Whether you’ve been at your teaching job for a decade or just a few months, at some point you may decide it’s time to go. The idea of leaving might be thrilling or sad, or both, but either way, it’s vital you leave without burning any bridges. The first step is writing a letter of resignation. Most of us hate the thought of it—we don’t know what to write or how to write it. But we all know how important it is to leave on a good footing. We’ve got you covered with these great teacher resignation letter examples.
How To Write a Teacher Resignation Letter
You’ve decided to leave your job—now what? Putting together an effective letter of resignation can be tricky, especially if you’re leaving for difficult reasons. In the end, you need to know how to say just enough without saying too much. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Check your contract. Before you resign, make sure you’re not breaking any of the conditions or clauses in your contract. Then, make sure you are giving your employer enough notice. If they don’t specify how much notice is required in your contract, offer the standard two-week notice.
- Address your letter to the right person. This is very important because you want to go through the right channels. Check your employee handbook to see exactly who you should address when you write your resignation letter to avoid confusion and unnecessary stress.
- Make your final day clear. Even if you mention a “two-week notice” in your letter, be sure to include the exact final day that you’ll be working. This is especially important if your dates are firm and/or you’ll be starting a new job on a specific day.
- Use a resignation letter template. Having a guideline for what to say will make writing your letter of resignation so much easier. Check out the ones mentioned in this article or use a search engine to find one that works best for your situation.
- Stick to the facts. You might have a lot of negative feelings about leaving your job, but your letter of resignation is not the place to share them. If you get overly emotional or angry, you may regret it later (and it could be used against you). Share only the important details that they need to prepare for your departure.
- Be thankful. Depending on the circumstances, it may be difficult, but it’s always a good idea to thank your employer. No matter what happened, it was a learning experience. This section doesn’t have to be very long (a sentence or two!), but it can help ensure that you leave with class and dignity.
- Offer to help. This is really optional, but if you want to offer to help with your replacement, you could include this in your letter of resignation.
Teacher Resignation Letter Examples
1. Resignation letter to principal
Before writing your official letter of resignation, your first move is to speak with your principal face-to-face. After that’s done, you’ll draft your letter.
Remember, this will be a permanent record documenting when you left the school. Make sure to check your contract to see how much notice you’re required to give, and consider giving a date that will help make the transition as easy as possible.
Be sure to state the vital information at the top of the letter. For example, “I’m writing to inform you that I will be leaving my position as a 4th grade teacher effective June 28, 2023.”
Include your full legal name. This might seem superfluous, but, just like noting your last day on the job, this document is on your permanent record, and it’s essential to include. You could also include your personal contact information in case school administrators need to reach you during the job transition.
2. Resignation letter to parents
You may consider writing a resignation to parents, especially if you’re leaving mid–school year. But you should check in with administration before you do this. Some school principals may ask that a replacement be chosen first before you send that letter to parents out.
3. Resignation letter for personal reasons
You can explain why you’re leaving, but you don’t have to. You can simply say you’re leaving for “personal reasons.” Or you can say nothing about it at all. Just don’t go on a tirade about how unhappy you are at the school or begin highlighting how bad the school’s practices are. You can save that for your exit interview.
This is the time to thank administrators for the opportunity to teach. You could include something specific that you enjoyed about being at the school or something you learned from the administration. Remember, you may need a reference in the future. Even if you weren’t happy at the job, it’s important to keep the resignation letter upbeat.
4. Resignation letter due to marriage
Again, you’re not required to disclose why you’re leaving, but if you would like to, getting married sometimes requires a move out of a school district. Here’s a great example of how one teacher handled this situation.
5. Resignation letter for a child’s illness
Sometimes you decide to leave a teaching position, or teaching altogether, when a family member becomes ill. Notifying your administration of this sensitive reason allows for more understanding from your teaching community and staff.
6. Resignation letter to school superintendent
In this case, the school superintendent is less likely to know you, so keep your letter brief and to the point. Be sure to lead with the name of your school, your position, and your last day on the job. You can mention why you’re leaving or not. That’s a personal decision.
7. Resignation letter for English as a Foreign Language teachers
This teacher resignation letter example is concise. It provides the most important details, the date of departure is very clearly stated at the top, and the tone is positive. They express gratitude for the support they received in this role and explained that they were leaving for personal reasons.
8. Resignation letter for military deployment
This letter of resignation explains that the employee will no longer be able to teach as they have received their military deployment orders. They provide general details about where they will be stationed, express regret that this will cause the school inconvenience, and offer to help prepare a substitute teacher.
9. Resignation letter for overseas volunteerism
After expressing regret over leaving her teaching job behind, this teacher explains that she will be volunteering with the Peace Corps for several years. She helps parents and students move forward by introducing the replacement teacher and providing contact information for anyone who needs to reach out during the transition. She closes her letter by showing gratitude for the opportunity to work with her students.
10. Resignation letter to announce a new job
Telling the administration you’re leaving for a new job can be tough. But it softens the blow of losing a good employee when you offer to help in what can be a difficult time for administrators. Your willingness to help train your replacement and continue doing your job up until your last day goes a long way in leaving behind a great impression.
Indeed offers a template for teacher resignation letter examples if you’re still unsure.