Instructional Coach – Child Development Center

First Steps, Inc.

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Job Summary

Position Objective:  The Pre-K Instructional Coach contributes to the efforts of United Way of Metropolitan Nashville (UWMN) by ensuring Read to Succeed’s core elements are implemented with fidelity and in accordance with brain-based research and best practices in order to ensure teachers and families are equipped to guide children participating in the program to become kindergarten ready.  This position also serves as a liaison between the community-based site and UWMN in the interest of supporting teachers, families, and administrators in excellence in early childhood education.  The Pre-K Instructional Coach is a leader in the education arena; responsible for ensuring coaching, curriculum alignment, parent engagement, participants’ assessment, and lending library use.                                                   

Essential Functions: The following are indicative of the essential functions required to perform this job successfully.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  This profile is not intended to be all inclusive of tasks and responsibilities required; it provides a description of the critical responsibilities associated with this position.

Job Responsibilities

Educational Support

• Provides small group and differentiated instruction to coach RTS Pre-K teachers in academic and social-emotional curriculum implementation techniques in accordance with best practices, DHS, and state standards for the purpose of equipping teachers with the tools and knowledge necessary to be successful in preparing children to be kindergarten ready.
• Monitors RTS Pre-K teacher and student progress over time using the Read to Succeed checklists, classroom observations, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and individual student assessments in order to gather essential data needed to see what is working and target areas for quality improvement.
• Conducts individual and small group intervention with RTS Pre-K students in order to promote the development of various components of academic and social-emotional proficiency. 

• Develops, coordinates, and facilitates professional development trainings for the partner agency and in conjunction with UWMN in order to keep Read to Succeed Pre-K teachers abreast of best practices, techniques, and advancements in early childhood education.

Stakeholder Communications

• Collaborates with UWMN team to share ideas and provide solutions to reach the common goal of supporting communities via education, listening channels, and empowerment. 
• Communicates with Read to Succeed stakeholders the program’s mission, goals, objectives, and approaches in order to share success stories and promote continued engagement. 
• Recruits, trains, and manages volunteers (normally 2-4 per month) in interest of providing increased opportunities for children to practice academic and social-emotional skills.
• Meets, plans, and collaborates with instructional coaches, teachers, and administrators in order to identify gaps in student learning and strategies to achieve desired results.

Family Engagement

• Maintains the partner site’s Lending Library book inventory through purchases, organization, and upkeep in order to promote the use of the library and increase the book check out rate.
• Plans and implements 4 family reading incentives per year to encourage families to support their children in reading and to give children more opportunities for reading practice.
• Plans and implements 4 family academic and/or social emotional workshops in order to educate families on ways they can support their children to success and encourage families to be a partner with schools.  
• Communicates to families about their child’s progress, and to share tools to support continued success.

Professional Development

• Attends and utilizes methodologies from multiple professional development opportunities a year in order to say abreast of current trends and be a subject matter expert on early childhood education.
• Researches early childhood education trends including literacy, STEAM, DAP, DLL, and social/emotional development and applies knowledge to program in order to assist the children in achieving learning outcomes.
• Explores and identifies education best practices, techniques, and advancements to ensure teachers are being given the best tools to continue to advance the program and to guarantee program standards and licensure requirements are being maintained.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Education:

• Master’s Degree in early childhood education, child development, or family studies.  A bachelors’ degree in a related field with 5 years applicable experience may be substituted for the Master’s degree.

• Experience:
  • Direct curriculum implementation and instruction in a professional early childhood environment: 3 years
  • Coordinating and facilitating professional development trainings; 3 years
  • Drafting and conducting student and classroom assessments; 3 years
  • Small group and differentiated instruction: 3 years
  • Experience serving an at-risk or special needs community:  3 years
• Knowledge:
  • Early Childhood Curriculum (From birth to grade 3)
  • Social emotional and academic development
  • Early Education Assessments
  • TN Early Learning Standards and K-4 state educational standards
  • Early childhood education state and local regulations, including DHS quality rating scale
  • Instructional coaching techniques and philosophies
• Skills:

• Intentional coaching/ curriculum implementation techniques
• Direct instruction with young children
• Communication techniques and protocols with families, children, volunteers, and other professionals
• Analyzing, understanding, interpreting, and applying research
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, especially Outlook, Word, and Excel

• Miscellaneous:

• Valid Driver’s License and Proof of Insurance

Competencies:

• Mission Driven: Focuses on needs and aspirations of the community by telling the “United Way story” to help others understand the importance of volunteer, advocate, and give;
• Relationship Management:  Builds relationships internally and externally with all teachers, community members, and organizational stakeholders in efforts to grow and sustain enthusiasm of UWMN’s work; demonstrates credibility in all interactions; and demonstrates the ability to effectively build a network of contacts by understanding what motivates individuals and organizations
• Effective Communication: Ability to effectively communicate through oral, written and technological means; actively listening, collaborating, and expressing oneself clearly, to ensure those that need specific information acquire it; plan and deliver communication that makes an impact and persuades the audience; gives positive and encouraging recognition to those that have contributed;
• Outcome Motivated: Creates and maintains high performance standards that capitalize on opportunities to develop relationships that drive results
• Ability to Multi-task: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; requires knowledge of time management, setting priorities, and managing project plans;
• Problem Solving/Critical Thinking: Differentiates between when supervisory input is needed and when it is not; identifies opportunities and develops plans to execute; Identifies problems, gathers facts and appropriate resources to resolve issues;
• Initiative and Creativity: Plans work and carries out tasks without detailed instructions; makes constructive suggestions; prepares for problems or opportunities in advance; undertakes additional responsibilities; responds to situations as they arise with minimal supervision.

Environmental Conditions and Physical Demands:

• Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is required to stand, walk, climb, bend, and balance.
• Employee spends a majority of time seated; working at a desk in front of a computer monitor.  Manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items and work with the fingers.
• Frequent driving of vehicle for stakeholder meetings
• Well-lighted, heated, and/or air-conditioned indoor office setting with adequate ventilation.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

Email resume to Kelli Hazen, Director of Operations, at khazen@firststepsnashville.org.

Details

• Date Posted: June 28, 2022
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Programs and Service Delivery
• Service Area: Children / Youth
• Salary Range: $44,000-$46,000
• Working Hours: 40 hr/week