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Substitute paraprofessional resume examples from 2026

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Land interviews using Zippia's AI-powered resume builder.

Updated March 26, 2025
6 min read
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How to write a substitute paraprofessional resume

Craft a resume summary statement

Your resume summary sums up your experience and skills, making it easy for hiring managers to understand your qualifications at a glance. Here are some tips to writing the most important 2-4 sentences of your resume:

Step 1: Start with your professional title, or the one you aspire to.

Step 2: Detail your years of experience in substitute paraprofessional-related roles and your industry experience.

Step 3: What are your biggest professional wins? Here is your opportunity to highlight your strongest accomplishments by placing them at the start of your resume.

Step 4: Don't forget, your goal is to summarize your experience. Keep it short and sweet, so it's easy for recruiters to quickly understand why you're a great hire.

These tips will help you demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the substitute paraprofessional position.

Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.

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List the right project manager skills

Your Skills section is a place to list all relevant skills and abilities. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:

  1. Look at the job listing and skills listed. You need to include the exact keywords from the job description to get your resume in front of an actual human. Do you have those skills? Fantastic! Be sure to list them.
  2. Include as many relevant hard or technical substitute paraprofessional skills as possible for each job you apply to.
  3. Be specific with the skills you have and be sure you are using the most up to date and accurate terms.
These five steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some substitute paraprofessional interviews.

Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a substitute paraprofessional resume:

  • Instructional Support
  • Math
  • Classroom Environment
  • Mathematics
  • Classroom Management
  • Para
  • Instructional Materials
  • IEP
  • K-12
  • Behavior Management
  • Public Schools
  • Clerical Tasks
  • Classroom Materials
  • Kindergarten
  • Learning Materials
  • Classroom Support
  • Elementary Schools
  • Pre-K
  • Independent Study
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Class Assignments
  • Education Plan
  • Behavioral Issues
  • Behavior Modification
  • Class Routines
  • One Assistance
  • Emergency Drills
  • Administration Policies
  • Reinforce Learning Concepts
  • Lunch Periods

Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.

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How to structure your work experience

Your work experience should be structured:

  1. With your most recent roles first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
  2. Job title, along with company name and location on the left.
  3. Put the corresponding dates of employment on the left side.
  4. Keep only relevant jobs on your work experience.

How to write substitute paraprofessional experience bullet points

Remember, your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. This is your chance to show why you're good at your job and what you accomplished.

Use the XYZ formula for your work experience bullet points. Here's how it works:

  • Use strong action verbs like Led, Built, or Optimized.
  • Follow up with numbers when possible to support your results. How much did performance improve? How much revenue did you drive?
  • Wrap it up by explaining the actions you took to achieve the result and how you made an impact.

This creates bullet points that read Achieved X, measured by Y, by doing Z.

Here are great bullet points from substitute paraprofessional resumes:

Work history example #1

Substitute Paraprofessional

Pasadena Independent School District

  • Provided daily assistance to approximately 12 children with learning disabilities and/or an IEP in the school setting.
  • Assisted preschool aged children in daily activities and interactions Utilized therapeutic interactive communication techniques
  • Worked closely with EC and Mathematics departments to develop appropriate lessons using differentiated methods of instruction.
  • Administered test to students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and the Language Transition Program (LTP) students.
  • Assisted a college mathematics professor in teaching a critical math course covering multiple topics including advanced algebra, trigonometry, and calculus

Work history example #2

Educational Aid (Part-Time)

Educate

  • Accompanied and supervised students grades K-12 with learning and/or behavioral disabilities to their classes throughout the school day.
  • Helped gather data for IEP and ARD meetings as well as participated in meetings.
  • Received CPR certification, sanitation and disinfecting certification, and other various curriculum training.
  • Conducted testing for certification of CPR and first aid.
  • Maintained positive communication with individual s family members/guardians which included acting as a positive liaison between family/guardian and the residential program

Work history example #3

Teacher Internship

Chicago Public Library

  • Assisted in leading the ESL / Bilingual Program.
  • Utilized Multiple Intelligences, hands on activities, technology, and inquiry based experiments to facilitate a well-rounded learning environment.
  • Administered early literacy screening and diagnostic assessments (DIBLES) to all K-2nd grade students.
  • Submitted Lead Literacy Teacher Weekly summaries and professional development reports.
  • Designed student IEP's and administered key math assessments for initial and reevaluation referrals.

Work history example #4

Instructional Assistant

Laboratory For Physical Sci

  • Attended ongoing workshops related to current ABA/CAPS guidelines.
  • Implemented instruction in literacy centers.
  • Developed IEPS for academic area.
  • Created online learning tutorials using Camtasia and Adobe Captivate.
  • Designed course and taught ESL Teaching Methodology to university students preparing for teaching careers in all academic disciplines.

Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.

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Add an education section to your resume

The education section should display your highest degree first.

Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.

If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.

Here are some examples of good education entries from substitute paraprofessional resumes:

Some College Courses in nursing

Chamberlain College of Nursing - North Brunswick

2014 - 2014

Some College Courses in nursing

Miami Dade College, Miami, FL

2014 - 2014

Highlight your substitute paraprofessional certifications on your resume

Certifications can be a crucial part of your resume. Many jobs have required certifications.

To list, use the full name of the certification and the organization that issued it, along with the date of achievement.

If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your substitute paraprofessional resume:

  1. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
  2. First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor
  3. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
  4. Dental Assistant (RDA)
  5. Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE)

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