Role description:
Each mentor will be responsible for providing day-to-day support to teachers during the implementation of an early childhood educational intervention in schools across Tharaka Nithi County. The intervention is set to launch in January 2024 and will last for a period of 2 years. This is a practical, hands-on role which includes attending training for the educational intervention, training the teachers in the intervention, and providing monitoring, formative assessment and constructive support to teachers throughout the implementation. The project will be run as part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) in Tharaka Nithi and the mentors will work closely with the intervention supervisor, who is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the intervention, as well as the curriculum leads and other counterparts responsible for developing and implementing the intervention.

Key responsibilities:

• The work will be carried out in 22 months (2 years) implementation. The implementation phase (November 2023–October 2025) will involve:


•  Attend training in intervention implementation and attend regular meetings with the intervention supervisor to receive ongoing training and support for their role.


•  Lead and administer comprehensive training to teachers in the new curriculum over a period of up to 5 days prior to the launch of the intervention


•  Provide direct ongoing support and motivation to teachers during school visits for the duration of the intervention (2 years), including spending the whole day with the teacher(s) in their classroom


•  Carry out formative assessments of teachers during monitoring visits to assess teachers’ strengths and needs and engage teachers in collaborative problem-solving


•  Document ongoing strengths and challenges relating to implementation and share these with the intervention supervisor and other intervention leads


•  Conduct regular support sessions with parents/caregivers of children who participate in the intervention


•  Conduct booster training sessions with teachers as needed


•  Assist in making learning materials and resources for schools and motivate teachers to make these resources


•  Support with the acquisition, production and distribution of resources to support implementation (e.g. books, puzzles, manipulatives)


•  Assist with the revisions to the curriculum, training and supervisory manuals and report forms based on lessons learned throughout the implementation period

Required skills and attributes

•  Candidates must live in Tharaka Nithi County or be willing to relocate there


•  Fluent in English and written and spoken languages in Tharaka Nithi County


•  Diploma in early childhood education or equivalent


•  Willingness to travel to rural schools (in Tharaka Nithi County) on a daily basis


•  Experience teaching or delivering programs that work with young children and their caregivers (e.g. in parenting programmes, school-based programmes, day care, etc)


•  Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with others collaboratively or as part of a team


•  Vibrant, energetic and open to learning new techniques


•  Solution-focused, creative, and proactive. Able to problem-solve implementation challenges and customise the intervention to different contexts throughout the schools


•  Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision; self-starter

Contract period:

• 1. 4 mentors to work in coaching the teachers for 24 months full-time.


• 2. 6 mentors to work in coaching the teachers for 9 months full-time

Commencing:

• As soon as possible, January 2024 but will attend trainings earlier

Reports to:

• Primary - Intervention Supervisor (Brian Muriithi) Secondary - Curriculum Research Leads: Helen Henningham (Bangor University) and Teresa Mwoma (Kenyatta University)