The skills needed to be a successful teacher are constantly changing. Some core skills endure over time, like communication, lesson planning and organisation skills. However, shifts in culture, technology and our understanding of child development means new skills are emerging all the time, while some fade into the background.
Staying up-to-date with the latest teaching skills can be invaluable for your CV, showing you’re capable of meeting the challenges of modern education and providing a relevant and engaging learning environment for students. So, what are the best emerging teaching skills to add to your CV? Let’s take a look at how to future-proof your teaching applications.
Top 5 emerging skills for your teaching CV
If you’re considering applying for a new teaching position, these teacher CV skills can show recruiters and employers that you’re equipped with the qualities needed to be a success in the teaching profession in 2025 and beyond:
Use of technology
Rapid technological advances have the power to transform teaching over the coming years. There are plenty of technological tools and resources that can have a very real impact on your teaching, and on outcomes for your students. AI tools can increase your productivity and improve the quality of your output, including aiding with lesson planning, creating resources and handling administrative tasks. Emerging tools can even assist with planning and monitoring personalised development plans for students. Similarly, delivery tools can gamify lessons and create a more engaging learning experience for students.
However, be aware that your use of technology must be strategic and have a genuine impact on learning outcomes for children. There’s little point referencing technology on your teaching CV if it’s simply a case of name-checking something new and trendy in the industry.
Cultural awareness
In recent years, education policy has focused on creating more inclusive learning environments that consider diverse needs and reduce discrimination. Showing an understanding of this shift towards greater cultural awareness can help you remain relevant in your teaching applications.
Highlighting cultural awareness in your teaching might include examples of creating culturally diverse materials, developing inclusive curriculums, fostering open communication in the classroom and adapting your teaching strategies to meet the needs of students with differing backgrounds. All these steps can show recruiters that you’re aware of the changing demands of the classroom, and that you’re prepared to go the extra mile in fostering an inclusive learning environment that helps students from all backgrounds to thrive.
Data literacy
Being comfortable handling, processing and interpreting data is becoming increasingly important in many areas of life. Indeed, empowering students to develop these skills is becoming a central part of the learning experience, as more and more jobs will require data skills in the future.
Data literacy is, however, also becoming increasingly critical for teachers themselves. Well-developed data skills can help teachers review their performance and make better-informed decisions to improve the effectiveness of their teaching. Data skills can also help with the development and assessment of personalised learning plans and monitoring student progress. If you’re not currently using data to inform your teaching decisions, undertaking some training on data analysis and implementation can be a valuable asset for the future, including as an addition to your CV.
Classroom management
While classroom management has always been a valuable skill in the teachers’ toolbox, the way education has changed in recent years has made it even more vital. Increases in student absenteeism and exclusion, growing digital distractions, attainment gaps driven by deprivation and disadvantage, rises in special educational needs and growing teacher stress have all increased the risk of the classroom becoming a less productive, less functional environment.
As such, the demands on teachers have become more complex and require a growing skill set. Displaying the ability to rise to these new and developing challenges, and to create a learning environment that supports all students to achieve success, has become increasingly invaluable for teachers.
Mental health awareness
Linked to classroom management, awareness of mental health issues is an essential skill for modern teaching, and many recruiters will expect you to show sensitivity to this in your CV. Mental health referrals for children and young people leapt by more than 50% between 2020/21 and 2022/23, highlighting the impact of the pandemic and the growing pressures young people face. This has made children’s mental health a major talking point among educators and education policymakers, and many schools now offer mental health training for their teachers.
Highlighting mental health training, or showing situations where you’ve handled a mental health issue with awareness and sensitivity, can show you take the issue seriously. It can also help convince recruiters and employers that you have the tools to deal with mental health issues in the classroom, creating a positive and safe environment for children to learn in.
Tips for showcasing emerging skills on your CV
So, now you know some of the most in-demand emerging skills for a modern teacher CV, you’ll need to think about how you showcase these skills on your CV. These tips should help your trending teaching skills stand out and convince decision makers you’re prepared for the challenges of modern teaching:
Quantify your claims
The most effective way to prove your credentials on a CV is by offering evidence of the impact your skills have made. For teaching roles, this might be measurable, quantitative metrics that show the impact of a certain new teaching method or technological tool you’ve introduced. This could include pass-rate data, value-added reports, absence percentages or even parent feedback. However, it could also be anecdotal, providing stories and examples of how your use of new and emerging skills have made a difference to individual pupils.
For example:
Integrated interactive digital tools (Google Workspace, Kahoot, and Nearpod) into lesson delivery, increasing student engagement scores by 25% and improving assignment completion rates by 18% within one academic term.
Implemented mental health protocols after identifying early signs of distress in a student, initiating a supportive conversation that led to timely referral and ongoing pastoral support — resulting in improved attendance and engagement for the student.
Show emerging skills in your CV summary
Your CV summary is the ideal place to introduce your key strengths and qualities. You’ll want to ensure your summary paragraph covers some of the key skills listed in the job description. However, using this section as an opportunity to highlight trending teaching skills can also show you’re ready to meet the demands of modern teaching.
For example:
Innovative secondary teacher skilled in data-driven assessment and inclusive teaching strategies. Committed to supporting student wellbeing through mental health awareness and cultural sensitivity, fostering equitable learning environments that empower students to thrive in the modern classroom environment.
Use impactful action verbs
Another way to highlight your teaching skills is by using action verbs to start each bullet point in your work experience section. Starting each bullet point in this manner focuses the point you’re making, while showcasing the impact those skills have had on students and educational outcomes. Aim to include a mix of action verbs that reflect the soft skills listed in the job description, but avoid clichés and reflect your own unique personal qualities.
Some action verbs that could emphasise the impact your contemporary teaching skills have made might include:
- Innovated
- Developed
- Delivered
- Integrated
- Empowered
- Adapted
- Enhanced
- Cultivated
- Incorporated
- Championed
- Supported
About the author
Mike Potter
Mike Potter, CPRW Mike Potter is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and an experienced copywriter specializing in careers and professional development. He uses extensive knowledge of workplace culture to create insightful and actionable articles on CV writing and career pathways.
