Benefits:- Competitive salary
- Opportunity for advancement
- Training & development
- Tuition assistance
Gainesville Empowerment Zone Family Learning Center (GEZFLC)Gainesville, Florida
Job Type: Full-Time
Age Groups: Infant through VPK
About GEZFLC
The Gainesville Empowerment Zone Family Learning Center (GEZFLC), operated by Gainesville for All, Inc., provides high-quality early childhood education and family support to children from six weeks through age five.
Our mission is to empower children and families by providing a strong educational foundation while connecting families with resources and services that support long-term success.
We are looking for an experienced, positive, and hands-on
Education Coach who is passionate about helping early childhood educators grow.
Position Summary
The Education Coach supports teachers in providing high-quality, developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children from infancy through VPK.
This is a
hands-on coaching position. The Education Coach will spend significant time inside classrooms observing teachers, modeling effective teaching practices, assisting with lesson planning, reviewing assessments, providing feedback, and helping teachers strengthen classroom management and instructional practices.
The ideal candidate understands that coaching is not simply telling teachers what to do. The coach should be able to
demonstrate, model, encourage, train, follow up, and hold teachers accountable for improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Teacher Coaching & Development
- Conduct regular classroom observations.
- Provide constructive and professional feedback to teachers.
- Model appropriate teaching strategies directly in the classroom.
- Coach teachers on classroom management, transitions, routines, supervision, and positive child interactions.
- Help teachers establish professional development goals.
- Develop teacher action plans when additional support is needed.
- Conduct follow-up observations to monitor progress.
- Recognize teacher strengths while addressing areas needing improvement.
- Assist with new-teacher orientation and classroom training.
Curriculum & Lesson Planning
- Support teachers in effectively implementing the center's approved curriculum.
- Review weekly lesson plans for quality and age appropriateness.
- Help teachers understand how to use curriculum throughout the entire school day—not only during structured group time.
- Demonstrate how learning can be incorporated into centers, outdoor play, meals, transitions, small groups, and daily routines.
- Ensure classroom activities are developmentally appropriate for each age group.
- Help teachers individualize instruction based on children's needs.
Child Assessment & School Readiness
- Support teachers with developmental assessments and progress monitoring.
- Assist with ASQ and other center-approved assessment tools.
- Support VPK teachers with school-readiness expectations and assessment preparation.
- Review classroom assessment information to identify children who may need additional instructional support.
- Help teachers use assessment results to guide lesson planning.
- Assist leadership with monitoring children's academic and developmental progress.
Classroom Quality & Compliance
- Monitor classroom environments for organization, engagement, and developmentally appropriate practices.
- Reinforce proper active supervision.
- Support teachers with maintaining appropriate teacher-to-child ratios.
- Help ensure classroom practices align with DCF requirements and center policies.
- Support APPLE Accreditation and Gold Seal Quality standards.
- Assist classrooms in preparing for observations, monitoring visits, and quality reviews.
- Immediately communicate serious safety, supervision, or compliance concerns to administration.
Professional Development
- Help plan and facilitate staff training and in-service activities.
- Identify common areas where teachers need additional training.
- Provide practical classroom demonstrations and hands-on professional development.
- Share resources and strategies teachers can immediately use in their classrooms.
- Maintain coaching documentation and track teacher progress.
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for someone who:
- Loves working with both children and teachers.
- Can coach adults respectfully while maintaining clear expectations.
- Is comfortable entering classrooms and demonstrating effective teaching practices.
- Understands early childhood development from infants through preschool/VPK.
- Has strong classroom-management skills.
- Is organized and able to document observations and follow-up.
- Communicates professionally with teachers, leadership, and families.
- Is dependable, flexible, and willing to support classrooms when necessary.
- Accepts feedback and works collaboratively as part of a leadership team.
- Can balance encouragement with accountability.
Preferred Qualifications
- CDA/FCCPC or higher early childhood education credential.
- Florida Director Credential is preferred.
- Associate or bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, or a related field is preferred.
- Previous experience as a Lead Teacher, Education Coordinator, Curriculum Specialist, Education Coach, Assistant Director, or similar early childhood leadership position.
- Strong knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices.
- Knowledge of Florida DCF childcare requirements.
- Experience with VPK and/or School Readiness programs is strongly preferred.
- Experience with curriculum implementation, lesson planning, classroom observations, and child assessments.
- Experience coaching or mentoring early childhood educators is highly desirable.
Experience
Preferred: 3–5 years of successful early childhood classroom experience, including experience mentoring, training, supervising, or coaching other teachers.
Successful Candidates Will Be Able To
Observe it. Model it. Coach it. Follow up on it.
We want an Education Coach who can identify what a classroom or teacher needs, demonstrate the appropriate practice, provide clear feedback, and return to ensure improvement has occurred.
This position is ideal for an experienced early childhood educator who is ready to move beyond managing only their own classroom and begin helping an entire teaching team grow.