Part-Time Guide: Coding & Robotics Coach (Grades 3–5)

Love To Code Academy; Kansas City (MO); On-site; Full time

Job description

The Guide · 3–5 Coding and Robotics · Contributor Stage · Part‑time

The Mid Stage Coach works with students in grades 3–5 at the Contributor stage of development. These students are capable of real challenge and need a coach who can give it to them without pulling it away the moment it gets difficult.

Grades: 3rd through 5th grade

Instructor Mode: Guide: structure with energy

Programs: Coding and Robotics (after‑school and camps)

Belts Coached: Orange and Green belts

Primary Trait Emphasis:

• Persistence
• Commitment
• Integrity
• Sportsmanship

What You’ll Do

Every session and every student.

Hold the Line on Productive Difficulty

Persistence is built in the space between struggle and giving up. Your job is to protect that space, circulate, observe, and resist the urge to step in before a student has genuinely tried.

Lead the Four‑Phase Session

Run structured sessions through Engage, Build, Challenge, Reflect. Keep transitions tight. At grades 3–5, students can handle increasing challenge. Plan accordingly.

Coach Integrity and Ownership

Watch for moments when students own a mistake before anyone else notices and name it immediately. Integrity at this stage is visible and coachable. The same goes for avoiding it.

Navigate Group Dynamics

Collaborative builds and competition introduce real social friction at this age. Coach sportsmanship in those moments, not around them. Handle conflict directly, fairly, and on the spot.

Advance Students Through Belts

Track Orange and Green belt progress. Evaluate both technical achievement and character readiness. A student who meets the skill bar but not the character bar is not belt‑ready.

Document and Communicate Growth

Keep notes on student development milestones. Share relevant observations with the Lead Coach and give parents a specific, trait‑based picture of what their child showed in the session.

Who We’re Looking For

You do not rush in when kids struggle.

Your first instinct when a student hits a wall is not to fix it. You let the difficulty breathe, ask a guiding question, and wait. This is harder than it sounds.

You are structured but not rigid.

You run a tight session without making the environment feel tense. Students at grades 3–5 need to know expectations are real and that the coach is still on their side.

You name character specifically.

“Good job” is not coaching. You can name persistence, commitment, integrity, and sportsmanship in real time with language that 9–11 year olds actually understand and connect with.

You are comfortable with intermediate tech.

Students at this stage are writing real code and building functional robots. You do not need to be an expert, but you need to understand what they are building well enough to guide, not just watch.

Ready to be a Guide?

We hire for character and coaching ability. All technical training is provided.