Teacher Recommendation

This template will help you avoid the “blank page fright” and get you started fleshing out a pitch-perfect teacher recommendation letter of your own.

This template is for a letter to recommend a teacher OR if you’re a teacher who wants to recommend a student. 

How to write a teacher recommendation letter

So, how does it work?

Here are a few pointers on how to write a stellar teacher recommendation letter: 

1. Ask about the purpose of this letter.
2. Recall your experiences and opinions on the person asking the recommendation.
3. Modify our template to fit your own story.

Focus on the why

Before you dive in, ask yourself why you’re writing this letter. 

Ask yourself: 

• Does the teacher need a recommendation for a new job role?
• Are they applying for some training?
• Are they taking a step up? 
• What qualities might the hirer be looking for? Do you have any examples of when they displayed this quality?

If you don’t have this info, ask the teacher for more details or simply pick generic examples that focus on their personality, qualities and traits.

Take time to think about who you’re writing about

If it’s been a while since you worked with this person, take time to think about them and even chat with mutual colleagues. You might want to double check their title, how long they worked with you and even reminisce about the awesome times you had together. 

Ask yourself: 

• What was their title? Who was their manager?
• What classes did they teach?
• What did they achieve at our school?
• What are 1-2 of their most awesome examples of great teaching or student connections? 
• What are 2-3 of their best qualities as an educator and as a person?
• What’s my favourite work-related thing about them?

Teacher recommendation letter templae

Hi [insert name]!

I am super happy to recommend [teacher name].  As [their job title], [He/ She] worked with me, [your job title], at [institution name] for [duration of stay].

As a colleague, [their name] was always totally [quality]. During [his/her] time with us, [he/she] managed to [example].

I really rate [quality] in our faculty and [teacher name] aced it every time. An example was when [example]. 

[Their name] is awesome to work with and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with [him/her] again.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about [him/her]. My number is [phone number].

Thanks,

[Your name and signature]

Personalize your draft

These templates are only a base so use your own words to modify them. 

Top tips:

• Use 1-2 sentences to give context to each of your examples.
• Write in your own voice and focus on what’s important.
• Be honest about what they’ve achieved—you don’t want to catch them out later. 
• Tailor your letter to the job they’re applying for if you can.