Coordinator, Eccles Lab School Mentor Teacher

Job Title:

Mentor Early Childhood Teacher

Under the general direction of the Eccles Lab School Director and within a clear framework of accountability, serve as mentor early childhood teacher, providing quality care and education for children at the Eccles Lab School. Exercise considerable accountability for classroom outcomes and use independent judgment to resolve routine instructional, developmental, and classroom-management matters; escalate unusual or non-routine matters to the Director.

Provide intermediate-level mentoring and technical guidance to college lab students to create a meaningful learning environment, modeling culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices - including anti-bias education, conscious discipline, and High Scope/Emergent Curriculum planning. Explain the rationale and process behind curriculum planning and classroom explorations and investigations, and identify teachable moments for guiding children's behavior using conscious discipline practices. Advise lab students on the planning and implementation of developmentally appropriate activities aligned with ongoing classroom curriculum and may mentor or provide day-to-day guidance to less experienced classroom staff.

May serve as Director designee during the Director's periodic absence.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. All employees are expected to maintain a permanent residence within the State of Utah as a condition of employment. New employees must provide a valid Utah residential address within 30 days of their start date.

Job Summary:

Under the general direction of the Eccles Lab School Director and within a clear framework of accountability, serve as mentor early childhood teacher, providing quality care and education for children at the Eccles Lab School.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities & Knowledge Skills & Abilities:

Classroom Environment & Quality Standards:

• Establish and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for the children, adhering to Utah's State Licensing, child care quality system (ECERS/ITERS observation rating scale), and NAEYC Accreditation standards.
• Conduct ongoing assessment of the classroom environment to ensure ECERS/ITERS ratings remain above a 4, and ensure documentation boards, learning documentation, and work samples are maintained monthly to communicate learning to families.
• Advise and support the teaching team in sustaining a high-quality environment consistent with these standards systems.
• Prepare and implement weekly, developmentally appropriate lesson plans that support children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
• Complete required classroom documentation, including calendars, child portfolios, developmental screenings, NAEYC Accreditation classroom portfolios, and documentation boards.
• Lead the teaching team in observing children's interests and inquiry, and in planning curriculum using Emergent and High Scope Curriculum approaches so that classroom explorations provide children with in-depth, ongoing inquiry and learning.
• Plan and implement explorations and investigations in a hands-on, play-based manner.

Program Implementation & Child Development:

• Under direction of the Family and Human Studies Department, implement the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the Child Development Lab School.
• Observe, record, and assess children's development to establish individual goals and incorporate daily activities that support those goals.
• Take anecdotal notes and photo evidence of children's actions in the classroom to document development across social, emotional, cognitive, language, and approaches-to-learning domains.
• Enter developmental documentation into COR Advantage and organize supporting evidence in child portfolios.
• Use assessment information to plan curriculum and set goals collaboratively with families.

Lab Student Mentoring:

• Establish productive working relationships with college lab students to model and explain teaching techniques and developmentally appropriate, responsive practices.
• Meet with lab students to provide feedback and suggestions on planned activities, including written feedback in lab packets.

Family Engagement:

• Establish productive relationships with families, including daily communication, parent-teacher conversations, and family events.
• Engage in culturally responsive collaboration and communication with families.
• Collaborate with families to set and follow up on individual goals for their children.
• Listen and remain open to a range of family practices.
• Meet with families one-on-one to plan and implement behavioral plans as needed.

Presentations & Field Trips:

• Participate in demonstrations and/or presentations during the year.
• Plan and conduct field trips for children in the classroom.

NAEYC Accreditation Documentation:

• Organize and maintain the NAEYC accreditation classroom portfolio with required evidence, applying working knowledge of the seven standards and associated sub-standards.
• Collect anecdotal, photo, and video evidence…