Each Mentor-Coach will be responsible for supporting and engaging program staff, in individual and small group formats, building their capacity to promote the early language and literacy development of children in their classrooms or homes, including within the context of the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Mentor-Coaches will be an integral part of this program's literacy initiative, coordinating work with the other aspects of this initiative including: the in-service training program, the library and technology development project, the family literacy program, and program monitoring and evaluation.
As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report and respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child safeguarding obligations.
- Recognize existing strengths of protégés and build positive, reflective mentor-coaching relationships.
- Plan and conduct individual reflective conferences with each protégé twice a month. Activities must focus on the protégé's goals and should include: observation and conferencing, modeling and co-teaching, guided live or videotaped observation of other classrooms, sharing resources, and journaling.
- Bring protégés together for in-person or on-line guided discussion once each month. Use readings, video tapes, or curriculum planning tasks to focus discussion in which protégés share their experiences and thinking with each other.
- Participate in monthly Mentor-Coach meetings and trainings. Come to meetings prepared to share promising practices and current challenges.
- Provide monthly documentation of work with protégés and submit to Education Manager one week prior to each Mentor-Coach meeting.
- Contribute to efforts or other aspects of literacy initiative as requested. This will include helping to plan an in-service training program as it relates to early literacy, suggesting resources for the library and technology development project, and supporting protégés' work with families around literacy. Conduct formal evaluations of classroom practice as a part of the program's annual self-assessment.
- Head Start Program Performance Standards and Child Outcomes Framework
- Working with adult learners
- Early literacy development, child assessment, and teaching
- Working with diverse learners.
- Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.
- Clear criminal records check (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment. To drive agency vehicles (if applicable), must have a valid driver’s license and be insurable by the Save the Children Head Start insurance carrier and have a Motor Vehicle Record acceptable to Save the Children Head Start. Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.