Early Childhood Education (ECE) Intern Job Description
Mission of the UW Child Development Lab
The mission of the UW Child Development Lab is three-fold: 1) to facilitate and assist faculty and students in conducting scholarly research; 2) to prepare the next generation of early childhood professionals by offering opportunity for UW students to intern, volunteer, and observe in the CDL; and 3) to provide high quality early education programs for children and engage with the community to improve the lives of children and families. The UW Child Development Lab offers year-round early education programs for children from six weeks of age until they attend kindergarten. The CDL provides developmentally- and culturally appropriate early learning experiences for children in safe, relationship-based classrooms. Each of our seven classrooms is staffed with two highly trained lead teachers that provide guidance and mentorship to assistant teachers, volunteers, and interns. We strive to provide our UW students with carefully supervised training and opportunities for reflection that are associated with their course of study. We model best teaching and learning practices based on research and contemporary theories of child development. An integral component of our developmental curriculum is learning through inquiry. In addition, the CDL has 3 observation booths for UW students to use for observing child development in real life. Researchers from the Human Development and Families Studies (HDFS) program, as well as other academic programs on campus come to the CDL to conduct research studies on child development and learning, and to train their research assistants on their research protocols or the administration of developmental assessments.
Job Title: Early Childhood Education Intern
Major: Human Development and Family Studies Interns will get priority for ECE Internships
Principle Duties listed below.
Classroom Responsibilities:
- Ensure the safety and well-being of children at all times.
- Demonstrate high quality assistance and initiative in the planning and facilitation of a daily program of care and activities for the assigned classroom according to best practices in early childhood education and developmentally appropriate practice.
- Help set up and prepare materials for learning activities.
- Participate in classroom daily routines and jobs as requested by academic staff (e.g., support individual children during large group time, collect documentation and information for anecdotal notes and developmental assessments, assist with parent-teacher conferences, etc.).
- Assist with large and small group learning activities and provide appropriate supervision and guidance to all children while they are engaged in child-initiated and teacher-directed activities.
- Implement established classroom child guidance program consisting of positive discipline approaches.
- Assist children in areas of self-help skills, such as eating, dressing, toileting or diapering.
- Assist in preparation and clean-up of snacks, lunch, and nap.
- Demonstrate sensitivity and expertise working with a diverse group of people (e.g., children, families, co-workers).
- Work effectively with children, families, and co-workers from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
- Work effectively with children with special needs.
- Assist in the arrangement of space, setting and materials in the school learning environments (e.g., classrooms, neighborhoods, outdoors).
- Effectively observe and share information with classroom teachers regarding children’s experiences.
Program Responsibilities:
- Demonstrate effective communication with all staff, families, and children.
- Attend and actively participate in all trainings that are required for interns.
- Maintain confidentiality of information and documentation (including photos) in relation to staff, children, and families.
- Arrive on time and follow CDL attendance policy.
- Return all employment, licensing, and CDL orientation paperwork before the start date
- Complete a childcare fingerprinting background check before start date.
- Follow WI State Child Care Regulations, as well as the policies and procedures of the CDL, as stated in the CDL Policy Handbook.
- One course in child development is required.
- For infant placements, one course in infant development required (in addition to the child development course).
Essential Functions:
- The ability to get up and down from the floor on a continuous basis, both to interact with children on their level and to help them settle on their cots during naptime.
- The ability to sit on small chairs 12” off the floor, off and on throughout the day.
- The ability to lift children weighing 35 pounds on average, if needed.
- The ability to place a child up on a changing table or bend over to change a diaper on a pad on the floor, if needed.
- The ability to bend over to help children wipe (and sanitize) low tables and floor spills.
- The ability to reach containers from upper shelves.
- The ability to move with children during their large motor activities several times each day.