American Sign Language Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

Don’t miss this rare opportunity as an American Sign Language Teacher for O'Gorman High School and Jr. High starting the 2027-2028 school year!

Our ‘Mission’ is “to form a community of faith and learning by promoting a Catholic way of life through Gospel values and academic excellence.” We are seeking an individual who will exhibit the ‘Core Values’ of Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools: Faith, Unity, Excellence, and Integrity and create an environment of trust.

Applicants do not need to be Catholic to apply to this position, yet do need to promote the mission of Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools if employed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Promote the mission of Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools
• Plan, prepare and deliver instructional activities that facilitate active learning experiences
• Develop schemes of work and lesson plans that adhere to system curriculum maps
• Establish and communicate clear objectives for all learning activities
• Teach American Sign Language with the linguistic focus of Foundational Production & Comprehension, Intermediate Fluency & Sentence Structure, Advanced Expression & Spontaneous Signing
• Introduce students to basic tenets of deaf culture, including values, social norms, and etiquette
• Explore life and history through the lens of hearing impaired
• Provide a variety of learning materials and resources for use in educational activities
• Identify and select different instructional resources and methods to meet students’ varying needs
• Instruct and monitor students in the use of learning materials and equipment
• Use relevant technology to support instruction
• Keep updated with developments in subject area, teaching resources and methods and make relevant changes to instructional plans and activities
• Observe, monitor and evaluate student’s progress and performance
• Assign and grade class work, homework, tests, assignments and enter grades on line
• Provide appropriate and timely feedback on work
• Maintain accurate and complete records of students’ progress and development
• Provide student supervision and discipline
• Perform certain pastoral duties including student support, counseling students with academic problems and providing student encouragement
• Uphold professionalism and confidentiality
• Participate in school events and fundraisers
• Participate in department, school meetings and parent meetings
• Communicate necessary information regularly to students, colleagues and parents regarding student progress and student needs
• Attend parent-teacher conferences to meet with parents
• Assume responsibility and care of classrooms and school property
• Maintain accurate inventory of classroom materials and supplies
• Perform various duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Essential Qualifications:
  • Willingness and ability to effectively make known the Catholic Church’s teachings through the varied ministry activities expected of this position
  • Willingness and ability to act as an outstanding personal witness to the Catholic faith and religion by living both one’s professional and personal life in accordance with the doctrines and moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as embodied in the various documents of the Roman Catholic Church, including, without limitation, the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church
• Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
• Graduate from a state-approved teacher education program, including necessary coursework in instructional design and classroom management
• Pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam relevant to your intended grade level.
• SD State certification and
  • K-12 American Sign Language Education Endorsement Requirements:
    • Submit official documentation from the South Dakota School for the Deaf (or an approved equivalent institution serving Deaf students) certifying the following four criteria:
      • Language Proficiency: Verified fluency and proficiency in American Sign Language
      • Deaf Culture: Academic study and firsthand experiential immersion in Deaf culture
      • Teaching Methodology: At least 60 contact hours explicitly focused on the methods of teaching ASL

      • Institutional Recommendation: A formal recommendation for certification from the evaluating institution

        OR

    • ASL Educator Permit (Alternate path without bachelor’s degree in education or teaching certificate)
    • Receives a score of intermediate or Level 3 or higher on the Sign-Language Proficiency Instrument (SLPI), or receives certification from the American Sign-Language Teachers Association (ASLTA); and
    • Completes six semester hours of coursework including understanding deaf cultures and understanding American Sign Language grammar.
• Advanced Proficiency in both written and spoken American Sign Language
• Exhibit the core values of Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools: Faith, Unity, Excellence, and Integrity
• Knowledge of relevant technology
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Good problem solving and decision-making skills
• Self-motivated with high energy