Coordinator, Eccles Lab School Mentor 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.Essential Duties & Responsibilities
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 of standards being met, and organize it in the classroom portfolio for NAEYC Assessor review.
• Guide the classroom teaching team in collecting and organizing supporting evidence.

Staff Support & Coordination

• Mentor and coordinate part-time staff to meet state licensing, child care quality system, and NAEYC Accreditation requirements.
• Support a positive workplace environment.

Training & Professional Development

• Assist with monthly in-service training and newsletter content.
• Recommend topics for monthly staff meetings and provide relevant examples and subject-matter knowledge during those meetings.
• Assist in guiding staff discussion on training topics.
• Share knowledge gained through professional development opportunities (e.g., national conferences) with teaching staff.

Director Designee & Compliance

• Serve as Director designee for the Eccles Lab School during the Director’s periodic absence.
• Monitor and adjust staffing to maintain required staffing ratios in each classroom, and respond to prospective-parent questions.
• Follow state licensing and College policies and regulations in the Director’s absence.
• Be prepared to meet with a Child Care Licensing analyst during an unannounced visit in the Director’s absence.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Knowledge

• Child development, including all ages and stages of development.
• Developmentally appropriate practices.
• Adult learning theory and mentoring strategies.
• Health and safety regulations applicable to childcare facilities.
• NAEYC Accreditation standards and State licensing regulations.
• Broad understanding of departmental operations and how the classroom’s work connects to Lab School and Family and Human Studies Department goals.

Skills & Abilities

• Work with young children in both small and large group settings.
• Apply intermediate-level critical and analytical thinking to implement innovative, responsive teaching and caregiving strategies.
• Provide intermediate-level mentoring and technical guidance to college students on teaching methods and responsive practices in early childhood education.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a variety of stakeholders, including families, students, and staff.
• Use assessment information to plan and implement lesson plans, field trips, and other activities, exercising independent judgment on routine classroom matters.
• Adapt to and use classroom and college technology, including software applications and management systems, in innovative ways.
• Maintain commitment to professionalism, integrity, and high ethical standards, and operate in compliance with College policies and licensing requirements.
• Take initiative, work independently on routine matters, and follow through on direction and guidance from the Director.
• Resolve day-to-day problems and conflicts professionally, escalating unusual or non-routine matters as appropriate.
• Take initiative to stay current in the early childhood field and maintain awareness of developing best practices.
• Exhibit the social maturity, physical endurance, and emotional stability required to take charge of a group of preschool children, including sight-and-sound supervision within classrooms, playgrounds, and outdoor campus areas.
• Be active with children (e.g., music and movement activities); get to a child’s level by stooping, squatting, or bending as required.
• Lift boxes, move furniture, and lift children and materials up to 40 lbs. as required.
• Tolerate regular exposure to communicable illnesses and bodily fluids.
• Complete a minimum of 20 hours of documented in-service training per year.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of people with a variety of abilities and backgrounds, to maintain good working relationships across the College.
• Ability to work with all groups from a variety of academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, and with community college students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities.
  
  
  

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development or a related field (ECD, FHS, FHD, FCS), or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• One (1) to four (4) years of direct, paid, full-time work experience as a teacher of young children, with documented evidence of successful work experience.
• Not have been convicted of any crimes against children.
• Provide evidence of at least 18 credits in early childhood education or a related field, a current TB test, health evaluation, child care food handler’s permit, first aid certificate, and completion of a criminal background screening.

Part-time work experience may be considered on a prorated basis (2:1).

• Basic managerial functions/skills.
• Experience as a Master Teacher mentoring students and new teachers in early care and education.
• Five (5) years’ experience providing direct care to young children (birth to 5 years).
• Experience as a lead teacher in an early childhood education setting.