List your state teaching license with ESL, ESOL, or ELD endorsement, TESOL certificate (CELTA, TEFL, or university-issued), and bilingual authorization if applicable. If you hold National Board Certification in English as a New Language (ENL), include it prominently. These credentials are the primary hiring filter for most ESL positions, and making them visible immediately speeds up the hiring process.

The most compelling metric on an ESL teacher resume is measurable proficiency growth: WIDA ACCESS score gains, ELPAC composite improvement, or STAMP proficiency level advances. State the assessment tool, the baseline level, and the post-instruction outcome. A specific claim like '1.2 ELPAC proficiency level increase in one year' is infinitely more persuasive than 'improved student language skills.'

ESL teachers are often the primary school-home liaison for multilingual families. Describe the languages you communicate in, family outreach programs you led or participated in, and any community partnership work. Cultural responsiveness and family engagement are evaluated in ESL program reviews and are increasingly embedded in teacher evaluation frameworks for ELL educators.