Reports to: Lead Early Childhood Development Educator
Compensation: Starting at $19.00
Employment Status: Part-Time (Non-Exempt/Hourly) | On-site Required
Expected Start Date: August 17, 2026
Laughlin’s Mission Statement: We empower children, teens, and families through client centered clinical and academic services in a safe, supportive environment, helping every child thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
About Us:
Founded in 1956, Laughlin Children’s Center is a highly respected nonprofit organization committed to supporting the educational, emotional, and developmental needs of children ages two to eighteen across Pennsylvania. Through a coordinated team of expert educators and clinicians, the Center empowers children to build confidence, address learning and emotional challenges, and reach their full potential. By offering early childhood education, clinical, and academic services under one roof, Laughlin fosters meaningful collaboration across disciplines, ensuring each child receives comprehensive, individualized care.
The Opportunity:
The Co-Teacher, in collaboration with fellow educators, is responsible for the realization of the mission and core values of the Laughlin Children’s Center.
The Co-Teacher will work 25-30 hours per week from mid-August through May. They will co- teach one preschool class that meets twice during the week from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm, one prekindergarten class that meets twice during the week from 9:00 am until 12:30 pm and once during the week from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm with two other Educators.
The Co-Teacher is guided by a play-based philosophy of learning and creates and maintains a nurturing, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate environment for preschool children. Collaborating with the Lead Early Childhood Development Educator and the Co-Teacher, the Co-Teacher curates and implements an engaging early childhood experience that supports children’s social-emotional, cognitive, language, physical, and behavioral development.
Working within the Center’s small-class setting, the Co-Teacher builds strong relationships with children and families, individualizing instruction to meet diverse developmental needs. The role also includes maintaining a safe and structured environment, monitoring student progress, and fostering a positive classroom culture that encourages curiosity, independence, and school readiness. Through thoughtful communication, teamwork, and responsive teaching practices, the Co-Teacher helps ensure that each child is supported as a valued learner within the Center community.
The Co-Teacher focuses on three key areas:
- Purposeful Play-Based Learning & Classroom Engagement
- Curate and facilitate engaging, play-based, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences that foster curiosity, creativity, exploration, problem-solving, and growth across developmental domains
- Balance child-led exploration with intentional teaching strategies, using observations of children’s interests and developmental needs to guide curriculum planning and daily classroom experiences
- Create a warm, inclusive, and thoughtfully designed learning environment featuring open-ended materials, sensory experiences, imaginative play, and extended opportunities for hands-on exploration, collaboration, and discovery
- Foster a joyful and purposeful classroom culture where play, inquiry, and meaningful teaching practices support each child’s learning and development (“fun on purpose”)
- Nurturing the Progress of the Whole-Child
- Support each child’s social-emotional, cognitive, physical, language, and behavioral development through developmentally appropriate practices
- Build strong, responsive relationships with children that foster safety, belonging, confidence, and independence
- Differentiate instruction, support, and learning opportunities to meet individual developmental levels, learning styles, and needs
- Promote positive social interactions, emotional regulation, and foundational school-readiness skills within the classroom community
- Use observation, documentation, and reflection to assess children’s progress and inform ongoing curriculum planning and instructional decisions
- Family Connection & Collaboration
- Establish and maintain positive, respectful, and collaborative partnerships with families
- Communicate regularly with families regarding children’s growth, milestones, classroom experiences, and developmental progress
- Collaborate closely with Laughlin colleagues, support staff, and community partners to ensure a consistent, supportive, and inclusive classroom experience for all children
- Model professionalism, teamwork, and effective communication within the school community and with families and community partners
Required Skills & Experience:
The Co-Teacher should come with the following:
- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or related field
- PA Teaching Certification (Public or Non-public Private School – Nursery/Kindergarten)
- Federal Criminal History Check, FBI fingerprints, Pennsylvania Criminal History Check, Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearances required
- Experience working with children 3 – 5 years old is preferred
- Knowledge of child development and play-based learning approaches
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, stand, sit on the floor, couch, sit or kneel for extended periods
- Capacity to work outdoors in various weather conditions
What’s In It for You:
- Small class sizes
- Collaborative, supportive team environment
- Morning work schedule with flexible afternoons
- Paid planning time
- Compensated sick days (5 annually)
- Compensated for weather-related cancellations
Laughlin is actively seeking to build a resilient, vibrant and diverse team that reflects our clients’ identities, and we’re proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunist (EEO). We provide work opportunities without regard to perceived or actual protected characteristics. We invite all interested candidates to apply.
If you are unable to complete this application due to diverse abilities, contact this employer to ask for accommodation or an alternative application process.
All interested prospective candidates can forward their resumes to [email protected] for this opportunity.