Special Information

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.

About the Department/College

NAU's Early Learning and Development Center is a unique early childhood lab school located on the Flagstaff Mountain Campus. Our vision is to cultivate life-long researchers through inquiry and exemplary practices. We provide the highest quality of care through early childhood education and special education by engaging in research, modeling effective practices, building reciprocal relationships, and including diverse voices. We enroll children ages two through five, serving student-parents, faculty, staff, and the community.

About the Position

The Co-Teacher is a full-time teaching position who works side-by-side with our Mentor Teacher. Co-teachers assist with planning and implementing curriculum for young children through developmentally appropriate learning experiences, assist in preparing the classroom environment; supports children’s learning; helps document and analyze children’s learning; and engages with parents to maintain a partnership between school and home through open and cooperative communication. The co-teacher will also engage with enrolled NAU students through practicum and internships; they will also support the ELDC's work in becoming an educator hub for Arizona.

Responsibilities Include

50% - Classroom Instruction and Support

• Assists Mentor Teacher to meet standards in social emotional, physical, language, social studies, and the arts domains. 
• Supports the classroom by helping to create an environment and structure for maintaining classroom order and behavior management. 
• Implements NAEYC developmentally appropriate practices in the daily life of the classroom, while supporting the health and safety of the children. 
• Assist in the instruction for children in the classroom using the Project Approach curriculum as a framework for learning experiences.  
• Provides support for children personal care and needs, including diaper changes, potty training assistance and providing guidance to children on basic personal hygiene functions. 
• Acts as back up to Mentor Teacher during absences, during breaks or as needed. 
• Assist children in emergency situations, assisting with accidental injuries and conflict management.

15% - Instructional Planning

• Supports in the development of lesson plans utilizing the Project Approach to promote literacy, language, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, social studies, arts, and social emotional development. 
• Collaborates with the Mentor Teacher to plan and implement classroom learning experiences.

15% - Assessment

• Assists the Mentor Teacher by using authentic assessment strategies including photography, anecdotal records, children’s words, and artifacts as a means to measure student learning. 
• Creates and manages developmental screenings for every child in the classroom as a form of authentic assessment to demonstrate children’s learning.
• Supports Mentor Teacher in collecting data and documentation for classroom inquiry. 
• Document and enter growth data into Child Assessment app, Kaymbu, to document the learning of each child.
• Assist the Mentor Teacher in reporting children’s growth milestones to families or parental units.

15% - Professional Development and Mentorship

• Engage in coaching and professional development plans to engage in a cycle of self-inquiry of teaching and learning. 
• Build authentic relationships with families through a variety of communication strategies.
• Provides support to the Mentor Teacher in coaching pre-service teachers.
• May provide guidance or additional support to student employees or hourly employees of the center. 

5% - Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) or 12 higher education credits in early childhood education or related field.
• 1 year of relevant experience.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field.
• 1 years of relevant experience or experience in a university preschool setting.
• Arizona Teacher Certification.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of child development and early childhood learning.
• Working knowledge of digital technologies and their appropriate use in early learning, instructional planning, and home-school collaboration.
• Knowledge of industry compliance laws and administrative practices.
• Knowledge of research ethics and confidentiality principles and practices and defined by the University.

Skills

• Interpersonal and community relations skills.
• Strong planning, organizational, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong records maintenance skills.
• Implementation of classroom activities.
• Coordination of activities, evaluating data, and establishing priorities.
• Engages in self-reflection and inquiry of teaching practices.

Abilities

• Communicates effectively.
• Possesses strong problem solving and analytical capabilities.
• Maintains a calm demeanor in stressful situations.

Compensation

Salary range is $38,628 to $48,285. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

NAU will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.