Minimum Qualifications
- Experience leading or facilitating professional development presentations to more than 10 people
- Experience creating coaching/mentoring implementation guides
- Minimum 5 years of leadership experience
Disclaimer:
Opening & Closing Dates for Applications: March 24 - April 9 by 5PM CST
OR
200 Applicant Capacity is reached
Overview
First 8 Memphis is committed to equipping Early Care and Education providers and educators serving children ages 0-8 with innovative tools and strategies to meet the needs of young children in our community. ECE providers and educators have identified challenging behaviors as a key concern in providing developmentally-appropriate care. As part of our ongoing teacher training series, we seek experienced Early Care and Education Providers to lead participants through professional development implementations and reflective practice. We invite Early Care and Education Providers who believe they are able to engage adult learners and facilitate a cohort team while fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments.
Organizational Background
A child’s foundations in life and learning are essential to lifelong success. First 8 Memphis (F8M) was founded to build an early care and education system that will allow every child in Memphis and Shelby County to reach their full potential by focusing on building a strong start during a child's first 8 years of life. We are an advocacy, coordinating, and convening organization working across the age spectrum and through programs that support young children and their families including: home visiting, childcare, Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) and Kindergarten - 3rd grade supports. F8M’s early care and education systems building efforts are in collaboration with a diverse set of field leaders including City and County government, local school systems, early care and education administrators, and families. F8M is committed to having a diverse vendor/consultant base and vendors/consultants that reflect the communities in which we serve.
Purpose of Request
First 8 Memphis serves a diverse group of early care and education professionals, including childcare providers, Pre-K teachers, teaching assistants, instructional coaches, family engagement personnel, and program directors. These individuals play a critical role in creating supportive, inclusive learning environments for young children in the Memphis and Shelby County community. When surveying local ECE providers over the past few years, navigating the complexities of addressing challenging behaviors is a top concern among providers. First 8 Memphis seeks to address these concerns and to support high-quality ECE with professional development opportunities for the community.
In response to this request for proposals, Cohort Leads will attend professional development sessions led by topic experts providing actionable strategies and innovative tools specifically to address challenging behaviors in early childhood settings. Following each training session Cohort Leads will utilize a facilitation guide to support coaching strategies, while fostering the development of professional communities through facilitated discussions and shared reflections of strategy implementations. During this 9 month cohort training, cohort leads will meet with teaching professionals every 6 weeks on a hybrid schedule to discuss effective and evidence-based practices for managing and reducing challenging student behaviors.
Trainers/Facilitator Requirements
A Cohort Lead responsibilities will include: (a) supporting participants through community-building workshops while helping participants connect their learning to the local context and implementation into their early learning environments, (b) maintaining program coherence, and (c) ensuring that the students, instructors, and program developers assume appropriate responsibilities for shared learning experiences. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated knowledge of team building, facilitating adult learning groups, and the ability to effectively support students in academically and socio-emotionally challenging environments.
Duties:
- Attend 7 ECE training sessions for 1.5 hours every 6 weeks
- Debrief with the Facilitator for 30 minutes following each session
- Attend the First 8 Memphis 2025 ECE Conference
- Lead 7 cohort learning groups for 1 hour every 6 weeks
- Complete a 15-20 minute ECE Cohort Leader Survey after each session
- Attend ECE Training Series - Recognition Event
*All dates and times are mandatory to receive full compensation
Professional Development Key Topics:
A. Mindset and Motivation
- Supporting educators' mental health and resilience.
- Cultivating a positive and motivated mindset among students, staff, and families.
Date, Time & Location: Tuesday, Jul. 22nd 2025, 5:00-6:30pm at TBD location
Date, Time & Location: Aug. 2025 week 1, TBD time (office hours) TBD location
Cohort Coaching Session - August 19th - in-person at TBD location
B. Culturally Affirming Environments and Implicit Bias:
- Establishing a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for all students and families.
- Exploring how implicit bias forms and influences decision-making.
Date, Time & Location: Tuesday, Sept. 9th 2025 5 - 6:30pm at TBD location
Cohort Coaching Session - September 23nd - virtual
C. Culturally Responsive, Anti-Deficit Classroom Management Strategies:
- Structuring the classroom environment to minimize challenging behaviors and increase equity.
- Creating clear expectations, routines, and procedures that are developmentally and age appropriate.
Date, Time & Location: Friday, Oct. 24th 2025, TBD time at F8M ECE Conference
Date, Time & Location: Saturday, Oct. 25th 2025, TBD time at F8M ECE Conference
Cohort Coaching Session - November 4th - in person at TBD location
D. Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP):
- Understanding child development to inform teaching practices and advance equity.
- Aligning classroom environment, instruction, and activities with developmental stages.
Date, Time & Location: Tuesday, Dec. 2nd 2025, 5-6:30pm at TBD location
Cohort Coaching Session - December 16th - virtual
E. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):
- Building emotional regulation and interpersonal skills in young children.
- Integrating SEL practices (CASEL interrelated areas of competence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making) into daily routines.
Date, Time & Location: Tuesday, Jan. 13th 2026, 5-6:30pm at TBD location
Cohort Coaching Session - January 27th - in person
F. Behavior Intervention Strategies:
- Proactive strategies for preventing challenging behaviors through student engagement.
- Reactive strategies for addressing behaviors when they arise.
- Evidence-based approaches tailored to children ages 0-8.
Date, Time & Location: Tuesday, Feb. 24th 2026, 5-6:30pm at TBD location
Cohort Coaching Session - March 10th - virtual
G. Family Engagement Strategies:
- Collaborating with families to support behavioral and academic goals.
- Tools for effective communication with diverse families.
- Practices to build teacher understanding of student and family trauma.
Date & Time & Location: Tuesday,Apr. 7th 2026, 5-6:30pm at TBD location
Cohort Coaching Session - April 21st Tues - virtual
*ECE Training Series - Recognition: April 17th Fri - in person at TBD location
Budget and Logistics
First 8 Memphis values your expertise and time and will provide compensation based on a transparent, pre-approved fee-for-service structure. Cohort Leads will receive payment of $125 for each 2 hour session: 90 minute presentation and 30 minute debrief session attendance. Payment of $100 for each 1 hour cohort lead team facilitation with a survey completion.
Payment terms, including the timeline for disbursement and invoicing requirements, will be outlined in a formal agreement between First 8 Memphis and the Cohort Leads. Payment will be issued in 2 payments scheduled in Dec. and May; promptly upon completion of services and submission of required documentation, such as an honorarium and any deliverables specified in the agreement.
First 8 Memphis is committed to maintaining fair and equitable payment practices to honor the contributions of its professional partners.