession
  • Evidence your skills , competencies and values, with relevant examples if possible
  • Be clear about your motivations  for going into teaching
  • Make sure your statement is  coherent and accurate
  • Don’t copy!  Your statement should be entirely your own work; do not copy online examples.

Good luck! Further advice from UCAS can be  found here .

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How to write your personal statement for teacher training

Gemma Fairclough

Last updated: 28 Sept 2023, 09:24

The information in this article is based on the Apply for Teacher Training service personal statement, with hints and tips that will be useful when completing the form.

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Teaching personal statement

Your personal statement is a crucial part of the application and your chance to stand out from the crowd. You should write between 500 and 1000 words for your personal statement. See two sample personal statements at the end of this article.

Your statement must be concise, enthusiastic and sell your potential to be a successful teacher. It should explain why you want to teach, your suitability to teach that age group, and/or your chosen subject (if you’re applying for secondary teaching). Here are some ideas on what to write about in your personal statement:

  • Your interest in the subject or age group you want to teach.
  • An appraisal of the demands and rewards of teaching, with evidence of your motivation, showing an understanding of teacher training and the role of a teacher.
  • The skills and qualities that would make you an effective teacher, such as communication, teamworking and leadership. You can evidence how you have developed these using examples from your degree and work experience.
  • How you could contribute to a school outside of the classroom, for example, giving details of any specific skills that you have, that could be useful for the range of extracurricular activities the schools provide.
  • Any school work experience you have. You might discuss areas of the national curriculum you observed, age groups you worked with, subjects you covered and types of schools you visited (and for how long).
  • Any other experience working with children or young people, and what you learned from this.
  • Any other activities you have undertaken, such as first aid courses or volunteering, reflecting on how the skills you have gained will help you become an effective teacher.
  • Your thoughts on welfare and education.
  • The subject of your undergraduate degree and/or relevant modules you studied as part of your degree. You could also talk about your A Level subjects, postgraduate qualifications (if applicable), or expertise you’ve gained at work if this is relevant for the subject or age group you want to teach.
  • If you are applying for primary courses, you could mention any specialist knowledge relevant to teaching the range of subjects in the national curriculum.

If you do not currently live in the UK, explain why you want to study in the UK; if relevant, provide evidence (through UK ENIC for example) that your qualifications are at the required standard. Check that your language skills are sufficient to complete the training programme as requirements vary between institutions.

Explain anything not made clear elsewhere on the application, such as reasons for gaps in your education or working life.

Tips for writing and checking your personal statement

  • Remember that you can only write one personal statement for all your choices, so make sure it reflects the route or routes you have applied for.
  • Give yourself enough time to write a few drafts.
  • Write your statement using a word processing programme so you can check it for spelling and grammar errors. Cut and paste it into the application form as you go along to make sure you do not go over your word limit.
  • Keep it simple and natural in style.
  • Personalise your statement by writing in the first person, using 'me', 'I' and 'my'.
  • Use action verbs such as 'coordinated', 'established' and 'managed'.
  • Provide evidence of your motivation, experiences and qualifications as well as your understanding of teacher training and the role of a teacher.
  • As the word count is limited for each section, make sure each sentence contributes something useful.
  • Show your personal statement to a school recruiter, careers adviser or tutor for feedback.
  • Copy your application, particularly the personal statement, before sending it so that you can remind yourself of the content when going for interviews.
  • Make sure the personal statement is all your own work, as all statements are put through the CopyCatch similarity detection system.

Discover our top tips for writing a more refined personal statement by reading how to write a great personal statement for a teaching job .

Note: if you’ve already started to apply before the next application cycle begins in September 2023, you may see two sections for your personal statement instead of just one. This includes a section on “why you want to teach” (maximum 600 words) and “your suitability to teach a subject or age group” (maximum 400 words). If your application is unsuccessful this time and you apply again, the two sections of your personal statement will merge. When this happens, you will be asked to review your statement before applying again.

Primary school teacher training personal statement

Read this example of a personal statement for primary school teacher training.

Secondary school teaching personal statement

Read this example of a personal statement for secondary school teaching.

Next: search graduate jobs, schemes and internships

  • View graduate teaching jobs .

Written by Gemma Fairclough, Manchester Metropolitan University, July 2023

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Teacher Education Personal Statement

What is a personal statement.

Ranked 26th 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.

Sydney School of Education and Social Work will hold an interactive online session for  Wednesday, September 20, from 4–4.30pm , to guide teaching-degree applicants through the process of preparing their personal statement. The session will cover both local and international application processes. 

Register for the online session .

* 2023 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.

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  • Knowledge Base
  • Applying to graduate school
  • How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

  • Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
  • Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
  • Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

  • A personal experience that changed your perspective
  • A story from your family’s history
  • A memorable teacher or learning experience
  • An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

  • Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
  • Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
  • How does it fit into the rest of your life?
  • What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

  • Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
  • Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

  • What first sparked your interest in the field?
  • Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
  • Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

  • Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
  • Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

  • Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
  • Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
  • Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

  • If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
  • If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
  • If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

  • Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
  • Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

  • Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
  • Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Personal beliefs, values and understanding about effective teaching and learning influence how a course is designed.

On this page:

The importance of a teaching and learning philosophy.

Your beliefs about teaching and learning influence many of the decisions you make as an instructor. Defining your philosophy helps you make thoughtful choices about how you design and teach your courses. For example, if you believe that students learn by building on prior knowledge and collaborating with others then you may want more small group discussions and team-based activities than instructor-led lectures. Having a clear understanding of who you are as an instructor and your preferred approaches and strategies will have profound impacts on how you design your course and how your students learn.

Preparing Your Teaching and Learning Philosophy

In general, the process for preparing a TLP will consist of the following:

  • Read examples of exemplar statements for structure, tone, and composition.
  • Review TLP components using a quality rubric.
  • Reflect on important factors such as your understanding of teaching practices and learning processes, as well examples of how you have implemented these beliefs.
  • Draft sections of your statement.

Writing Your Teaching and Learning Philosophy

1. prepare your tlp by reviewing available resources..

a. Teaching Perspectives Inventory : a question inventory to help you understand your perspectives on teaching

b.  Teaching Philosophies : examples by discipline (University of Michigan)

2. Draft Your Teaching and Learning Philosophy Statement.

a.  How to write your philosophy of education statement : prompting questions and statement stems to begin writing (University of Colorado, Boulder)

b.  Guidance on writing a philosophy of teaching statement : review of components to include in your TLP (The Ohio State University)

3. Use a Quality Rubric to Analyze Your Statement.

a.  Rubric for composing and evaluating a statement of teaching philosophy. (University of Michigan)

b.  Rubrics and Samples : includes a variety of rubrics (University of Minnesota)

4. Revise Your TLP as Needed and ask a Colleague for Feedback, if Applicable.

Additional resources.

Offers guidance to develop your statement, components to use, and examples  (Western University)

Help with generating ideas and writing your draft  (University of Minnesota)

Now that you have thought more about and articulated your beliefs about teaching and learning, the next step is to determine learning outcomes for your course.

Additional resources

For further information about teaching and learning philosophy statements, see the following readings.

  • Chism, N. V. N. (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Essays on Teaching Excellence: Toward the Best in the Academy, 9, 1–3.

Three app creators shaping the future of education, fitness, and health

Making Space for Women in App Development

A portrait of Boddle Learning cofounder Edna Martinson against a colorful illustrated background.

Breaking Down Barriers Through Personalization

A screen with the heading “Your Journey” from the Wysa app, shown on iPhone 15 Pro.

Finding Support and Mentorship

A portrait of Wysa founder and CEO Jo Aggarwal against a colorful illustrated background.

Building More Immersive Experiences

A game with different characters and a grid is shown is shown in Boddle on iPhone 15 Pro.

Creating Innovative Solutions to Real-World Problems

Text of this article

March 6, 2024

The creators behind Boddle, Run Legends, and Wysa — all alumni of Apple’s Entrepreneur Camp — share how they’re empowering people with their cutting-edge apps

Around the world, developers are building apps that break down barriers across gender, race, socioeconomic status, language, and physical ability.

In celebration of Entrepreneur Camp’s fifth anniversary, Apple spoke with alumni app creators whose apps are shaking things up in education, fitness, and mental health. All three women have participated in the immersive tech lab that invites developers from underrepresented groups to take their apps to the next level with one-on-one guidance from Apple experts, engineers, and leaders. Entrepreneur Camp underscores Apple’s ethos that apps for everyone should be made by everyone.

Edna Martinson, a 2023 Entrepreneur Camp alum based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, launched Boddle Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, when students and teachers were adjusting to the sudden transition to learning from home. The education app for kids uses gameplay and machine learning to tailor content to their learning levels, helping them tackle learning gaps and boost their confidence in the classroom.

After graduating from MIT, 2022 Entrepreneur Camp alum Jenny Xu founded her own studio and fused two of her lifelong passions — running and gaming — into Run Legends . The immersive multiplayer game was designed to make walking and running more fun, encouraging players of all fitness levels to team up with friends to battle and overcome real-life anxieties.

And Jo Aggarwal, a 2019 Entrepreneur Camp alum, is the founder and CEO of Wysa , an emotionally intelligent chatbot — written by therapists working with AI designers — to help users talk through difficult emotions and thoughts anonymously, anytime. Based in Boston and Bengaluru, the app has helped millions of people across 95 countries learn how to feel happier.

Below, Martinson, Xu, and Aggarwal reflect on their journeys to becoming app developers, how they’ve infused personalization into their apps to make them more accessible to all, key lessons they’ve learned along the way and at Entrepreneur Camp, and how they’ve harnessed technology to craft innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Jenny Xu (JX) : When I started out in the gaming industry, I felt like I was the only one doing what I was doing. I grew up playing a lot of story-based interactive fiction — artistic games that make you come away having learned something about life, and I think that’s a genre that’s predominantly popular with women. With Run Legends, even though it’s a battle game, it isn’t a game that makes people feel really aggressive when they’re playing it — they can feel empowered. Now that I’ve raised some money and shipped some games, I try to give back and show that it’s possible to build games that aren’t just shooters, but games that actually make the world a better place.

Edna Martinson (EM) : My perspective as a woman in this field has really shaped our team and how we connect with our community, especially since most elementary school teachers that we serve are women. We’ve had a blast doing virtual career days on Zoom, showing kids how we made Boddle, and introducing them to game design. It’s super rewarding to see the excitement on little girls’ faces when they find out a woman cofounded Boddle. It shows them they can be leaders in tech too.

Jo Aggarwal (JA) : We set out to solve for global mental health and give people a safe space to work through their thoughts and emotions, building resilience irrespective of stigma, race, gender, access to a therapist, or diagnosis… Language can also be a barrier, and in an effort to make Wysa’s support more inclusive, we are launching Wysa in Spanish to create more equitable access to marginalized communities.

EM : At Boddle, we understand that every kid learns differently and at their own pace, so we’re using machine learning to tailor content to kids’ levels and help identify learning gaps through fun and interactive gameplay. We also provide teachers with the tools to be able to support their students, giving them access to kindergarten through sixth-grade assessments and videos in math and English, and a host of grading and reporting tools.

JX : We noticed that in other fitness experiences, people who were faster or more fit were often rewarded for how fit they were, so others would be intimidated. Run Legends uses core location, core motion, and accelerometer data on the Apple platform to detect how fast somebody is going and adjust the gameplay based on that. So if you want to play at a 20-minute walking pace or at an eight-minute running pace, it’s all the same. There’s actually no advantage to going faster or slower through our game. There are quite a few walkers who play the game and say that the game’s gotten them to go from walking to eventually going faster and moving up to a jog.

JA : Entrepreneur Camp was amazing, meeting so many like-minded entrepreneurs and making friends with them. I do stay in touch with some of the cohort who are in similar fields. The campus is so beautifully designed, and to learn Apple design principles within that environment was like a dream come true. We had design sessions with Apple team members who helped us understand how to position Wysa, and today, we are one of the top-ranked apps in our space.

JX : When we attended Entrepreneur Camp, it was very early on in Run Legends. We didn’t even know necessarily what the game would look like. We got this opportunity to talk to the design team, who knew what was working on the App Store and would do deep dives on our app. One example was our onboarding experience — our rep told us, “What happens if a player isn’t ready to run or go outside? You would lose so many people if you didn’t provide an alternate experience that could be played indoors.” So we changed our entire onboarding flow because of that feedback and realized after launch that almost half of all players used the alternate experience.

EM : Boddle is more than just a game for math or English. We’re creating a learning metaverse with different game experiences. If kids love basketball, they can jump into a basketball game. If they’re into pets, they can check out our pet-battling game. The cool part is they get to pick what they want to play, and their learning goes with them wherever they go in Boddle’s world. They’re in charge of their own learning adventure, picking what they want to do and learning along the way.

JX : In Run Legends, we use Spatial Audio so that when you turn your head, it sounds like the battle is actually happening around you. If you turn to the left, you might hear the monster snarling at you, but if you turn right, you could hear your teammates cheering you on. You feel the haptics as you charge up your attack and as you sprint, and you feel like the battle is happening right there. That feeling gets people to work out longer and harder. Players often tell us they’ve done the fastest walks or runs in their entire life through it, and it’s because of that interactive audio experience.

JA : What has truly been unique about Wysa has been how we iterated the product. We did not start with a clinical workbook and turn it into a chatbot. We took evidence-based techniques that worked, and then listened to users about what they needed and where some didn’t work for them. We then worked with clinicians to create models that worked for users when they tried to help themselves. This created a power balance between users and clinicians, powered by AI and analytics, which had never been possible before.

JA : We wanted to make access to mental health permissionless — something you could reach out to on your phone at 3 a.m. and continue to use as often as you needed. Research shows that people are 3x more likely to open up to AI than even a human therapist. This creates an opportunity to create psychological safety, but also must be followed through with privacy-first design and proven, measurable outcomes. We were able to show impact with adolescents as well as older adults with chronic pain, with blue collar workers as well as tech professionals.

JX : The narrative in Run Legends is that you’re fighting real-world anxieties through your battles in the game. So you’re not fighting a minion or a generic enemy: You’re fighting your critical grandma who’s telling you you’re not good enough, or a hyper-competitive Chad who’s always trying to beat you. We’ve heard our players say it’s a cathartic experience. They’re actually healing from the battles and the narrative of overcoming obstacles.

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FACT SHEET: Vice President Harris Announces Action to Lower Child Care Costs for More than 100,000   Families

Vice President Harris is announcing key steps to lower the cost of child care for working families and better support early educators, consistent with the President’s historic Executive Order on Care . Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a rule strengthening the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, which supports over a million children and their families each month with child care assistance. Specifically, this landmark rule will:

  • Cap co-payments for families participating in CCDBG to no more than 7% of income, saving families in states that do not yet cap co-payments over $200 a month on average;
  • Encourage states to eliminate co-payments entirely for families of children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, children in Head Start, and families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level;
  • Direct states to pay child care providers more fairly and on time, improving financial stability for 140,000 child care providers and incentivizing more providers to participate in the CCDBG program; and
  • Make it easier for families to access CCDBG subsidies by encouraging states to streamline eligibility and enrollment processes and reduce red tape that can disrupt parent employment, training, and education.

Lowering Child Care Costs for Working Families High child care co-payments strain family budgets, and parents who cannot afford to pay them face a barrier to employment. Working families with low incomes are likely to pay a greater share of their income toward child care costs. The President’s Council of Economic Advisers found that higher-income families pay between 6-8% of their income on child care expenses, while families with low incomes pay as much as 31% of their income toward child care. CCDBG provides child care subsidies to low-income working families, yet some families participating in the program may still pay as much as 27% of their income on co-payments. While HHS has long encouraged states set co-payments at or below 7% of income for families participating in CCDBG, only 18 states do.   The final rule will reduce the significant financial strain that high co-payments cause for working families with low incomes by capping co-payments for CCDBG families at no more than 7% of a family’s income, consistent with HHS’s longstanding recommendation. In North Carolina, a family of 3 earning $44,000 could stand to save close to $110.00 per month. In Pennsylvania, a family of 3 earning $44,000 could save nearly $120.00 per month. In Maine, a family of 3 earning $64,000 could save $160.00 per month. In South Dakota, a family of 3 earning $46,000 could save $180.00 per month. In Wisconsin, a family of 3 earning $68,000 could save as much as $635.00 per month. The final rule also encourages states to waive co-payments entirely for certain categories of families, including children with disabilities. HHS projects that more than 100,000 families will see their co-payments reduced or eliminated owing to these policies. Improving Financial Stability of Child Care Providers Child care providers who serve families receiving CCDBG experience burdens of their own, which disincentivize their participation in the program. For example, only eight states currently pay CCDBG child care providers on-time, meaning only 4% of home-based CCDBG providers and 11% of center-based CCDBG providers are paid on-time . And only half of states pay CCDBG providers based on enrollment as opposed to attendance – meaning thousands of providers payments can be adjusted downward if children miss days. The final rule requires states to pay CCDBG providers more fairly, which will help stabilize operations for participating providers and encourage more providers to participate in CCDBG. As a result, all home-based and center-based CCDBG providers will start getting paid on-time. Additionally, the final rule ensures that providers are paid based on program enrollment, and encourages states to further increase provider subsidies. These changes will give approximately 140,000 providers needed financial stability and place them in a better position to make needed improvements, such as boosting compensation for workers. These changes will also increase parents’ child care options for those participating in CCDBG, making it easier to find the care that meets their needs. Making it Easier for Families to Access Benefits Some families currently face barriers in accessing CCDBG because of challenging enrollment processes and paperwork burdens. For instance, in nearly one-third of states, families still use paper applications to access child care assistance. The final rule pushes states to create and accept applications online for enrollment – extending a policy that already exists in thirty-seven states. The final rule also encourages states to adopt a policy of presumptive eligibility for child care subsidies, which would allow families to receive temporary and immediate financial assistance to pay for child care, while the state determines and verifies their eligibility for the program. This would considerably lower the burden for families to receive subsidy, particularly for families experiencing homelessness. Only six states currently offer presumptive eligibility to families . The Biden-Harris Administration’s Record on Child Care The finalization of this rule is the latest in a series of actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to improve access to early care and education. Since Day One, the President and Vice President have fought to secure the resources and policy improvements necessary to transform our child care system. The President’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) not only helped keep over 225,000 child care providers open, but had a significant impact on the economy. That investment alone brought hundreds of thousands of women with young children into the workforce, lowered child care costs per child by $1,250, and increased wages for child care workers by 10%. As ARP funds dry up, the sector urgently needs more support as parents are at serious risk of paying more or losing access to care altogether. This is why the President requested $16 billion in supplemental funding and continues to call on Congress to act to sustain the child care sector. This funding request would support more than 220,000 child care providers across the country that serve a total of more than 10 million kids. The Biden-Harris Administration has also taken steps to lower child care costs for military families and proposed increased pay for Head Start teachers . In July, the White House hosted a first-of-its-kind  convening on child care , gathering nearly 100 state legislators from across the country to discuss ways to improve child care governance, access, affordability, and the workforce. The President and Vice President have also proposed major investments to increase child care worker pay and limit child care costs so that most families pay no more than $10 a day for child care.

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IMAGES

  1. Teaching Statement

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  2. Teaching Statement

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  3. Catchy Teaching Personal Statement

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  4. Free Personal Statement For Teaching Job (Samples & Examples

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  5. Teaching Statement

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  6. teacher personal statement

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COMMENTS

  1. Teacher Personal Statement Examples (With Helpful Tips)

    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. For the last three years, I've worked as a substitute teacher at Willow Park Elementary.

  2. 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.

  3. Writing a Personal Statement

    It is always a good idea to write your personal statement alongside the person specification, ensuring that you have included all the "essential" criteria and as much of the "desirable" criteria you can that are assessed through the application. Where possible, you should also use the language of the school you are applying to - their vision ...

  4. 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 ...

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  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. Teaching Leadership Personal Statement

    Example Teaching Leadership Personal Statement. Like many people who are passionate about their career, I find that I work at my best when faced with a fresh and exciting challenge. ... Teacher Status in 1994, I have been eager throughout my career to be as closely involved with continuing professional development initiatives as possible. In ...

  10. PDF How to write a personal statement for teacher training

    Top Tips. Your personal statement should: be persuasive, interesting, enthusiastic. be fluent, relevant, realistic, specific. mention young people - it is as much about enabling them to learn as it is about you wanting to teach. be honest - if you're ambitious, say so!

  11. How to write your teaching personal statement

    Write it in Microsoft Word first and make sure you thoroughly proof-read it as the grammar and spelling need to be impeccable. If possible, get someone else to read it over for you. Don't use different formatting such as bold or italic text, and ensure it is 100% your own work. The process of uploading your statement can be time consuming and ...

  12. How to write a teacher personal statement

    Search for roles. 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 ...

  13. How to Write a Personal Statement for a Teaching Master's

    You need to be memorable right from the start. Follow this general form for a solid intro. HOOK: Grab the admissions officer's attention with a broad, but strong statement about the teaching profession. LINE: Write two to three sentences that develop that idea and narrow it down to focus on you.

  14. 16 Winning Personal Statement Examples (And Why They Work)

    Here are 16 personal statement examples—both school and career—to help you create your own: 1. Personal statement example for graduate school. A personal statement for graduate school differs greatly from one to further your professional career. It is usually an essay, rather than a brief paragraph. Here is an example of a personal ...

  15. Early Childhood Education Personal Statement Example

    Early Childhood Studies Personal... Throughout the first year of the course I have gained 5 merits and 2 pass grades. I enjoy learning and extending my knowledge of children and child development. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work placements, as in the placements I have been able to extend both my practical and theoretical knowledge.

  16. How to write a teacher training personal statement or Initial Teacher

    Teacher training personal statements: the dos and don'ts. An Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or teacher training personal statement is a key part of any initial teacher training application - it's your chance to sell yourself.. Your personal statement gives teacher training providers an opportunity to find out more about you - your motivations for pursuing a career in teaching, your ...

  17. Education Masters Personal Statement Sample

    Education Masters Personal Statement Sample. This is an example personal statement for a Masters degree application in Education. See our guide for advice on writing your own postgraduate personal statement. Recent developments in the social and political landscapes have strongly highlighted the importance of education for children in schools.

  18. How to Write A Personal Statement For Teaching (With Tips)

    These tips may help you include the most important information. Here are some basic steps to compose a strong personal statement for teaching positions: 1. Generate ideas. Before you start your draft, take time to generate ideas to help you decide what to include in your personal statement, including accomplishments, strengths, strategies and ...

  19. Teacher training personal statement tips

    Personalise your statement by writing in the first person, using 'me', 'I' and 'my'. Use action verbs such as 'coordinated', 'established' and 'managed'. Provide evidence of your motivation, experiences and qualifications as well as your understanding of teacher training and the role of a teacher. As the word count is limited for each section ...

  20. Teacher Education Personal Statement

    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. Sydney School of Education and Social Work will hold an interactive online session for Wednesday, September 20, from 4-4.30pm, to guide teaching ...

  21. How to Write Your Personal Statement

    A personal statement is a short essay of around 500-1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you're applying. To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application, don't just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to ...

  22. Teaching and Learning Philosophy

    Read examples of exemplar statements for structure, tone, and composition. Review TLP components using a quality rubric. Reflect on important factors such as your understanding of teaching practices and learning processes, as well examples of how you have implemented these beliefs. Draft sections of your statement.

  23. How to write a personal statement for teacher training

    Make a list of all the most important accomplishments and skills that you can include in your personal statement. Consider examining the course description or website for keywords used to describe ideal candidates and qualities. Target these keywords in your statement when you outline your qualities and experience. 2. Make a clear structured plan.

  24. How to write a primary teacher personal statement in 6 steps

    If you want to write a personal statement for a primary school teacher job application, consider the steps below: 1. Check the instructions. In the job advertisement, you may find instructions or guidelines for writing your personal statement. A good first step is to look for these instructions to determine what the hiring organisation expects ...

  25. Three app creators shaping the future of education, fitness, and health

    Making Space for Women in App Development. Jenny Xu (JX): When I started out in the gaming industry, I felt like I was the only one doing what I was doing. I grew up playing a lot of story-based interactive fiction — artistic games that make you come away having learned something about life, and I think that's a genre that's predominantly ...

  26. FACT SHEET: Vice President Harris Announces Action to Lower Child Care

    Vice President Harris is announcing key steps to lower the cost of child care for working families and better support early educators, consistent with the President's historic Executive Order on ...