Early Childhood Education Coach

Location: St. Louis

Early Childhood Education Coach, Community of PracticeA community of practice (CoP) is a group of individuals who come together to pursue a shared purpose, exchange knowledge, and foster learning and change. For leaders of a given field, having a CoP to rely on can be an essential source of support, continuous development, and  our case, this shared purpose is catalyzing excellence throughout our region’s early learning system so that all children and families, regardless of identity, have access to high quality, affordable education and care.

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coaches serve as a supportive resource for early childhood (ages 0-5) educators and program leaders, working to strengthen instructional practices and promote high-quality, developmentally appropriate care and education across the region. ECE Coaches work directly alongside caregivers and teaching teams to guide, model, and reinforce Ideal Learning practices in multiple early childhood settings throughout the region.

Through coaching, observation, modeling, and professional development, the ECE Coach helps improve educator practice and positive outcomes for young children.

This position will report to the Senior Director, Community of Practice.

Key Responsibilities Serve as collaborator and resource to early childhood (ages 0-5) educators and program leaders at Urban Sprouts, and with our community partners at sites across the 24:1 to support continuous quality improvement throughout the region

Promote and support the implementation of Ideal Learning practices across diverse early childhood programs

Conduct classroom observations and provide reflective, strengths- based feedback to educators

Collect and analyze data to monitor individual teacher/program progress, evaluate coaching effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement

Use coaching strategies to guide early childhood educators in planning, implementing, and refining curriculum and instructional practices; emphasis placed on addressing individual needs identified in program assessment tools

Support early childhood educators in understanding child development and applying developmentally appropriate care and education

Facilitate professional development opportunities, including trainings, workshops, and small group learning experiences to early childhood programs within the community

Assist early childhood programs in aligning curriculum and teaching practices with best practices, standards, and program goals

Build trusting relationships with early childhood educators and program leaders that encourage growth, reflection, and professional confidence

Maintain documentation related to coaching activities, observations, and professional development outcomes

Collaborate with internal teams and community partners to support program-wide and regional early childhood initiatives

You might be a great fit for this work if you:

Possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field.

Have 5+ years, hands-on experience as a lead teacher in early childhood (ages 0-5) classrooms and have a strong understanding of Constructivist, Developmentally Appropriate Practices (as identified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children - NAEYC)
Possess prior experience in adult-based education, coaching, mentoring, and supporting early childhood educators in reflective and growth-focused ways

Are comfortable working directly in classroom settings, modeling instructional strategies and engaging in observation and feedback

Have experience working with diverse, urban early childhood communities and value culturally responsive and inclusive practices

Are committed to equity and inclusion and intentionally center these principles in your work with early childhood educators, children, and families

Enjoy building trusting relationships with educators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences

Adapt to support various early childhood programs across multiple sites

Able and willing to travel between program locations throughout the region

Are a strong communicator who approaches mentoring/coaching with empathy, professionalism, and…