POSITION OVERVIEW: The Coach/Mentor is responsible for supporting the establishment of Lew Williams as an early childhood education demonstration site; implementing the professional development curriculum, providing professional development resources/opportunities for early childhood professionals in the targeted zip code, recruiting early childhood professionals for participation, and actively participating in community committees formed to improve teacher/director practices impacting school readiness.
I. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Establish Lew Williams as a demonstration site for professional development.
- Develop/implement a training curriculum and series of training opportunities for child care professionals designed to address gaps in school readiness skills/knowledge/behavior/attitude as identified by advisory partners. Training will support developmentally appropriate classroom curriculum including environmental and formative assessment.
- Provide classroom observations and reflection to promote professional growth toward identified goals of the early childhood professionals at the demonstration site and within the community.
- Work with teaching staff at the demonstration site to prepare them for their role as trainers.
- Initiate/participate in professional development learning communities.
- Participate in community committees focused on improving school readiness scores, strategies for building high quality early childhood professionals, and implementation of best practices in early childhood.
- Focus on building relationships based on mutual respect, demonstrate effective communication and conflict resolution skills with other early childhood professionals at the demonstration site and in the community.
- Model the best practices of working with young children with the focus of reducing the achievement gap and improving school readiness rates.
- Support the center staff to ensure the safety, welfare, and well-being of the children who are in care, inclusive of program compliance with all licensing, monitoring, and agency requirements.
- Assists in developing a program which is innovative, educational, reflective of the agency goals and values, developmentally appropriate, and responsive to the needs of the communities being served.
- Utilizes partnering agencies to assess professional development needs in the community and create courses to meet the needs.
- Plan professional development topics for weekly staff meetings. Meet with planning teams to assist and reflect on progress. Use the meetings as documentation of progress and professional development if applicable.
- Attends training events, workshops, and maintains required level of training hours with required documentation.
- Assure timely completion of required paperwork and reports.
- Provide positive guidance and discipline strategies that support and teach children.
- Address challenging behaviors by observing to determine possible causes, to implement preventive measures, to teach the child new social and communication skills, and to partner with families to support the child at home.
- Provide honest, respectful, and frequent two-way communication.
- Support the demonstration site in achieving accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
II. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
This position requires extensive contact with others and complex communication as a regular part of the job. Must possess exemplary speaking and writing skills. Must exercise above average degree of independent judgment and discretion with minimal supervision. Must have experience in training large groups. Must have extensive knowledge of early childhood and best practices related to NAEYC (or similar) accreditation standards. Must have knowledge of coaching/mentoring. Must have knowledge of adult learning.
Must pass DCF screening requirements and fulfill the State’s training requirements. Must have experience in developing curriculum plans and overall program scheduling. Must exhibit effective communication and coordination of staff. Adheres to the procedure for reporting child abuse. Must maintain a valid First Aid and Pediatric CPR certificates. Must present negative results on TB test. A physical is necessary for a physician to verify expected job duties. Must also possess a valid driver’s license and automobile liability insurance.
Must be organized with recordkeeping. Must have a warm and friendly personality, be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others, be able to relate well to staff, children, parents and business clients and be willing to fulfill responsibilities in accordance to R’Club’s mission and program goals. Must have the physical ability to lift children as needed, physically separate children as needed, and participate in housekeeping responsibilities. Requires ability to work beyond scheduled time, be punctual and reliable, and be reached via telephone.
