Position Overview
Assist and coach staff in high quality adult-child interactions and teaching practices in order to create and maintain a culturally-sensitive, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for children and co-workers through continuous quality improvement. Serve as a content-area expert and sounding board for early childhood education best practices and child development issues through questions, feedback and training.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities may include but not limited to the following:
- Responsible for the duties outlined in the HS4KC Coaching Process, as directed by the Education and Special Needs Manager.
- Provide classroom coverage to ensure that appropriate licensing ratios are maintained.
- Stay current in department processes, procedures and forms; Provide orientation and onboarding to new education staff in accordance with agency expectations.
- Implement the Practice Based Coaching (PBC) method.
- Develop, promote, and implement trainings that support the holistic utilization of the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.
- Maintain Inter Rater Reliability in TSGold®.
- Support teaching staff in developing and maintaining children’s performance using the curriculum and assessment tools provided by Head Start for Kent County through ongoing observations and data analysis; help design, compile, and distribute curriculum and instructional materials, including approved curriculum enhancements.
- Conduct classroom observations to assess for curriculum fidelity and provide classroom support to ensure that the curriculum is being implemented with high fidelity.
- Continuously support a proactive and positive approach to behavior guidance by modeling and teaching the HS4KC approved guidance models, including PBIS.
- Attend CLASS trainings, as assigned; maintain CLASS Observer Certification; model best practices for adult/child interaction, based on the CLASS system.
- Conduct CLASS observations as assigned and submit reports in a timely manner.
- Establish CLASS goals based on CLASS observations and provide coaching, resources and support to education staff.
- Work alongside teaching staff in classrooms that are struggling to help assess needs and suggest changes that can be implemented to help ensure success.
- Observe classrooms with behavior concerns; provide objective, appropriate feedback to Site Supervisor and teaching staff about optimal strategies to reduce behavior concerns; collaborate with Early Childhood Behavior Specialists, other Early Learning Coach Specialists and other program staff, as appropriate.
- Ensure that classrooms are set up to reflect a culturally-responsive and high quality inclusive learning environment, including developmentally-appropriate materials and equipment that are clean and in good repair, appropriate labeling, appropriate quantities available, intentional room arrangements and thoughtful preparation to optimize a safe and engaging classroom experience; ensure that outdoor learning environments are an extension of the classroom through appropriate expectations and holistic development opportunities.
- Collaborate effectively with agency staff to carry out the goals and meet the needs and expectations of the department and the agency as a whole.
- Attend meetings and training, as required.
- Present and/or aid in presentation of information at workshops for parents, staff or community members
- Generate and compile documentation and reports as required; provide follow up documentation when required.
Supervisory Responsibilities
No Supervisory Responsibilities.
Required Education and Experience
- Bachelors degree with a stated major in Early Childhood Education or Child Development. A minimum of two years’ pre-school classroom experience is also required.
- Knowledge of and experience with Head Start Performance Standards and State of Michigan Child Care Licensing Rules preferred. Bilingual helpful but not required.
- Must obtain CPR /First Aide at earliest opportunity.
- Must achieve and maintain TSGold® Inter Rater Reliability and CLASS Observer Certification.
- Must have advanced level written and oral communication skills, have strong attention to detail. Ability to effectively and clearly communicate information and ideas with willingness to share knowledge, skills, and expertise with others.
- Must have intermediate computer skills and be knowledgeable of Microsoft office.
Competencies
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:
- Coaching
- Flexibility
- Organization
- Presenting
- Technical Expertise
Physical Requirement
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time while performing work duties.
- Physical ability to effectively and efficiently operate keyboard and other work related tools and equipment.
- Visual acuity to effectively read computer screen, reading material, and reports or documentation required per Head Start guidelines.
- Ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, pull twist and turn with sufficient manual dexterity to operate standard office machines, to file, retrieve supplies, perform light cleaning of classroom/office, etc.
- Ability to squat, crawl, kneel and bend in order to speak to children at the child’s eye level, to play with the children and to pick up toys and equipment from the floor.
- Ability to raise arms above head and extend arms and legs beyond body.
- Ability to sit in 15 inch chairs.
- Ability to lift and carry twenty-five to thirty (25-30) pounds, if you are required to lift over this amount in a non-emergency situation, you are required to ask for assistance.
- In some emergency situations you may be required to lift over thirty (30) pounds.
- Ability to hear and listen when a child or another individual is speaking to you both in a calm and excited environment.
Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
