Cover letters for teachers need to emphasize qualifications as well as attitude. Education professionals need to come into the field with an attitude of service coupled with a commitment to excellence and a desire to work closely with students. It should reflect all of these points, as should resumes for teachers, and any other self marketing materials used by education professionals.

When writing one for teachers most professional resume writers and job counselors take into consideration the specific needs of the school or school system being applied to. Cover letters for teachers are read by the school superintendent, principal, HR director and other education professionals. Additionally in some school systems cover letters for teachers are ready by members of the school board. Since teachers are there to instruct and educate young minds it needs to be especially well written, free of spelling and grammatical errors. Quality printing is essential, as is good quality paper which matches the resume and reference sheet. Cover letters for teachers, followed by resumes for teachers, are the first impressions made of the teachers to their potential new employers, and must be free of error. It also must emphasize the fact that the teacher is a professional, with academic qualifications in the field as well as experience, if applicable.

Teaching is a profession that most enter into for love of learning and a desire to shape future generations. Most teachers are not interested in making a lot of money or they would be in another line of work. Sure, they need to make a decent living, but teaching is not a "get rich" profession. Cover letters for teachers should also emphasize that fact: that the prospective teacher is a skilled and trained professional with a desire to shape the future by teaching students – whatever the age – the designated subject, as well as critical and analytical thinking skills they will use later in life.

Cover letters for teachers have to say a lot, but they should still adhere to basic cover letter writing rules and be as brief as possible. It can be written in a standard blocked paragraph form, or in a bulleted form. Both formS are good, and when preparing cover letters for teachers personal preference of style and format should be taken into consideration, as well as the audience. Administrators such as school superintendents and principals are probably better reached with the bulleted form, while school board members tend to be community members from other professions, and the more traditional paragraphed format is probably a better choice if they are the intended readers.

When involved in a job hunt, teachers should spend adequate time on cover letters, since it introduces the resume and makes it more likely to be read. It must be well written, to present the teacher in the best light possible.