Clear CV Editing

Overview

This is lesson 5 of 6 in “Crafting Your Best CV”. Students will practise proofreading and editing a peer’s CV, focusing on grammar, spelling, and presentation so the CV looks professional and is easy to read.

Learning intentions

WALT: Understand the importance of proofreading and editing a CV.

Success criteria

• I can edit a peer’s CV by identifying at least five areas for improvement in grammar and presentation.
• I can make corrections (or suggest corrected wording) clearly and respectfully.
• I can use an editing checklist to check spelling, punctuation, formatting, and consistency.
• I can explain why each improvement helps the CV look more professional.

Curriculum links

• Business Studies (NCEA Level 1 focus): build capability to communicate effectively for an organisation or job context by using clear, accurate language.
• NZ Curriculum Refresh: develop students’ ability to use literacy skills for real purposes (clear writing) and to revise work based on feedback.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up and model. Teacher displays two short CV snippets: one “messy” and one “edited”, and names 3 obvious issues (capital letters, spacing, punctuation). Students quick-think: “Which is easier to read and why?”

2. 5–12 min · Direct teaching: what to look for. Teacher introduces an easy editing checklist (spacing, font consistency, headings, bullet formatting, dates, punctuation, spelling, verb tense, capitalisation, contact details). Students highlight on their own checklist the top 5 they will check today.

3. 12–20 min · Dyslexia-friendly strategy setup. Teacher demonstrates a “slow read” method: read aloud silently, then scan for capitals and full stops, then check line by line. Students practise on a short prepared paragraph (not a whole CV) and circle any errors they notice.

4. 20–33 min · Peer editing round (guided). In pairs, students swap CVs and use the checklist to find at least five improvement areas (minimum). Teacher circulates with sentence starters on the board: “I suggest changing…”, “This looks unclear because…”, “It would be more professional to…”. Students record improvements using a clear format: Problem → Correction/Suggestion → Reason (one short sentence).

5. 33–40 min · Whole-class debrief: common issues. Teacher asks pairs to share one common mistake and the best fix. Students add one new item to their checklist based on peer feedback.

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket: evidence of learning. Students complete a quick exit ticket: “Name 2 grammar/presentation fixes you made and explain how they improve the CV.” (Collect for formative assessment.)

Resources

• Peer CV drafts (printed or on devices), one per student pair
• Editing checklist (teacher-provided) with at least 10 checkpoints
• Highlighters or coloured pens (2 colours for “issue” and “fix”)
• Dyslexia-friendly reading support sheet: “slow read” steps and symbol reminders (capital letters, full stops)
• Sentence starters for feedback (polite and specific)
• Timer (for switching/checkpoint deadlines)

Assessment

• Formative during peer editing: teacher checks that each student finds at least five areas and records Problem → Correction/Suggestion → Reason.
• Checklist use: teacher reviews whether students cover grammar and presentation (not just spelling).
• Exit ticket: confirms understanding of how proofreading improves clarity and professionalism.

Differentiation

• Support for dyslexic students:
• Provide a printed checklist with large font and clear sections (Grammar / Presentation / Consistency).
• Offer an “audio read” option for the CV text using teacher-prepared recordings or device text-to-speech.
• Use a “one pass” approach: students focus on only two checklist categories per round (e.g., spelling + punctuation first, formatting + headings second).
• Provide sentence starters and a word bank (capitalise, consistent, clear, bullet, punctuation, dates).
• Support for students needing motivation:
• Use colour-coding with limited goals: “Find 5 fixes—stop when you reach 5.”
• Allow quick wins: start with visible presentation fixes (spacing, headings, bullet alignment).
• Multilevel adjustments:
• Foundation group: identify and correct 5 issues; focus mainly on spelling, full stops, capital letters, and consistent dates.
• Standard group: identify 5–7 issues and include a short reason for each improvement.
• Target group: identify 7+ issues and ensure corrections follow a consistent style across the whole CV.
• Extension for advanced learners (if time allows within the 45 minutes):
• Students use an online spelling and grammar tool on their peer’s CV draft (or a teacher-approved tool) and compare results with their checklist findings, noting any differences.

Extension (optional)

• Use online spelling/grammar checking tools to verify corrected CV wording, then add one extra “quality improvement” (e.g., stronger action verbs or consistent tense) beyond the checklist.