TEACHER OF DEAF/HARD OF HEARING

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher

Reports to: Executive Director of Exceptional Children

Purpose: Under general supervision, provides special education services to students identified as deaf or hard of hearing in accordance with state and federal regulations who are following general curriculum. Work involves developing and implementing the Individual Education Program across educational settings that are compatible with the student's age and developmental level. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher is responsible for developing lesson plans, adapting materials and designing activities to assist EC students develop appropriate academic, behavioral, and social skills and to meet their IEP goals. The teacher is responsible for monitoring student's progress and for maintaining EC records in compliance with state and federal guidelines.

Qualifications

• Degree in Deaf Education by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction with a recommendation for strong sign language skills (ASL, signed English)
• Physical Requirements: Must be able to use a variety of equipment and classroom tools such as laptops, iPads, calculators, pencils, scissors, and equipment for children with special needs, etc. Must be able to exert a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Due to amount of time spent standing and/or walking, physical requirements are consistent with those for Light Work.
• Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or composite characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or thing.
• Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments and/or directions from superiors.
• Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, handbooks, forms, lists, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, simple reports, forms, instructional materials, etc., using prescribed format.
• Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal and counseling terminology.
• Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of descriptive statistics, statistical inference and statistical theory.
• Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.
• Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.
• Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
• Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.
• Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.
• Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Ability to constantly monitor the safety and well-being of students, particularly when student is participating in an inclusive activity.
• Ability to motivate students to develop self-advocacy skills.
• Ability to organized and develop a schedule to serve a multitude of students across the district.
• Ability to perform general clerical duties and utilize common office equipment/technology associated with hearing loss
• Ability to maintain files and records.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and to work collaboratively to meet the needs of each student
• Have knowledge and understanding of developmental milestones for students with hearing loss in the following areas: language development (oral and sign), audition, and self-advocacy.
• Ability to utilize conversational and educational skills in American Sign Language and Signed English.
• Ability to address grade level curriculum at the student's language level.
• Ability to perform consistent and detailed data collection for progress monitoring towards IEP goals in the areas of language development, audition, self-advocacy, and academic achievement.
• Have familiarity with listening technology and the Ability to monitor the use of said technology and troubleshoot as needed.
• Ability to train and work with support staff (educational sign language interpreters, language facilitators, teaching assistants) to establish schedules, routines, and to ensure adherence to district and state guidelines as well as individual student IEPS.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops and implements an instructional plan which is compatible with the school and system wide curricular goals and the students' Individual Education Program.
• Is responsible for the development of Individual Education Programs (IEP) for students with disabilities; implements the IEP; and uses diagnostic information obtained from tests and other assessment procedures to update IEPs as needed.
• Provides direct special education instruction to identified students.
• Employs a variety of teaching methods to meet student needs. Implementation of these methods may require the adaptation or development of materials.
• Monitors student behavior; maintains discipline in the classroom; deescalates inappropriate behaviors; teaches students appropriate behavioral strategies; restrains students when necessary; records and reports restraints.
• Assists students with their personal and self-help needs, such as eating, toileting, and other essential tasks that the students are not able to perform by themselves.
• Communicates with parents regarding their children's educational progress via periodic written progress reports.
• Acts as a case coordinator for assigned students; consults with community caregivers, school support professionals, and parents to better understand and meet student needs.
• Maintains student records in accordance with North Carolina's Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Disabilities; and complies with state and federal education statutes.
• Treats all students in a fair and equitable manner, interacts effectively with students, co-workers, parents, and community.
• Follows a plan for professional development and demonstrates evidence of growth.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the EC Director or other assigned by designee

Term of Employment: 10 months