Instructional Coach

The Instructional Coach supports embedded professional development of teaching staff to ensure teachers' instructional strategies are effective in helping children grow in the domains of learning (physical, cognitive, social-emotional, literacy, and language), in order to succeed in their current early childhood school classrooms and in future elementary school settings. The Instructional Coach collaborates with school leadership to ensure educational programs comply with state licensing, YoungStar/National Accreditation Commission for Early Child Care and Educational Programs, Office of Head Start Performance Standards, Milwaukee Public Schools, and Next Door policies and procedures.

Responsibilities/Duties/Functions/Tasks

Be committed to the vision and mission of Next Door. Promote a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Structure routine contexts for individual and group-based professional development for teachers to work collaboratively to reflect on and examine practice, solve application challenges, and promote continuous learning and improvement in professional practice, research, and child outcomes. Specifically;

• Provides practice-based coaching to assist teaching staff in the successful delivery of weekly classroom experiences with particular emphasis upon high quality teacher practice and quality feedback regarding teaching and learning opportunities.
• Supports the Education Manager in improving teacher quality of lesson planning and individualization. Discusses and helps teachers to perform the plans. Schedules and protects time for regular collaboration among the teaching team to review lesson plans, reflect on children's progress and teaching practices, and plan for interaction and instruction, embedding CLASS teaching behaviors in the plan.
• Supports classroom staff through planning and implementing of developmentally appropriate practice, child guidance that adhere to program policy and procedures, Department of Children and Families Licensing Requirements, YoungStar/ National Accreditation Commission for Early Child Care and Educational Programs, Office of Head Start Performance Standards and age specific Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards.
• Co-facilitates or coordinates Collaborative Curriculum Meetings (CCM) for teachers to unpack early learning and development standards, discusses children's progress, analyzes student data, and examines practice and together designs innovative learning experiences that embed CLASS teaching behaviors in the study. Monitors curriculum implementation.
• Facilitates or coordinates reflective practice groups or communities of practice for teachers to engage in shared reflection, inquiry and professional learning. This could be an extension of the CCM with assigned teams.
• Implements a variety of coaching strategies for the purpose of increasing teacher skills and competence. This may include modeling, co-teaching, observing, and providing reading materials or other resources as needed.
• Supports teachers in using data to improve instruction. Facilitate data conversations that analyze student learning and identify next steps, and support teachers in implementing their action plan and monitoring progress between benchmark assessments.
• Acts as a key professional learning guide for instruction. Help support through coaching, workshops, learning communities and other forms of effective professional development.
• Provides workshops, training and/or technical assistance in early childhood development topics related to CLASS, particularly Instructional Support and integrates Instructional Support topics or targeted skills.
• Supports staff in the arrangement and utilization of the indoor and outdoor environments to maximize teaching practices for children.
• Uses online databases to track coaching activity and teacher practice outcomes.
• Assists Education Managers and Site Directors in planning, developing, and monitoring program services, policies and procedures.
• Conducts CLASS observations using the CLASS observation tool. Participates in the CLASS observation debrief with the Education Manager and the teachers.
• Participates in efforts to engage and involve parents with the program, staff, and children's development and learning.
• Assists in the implementation of the annual training plan, including pre-service, in-service, T/TA, and ongoing training requirements.
• Attends and actively participates in training programs, staff meetings, and other meeting/trainings.
• Participates in ongoing monitoring, Community Assessment and Self-Assessment and performs reasonable related functions.
• Collaborates with other coaches to support integration of coaching practices at Next Door. Support implementation of all Head Start/Early Head Start performance standards, state and local licensing requirements, YoungStar/ NAC accreditation, MPS expectations and other funder requirements to ensure teaching practices are current, effective and compliant.
• Participates in the development of program policies, service delivery plans, and ongoing monitoring of program quality.
• Ensures all assigned program area reports are completed and submitted on a timely basis.
• Maintains coaching documentation that provides a primary focus upon data-driven high quality teacher practice.
• Engages in creating and acting on an annual personal professional learning plan created with the Director of Educational Services.

Accountability and Performance Requirement

All staff members are accountable for knowing and performing the responsibilities associated with their individual position in an efficient and effective manner, understanding that each of us plays an integral role in the success of our mission. All staff will support the agency mission, vision, standards of conduct/code of ethics and strategic directions and support administrative decisions. This must be demonstrated by maintaining a positive work environment, and by behaving and communicating in an appropriate manner with children, families, coworkers, supervisors and the public while achieving performance expectations.

• Bachelor's Degree in any of the following: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Educational Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies-emphasis Early Childhood Education, and/ or related degree with at least 18 credit hours from an accredited university/ college designating that the course work meets or exceeds Early Childhood Coursework requirement.
• Direct experience working with children birth to five and their families (recommended at least 3 years of experience).
• Recommended to have experience facilitating Early Childhood or Educational Training and coaching of Teachers/ Child Development Staff.
• Registry Level 14 or ability to obtain Registry Level 14.
• The incumbent must have access to a personal vehicle to use on a daily basis, maintain a valid driver's license and automobile insurance with liability limits of $300,000 (bodily injury) and $25,000 (property damage for each occurrence).

Special Position Requirements

• Instructional Coach must maintain CLASS Assessment Reliability. We will train in CLASS.

Preferences

• Master's Degree in Child Development or Education.

• DPI certification in ECE or ECEEN, K-9 Teacher license with interest and training in K4, or related DPI certificate or the ability to become DPI certified is desirable ((For Coaches of children age's K4). .

Work Requirements

• Other duties as assigned.

Safety and Health

Next Door is committed to providing a safe work environment and fostering the well-being and health of its employees. An essential part of all employees' job is the development of safe working practices and the observance of safety rules, including:

• Following safety warnings and directions at all times.
• Using personal safety devices when required.
• Reporting any unsafe conditions to their supervisor.
• Following process for reporting suspected child abuse and neglect.
• Reporting unsupervised children, after ensuring child's safety.
• Implement active supervision practices at all times, including transitions.

Physical Demands

• Primarily active work; occasionally lifting, holding or moving up to 50 lbs.
• A biannual physical exam, drug screen and TB test are required as a condition of initial employment and continued employment.

Physical Activity

• Bending, stooping, kneeling, sitting on the floor, walking/transporting, handling, reaching, climbing, balancing, crouching, crawling, talking and speaking clearly, hearing conversation level, smelling, and seeing; ability to interact daily with children indoors and outdoors.

Work Environment

• Mainly classroom/office setting and travel to various sites for meetings and/or trainings.

Personal/Physiological

• Ability to make frequent, significant decisions to understand and react to the employees and candidates.
• Ability to respond quickly and competently to an emergency or crisis situation in order to keep children and staff safe.