Educator Apprentice, Intermediate Educator, OR Educator - Early Learning Center - UTK

Open 37d posting dated last week

The primary purpose of this position is to facilitate the mission of the Early Learning (ELC) - to foster scientific understanding of young children’s development. The ELC accomplishes this mission through (a) interdisciplinary research, (b) academic programs for undergraduate and graduate students, (c) early education programs for young children, and (d) outreach, advocacy, and public policy. All three levels of the Educator position - Educator Apprentice, Intermediate Educator, and Educator - are an integral part of the teaching and research mission of the ELC, providing direct training, mentoring, and supervision to undergraduate and graduate students in the program, as well as day-to-day supervision of and education programming for children in the laboratory school setting. More information about the ELC is available at elc.utk.edu.

Educator Apprentice

Early Childhood Education Classroom Support

Works with other classroom teachers to provide high quality early care and supervision of children
Designs and provides responsive structures, interaction, and communication to meet children’s developmentally and culturally situated needs for routine care and both physical and emotional health and safety
Upholds child-care licensing regulations; constructs and maintains classroom systems for compliance with multiple sets/sources of health and safety regulations
Designs and implements responsive and developmentally appropriate embedded instructional support for children’s skill development across domains and learning contexts
Documents children’s health and safety including injuries, illness, symptoms, and routines
Communicates with families about children’s daily needs and care updates, and significant incidents

Child Curriculum and Assessment

Foundations-level curriculum planning focusing on skills-based curriculum and developmental norms
Applies knowledge base in human development and learning theory to curriculum decisions which support children’s development and learning in all developmental domains and content areas
Plans and implements developmentally appropriate learning environments
Designs and implements social-emotional curriculum, strategies, and interventions in multiple contexts
Administers screening tools for assessment of children’s development and learning
Contributes to child assessment processes by collecting assigned observations

Laboratory Classroom Operations / Academic Programs Support

Models high quality care and supervision of children for undergraduate practicum students, graduate students, pre-service teachers, and paid student workers engaged in the classroom
Models recommended anti-bias education practices
Responsible for communicating, instructing, and advising students and part-time/substitute teachers to prioritize quality control and maintenance of both regulations and approaches
Leads team of students and teachers in the classroom in the absence* of the Demonstration Educator
Manages the team of students and teachers along with comprehensive management of the routines and needs of the children in the absence* of the Demonstration Educator

*consistently 10-20 hours weekly, per classroom schedule, in addition to any hours/days the Demonstration Educator takes leave, participates in conference or other dissemination activity, and/or is unexpectedly absent

In addition to duties in Educator Apprentice position, Intermediate Educator duties also include

Early Childhood Education Classroom Support

Documents classroom events, children’s growth and learning, and health and safety data/incidents, such as injuries, illnesses, behavior events, and routines
Communicates with families using multiple modes and platforms about children’s daily needs, care updates, and significant incidents
Supports families and assists in planning community functions for ELC families

Child Curriculum and Assessment

Curriculum development: formal lesson plan design and development, to include support for skill development in response to assessment data and children’s needs
Documents curriculum planning and implementation; engages in reflexive teaching practices in curriculum processes
Responsible for child assessments, collection of observations, media, and other forms of data illustrating children’s learning and development
Organizes and discusses child assessment data; collaboratively identifies appropriate individual child learning and growth goals
Conducts family conferences to share and discuss child assessment data, developmental progress, and developmental goals

Laboratory Classroom Operations / Academic Programs Support

Responsible for communicating, instructing, and advising students and part-time/substitute teachers to prioritize quality control and maintenance of both regulations and program approaches
Identifies opportunities for application of diversity, equity, and inclusion recommended practices in the laboratory classroom
Co-leads the class and team when the Demonstration Educator is present

In addition to duties in Educator Apprentice and Intermediate Educator positions, Educator duties also include

Early Childhood Education Classroom Support

Constructs and maintains classroom systems for compliance with multiple sets/sources of health and safety regulations
Designs and implements responsive and developmentally appropriate embedded instructional supports for children’s skill development across domains and learning contexts in alignment with (1)recommended practices; (2)developmental norms; (3)milestones of development; and (4)intensive individualized knowledge about each child’s learning styles, personality characteristics, communication styles, temperaments, and dispositions
Navigates and interacts with multiple systems for documenting classroom events, children’s growth and learning, and health and safety data/incidents, including injuries, illnesses, significant behavior events, and routines
Communicates with families using multiple modes and platforms about children’s daily needs, care updates, developmental goals, and significant incidents
Applies judgment, knowledge of regulations, and program policy to make critical decisions with families about children’s health, safety, and attendance; consultation with families surrounding illness and injury

Child Curriculum and Assessment

Curriculum development: Plans and implements meaningful and effective lessons for the children engaged in the classroom, to include (1)support for skill development in response to assessment data and children’s individual needs, and (2)inquiry-based project work
Applies knowledge base in human development, learning theory, and critical pedagogical influences to curriculum decisions which support children’s development and learning in all developmental domains and content areas
Designs and implements individually responsive and developmentally appropriate social-emotional curriculum, strategies, and interventions in multiple contexts
Documents curriculum planning, implementation, and teacher inquiry/interpretation; engages in reflexive teaching practices in all curriculum processes
Produces pedagogical documentation in multiple forms, for multiple audiences
Produces ongoing, comprehensive assessments of the children’s development and learning, using multiple formats and systems for data collection, interpretation, and dissemination

Laboratory Classroom Operations

In-classroom part-time supervision of practicum students and student educators
Provides training and coaching for students, both paid and practicum
Delegation and task assignment within the teaching team; decision-making about use of personnel resources in alignment with classroom needs
Consistently employs and models recommended practices for anti-bias education in the laboratory classroom
Models recommended practices for social-emotional curriculum and support, healthy classroom culture, and democratic community cultivation
Manages and facilitates many aspects of informal and structural operations within classroom
Identifies and acts upon individually and culturally responsive opportunities for application of recommended practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the laboratory classroom; consistently applies anti-bias lens in all aspects of teaching
Leads and supervises undergraduate practicum students, and student educators engaged in the classroom in the absence* of the Demonstration Educator; co-leads the class and team when Demonstration Educator is present

**consistently 10-20 hours weekly, per classroom schedule, in addition to any hours/days the Demonstration Educator takes leave, participates in conference or other dissemination activity, and/or is unexpectedly absent

Educator Apprentice Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Education: High school diploma or GED; One of the following is required: (1)CDA; (2)Associate’s Degree; (3)At least 15 documented hours of coursework or professional development on practices in early childhood education.

Experience: At least one year of experience working with children required.