The posting
Job Description
FIRST LEGO League Instructor / Coach
Start Date: Friday, January 15, 2027
Pay Rate: $65 – $75 per hour, commensurate with experience
Schedule:
- Part-time, hourly position, based on scheduled enrichment classes, team practices, and competition commitments
- Serves Lower School and Upper School students
- Classes and team practices generally take place 1 to 2 days per week between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM
- Specific teaching days and hours are determined by program scheduling and enrollment
- Additional hours may be required for competition preparation, special events, and FIRST LEGO League tournaments, including occasional weekends
- Runs through June 2027, following the Bank Street calendar, with the expectation of continuation in subsequent school years
- Opportunities for additional enrichment instruction or substitute teaching may be available
About Bank Street School for Children
A leader in progressive education for more than 100 years, the Bank Street School for Children provides students, from nursery through 8th grade, an education that engages their natural curiosity, nurtures critical thinking, and helps to develop a sense of community and social responsibility. Through a teaching approach that is fundamentally hands-on and child-centered, Bank Street students develop the courage and confidence to think independently, work collaboratively, understand themselves and others more deeply, and possess the compassion to make meaning of the world around them.
About the Position
At the Bank Street School for Children, we believe learning extends beyond the traditional classroom. Our After School Program gives children opportunities to explore their interests, develop new skills, build relationships, and strengthen their creativity, confidence, and independence through hands-on learning and meaningful experience.
The FIRST LEGO League Instructor / Coach leads our after school robotics program and prepares students to participate in FIRST LEGO League competitions. The instructor designs and facilitates engaging, age-appropriate robotics experiences, coaches student teams, and supports their preparation for FIRST LEGO League events. Students learn to design, build, program, test, and refine LEGO robots while developing teamwork, critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills.
Grounded in Bank Street’s progressive approach to education, our robotics program emphasizes inquiry, experimentation, collaboration, and learning through experience. While competition offers an exciting opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning, our primary focus is the process of discovery, creative problem-solving, personal growth, and leadership. Successful robotics instruction here is not simply about building a functioning robot or winning a competition; it is about helping students develop the confidence, skills, and curiosity to approach unfamiliar challenges and discover solutions together.
The role suits an educator or robotics coach who combines technical knowledge with strong teaching and coaching skills, and who understands how to build a team culture rooted in collaboration, creativity, perseverance, and shared accomplishment.
Key Responsibilities
Robotics Instruction and Curriculum Development
- Plan and facilitate engaging, age-appropriate LEGO Robotics lessons that introduce students to engineering, robotics, coding, and design thinking
- Teach students how to design, build, program, and operate LEGO robots using appropriate LEGO robotics platforms
- Introduce foundational engineering and programming concepts, including motors, sensors, sequencing, movement, and mechanical design
- Develop hands-on challenges that encourage experimentation, creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration
- Differentiate instruction to support students with varying levels of robotics experience and technical ability
- Encourage students to investigate problems, test ideas, analyze results, and improve their designs
- Create opportunities for students to explain their thinking, present their projects, and reflect on their learning
Coaching and Competition Preparation
- Lead and coach student robotics teams in preparation for FIRST LEGO League competitions
- Support students in developing strategies for completing robotics missions and improving robot performance
- Coach students through the research, innovation, and presentation components of the competition, as applicable to their FIRST LEGO League division
- Introduce students to the FIRST Core Values, emphasizing teamwork, inclusion, discovery, innovation, impact, and gracious professionalism
- Facilitate team meetings and practices that promote shared responsibility, communication, collaboration, and student leadership
- Help students prepare for judging sessions, project presentations, and competition-day activities
- Coordinate with Auxiliary Programs leadership on team registration, competition requirements, tournament schedules, equipment needs, and logistics
- Attend and supervise students at scheduled FIRST LEGO League competitions and related events
- Ensure that competitive experiences remain developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and focused on student learning and growth
Program Operations and Supervision
- Prepare, organize, and maintain robotics kits, programming devices, and instructional materials
- Maintain accurate attendance records and appropriate student supervision throughout each session
- Coordinate student transitions into and out of enrichment classes
- Ensure robotics equipment is used safely and stored appropriately
- Communicate student progress, team needs, and program updates to Auxiliary Programs leadership
- Support communication with families regarding team expectations, competition schedules, and student participation
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience teaching, coaching, or facilitating robotics, coding, engineering, or related STEM activities for children
- Experience working with elementary or middle school students in an educational, recreational, after school, camp, or youth development setting
- Familiarity with LEGO Education robotics systems or comparable educational robotics platforms
- Understanding of foundational robotics concepts, including building, programming, sensors, motors, and mechanical design
- Ability to plan and deliver engaging, developmentally appropriate STEM instruction
- Strong classroom and team management, communication, and organizational skills
- Ability to foster collaboration, positive sportsmanship, and student-centered problem-solving
- Willingness to support team practices, competition preparation, and scheduled FIRST LEGO League events, including occasional weekends
- Commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment
Preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in education, engineering, computer science, STEM education, or a related field
- Previous experience coaching or mentoring a FIRST LEGO League team, particularly FIRST LEGO League Challenge
- Familiarity with FIRST LEGO League competition formats, seasonal challenges, judging criteria, and Core Values
- Experience using LEGO Education SPIKE Prime, SPIKE Essential, or comparable robotics systems
- Proficiency with block-based programming and introductory robotics coding
- Experience preparing students for robotics tournaments, competitions, or STEM showcases
- Experience facilitating student research, innovation projects, and presentations
- Understanding of progressive education, inquiry-based learning, and experiential education
- Experience working in independent schools, after school programs, or community-based enrichment programs
- Prior experience working as part of the Bank Street community
Bank Street College of Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive community. Candidates from all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
About Us
Bank Street is a leader in education, a pioneer in improving the quality of classroom practice, and a national advocate for children and their families.
Since its beginnings in 1916, Bank Street has been at the forefront of understanding how children learn and grow. From early childhood centers and schools to hospitals and museums, Bank Street has built a national reputation on the simple fact that our graduates know how to do the work that is right for children.
At Bank Street’s Graduate School of Education, students are trained in a model that combines the study of human development, learning theory, and sustained clinical placement to promote significant development as a teacher prior to graduation. Our children’s programs—Bank Street School for Children, Family Center, Bank Street Head Start, and Liberty LEADS—foster children’s development in the broadest sense by providing diverse opportunities for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The Bank Street Education Center disrupts inequity through system-level change to help design better educational experiences for both children and adults. The College further supports and influences positive outcomes for children every day through professional development programs, research projects, and other key efforts engaging educators, intermediary organizations, and government officials at the district, state, and federal levels.
