Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Florence School District 1 • Florence, SC

10d • Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the Building Principal and Director of Special Education, the Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing provides specialized instruction to meet the unique educational, linguistic, and social-emotional needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The position involves implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), facilitating access to the curriculum, and serving as a key advocate for students’ communication needs.

Requirements

• Valid South Carolina teaching certificate or eligibility for certification in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
• Proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) or the communication methodology required by the student’s IEP.
• Thorough knowledge of audiological equipment, assistive listening devices, and current pedagogy regarding the instruction of students with hearing loss.
• Ability to work effectively with students, parents, and a multidisciplinary team of professionals.
• Ability to analyze student needs objectively and modify instructional techniques to improve student outcomes.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, and operate computer/assistive technology.
• Must be able to move and/or support up to 50 pounds.
• Position may require physical interaction with students as needed.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable functional, structural or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
• Ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments and/or directions to workshop participants and receiving assignments and/or direction from the supervisor.
• Ability to read a variety of policies and procedures, evaluation materials, professional studies, etc.
• Ability to prepare training materials, handbooks, schedules, reports, correspondence, etc., with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech.
• Ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control and confidence.
• Ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of instructions in written, oral, mathematical, schedule or diagrammatic form, to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Ability to apply influence systems in teaching staff members, to learn and understand relatively complex principles and techniques, to make independent judgments in absence of supervision, and to acquire knowledge of topics related to primary occupation.
• Must have the ability to comprehend and interpret received information.
• Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow and give verbal and written instructions, and to teach employees.
• Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with persons of varying educational backgrounds and in a variety of technical and/or professional languages, including education theory.
• Ability to add and subtract totals, to multiply and divide, to utilize mathematical formulas, to determine percentages and decimals, and to determine time.
• Must be able to use practical applications of statistics.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape, and visually read various information.
• Ability to coordinate hands and eyes using office machinery; to operate motor vehicles.
• Ability to handle a variety of items, keyboards, office equipment, control knobs, buttons, switches, catches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
• Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions.
• Must be adaptable to performing under stress when confronted with emergency situations or tight deadlines.
• Ability to talk and/or hear (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear).
• Requires a valid South Carolina teaching certificate or eligibility for South Carolina teaching certificate in teaching from an accredited institution in the appropriate special education area.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledgeable in the methods, policies and procedures of the Florence 1 Schools pertaining to specific duties of the Teacher.
• Knowledgeable in the laws, ordinances, standards and regulations pertaining to the specific duties and responsibilities of the position.
• Knowledge of the organization of the department and of related departments and agencies.
• Ability to comprehend, interpret and apply regulations, procedures and related information.
• Thorough knowledge of the subject area(s) assigned to teach; skill in the interpretation of subject matter to the intellectual level of students taught.
• Able to create and present innovative, effective, developmentally appropriate course and lesson plans.
• Knowledge of the characteristics of the age group assigned.
• Able to establish and maintain positive relationships and work effectively with adults and students.
• Able to supervise, guide and support students with patience and kindness.
• Able to motivate students to participate in educational and extracurricular activities and to want to learn.
• Able to recognize signs of learning, physical, mental and social disabilities and take appropriate action.
• Able to provide assistance, support and/or skills development opportunities to parents as required.
• Able to perform job tasks professionally in an environment where discrimination and other public issues are constant concerns.
• Knowledge of and ability to use modern office practices and equipment, including computers.
• Knowledge of proper English usage, vocabulary, punctuation and spelling; mathematical ability to handle required calculations.
• Skilled in applying a responsible attention to detail as necessary in preparing records, reports and correspondence.
• Able to read and interpret various materials pertaining to the responsibilities of the job.
• Able to take the initiative to complete the duties of the position without the need of direct supervision.
• Able to use independent judgment in performing tasks.
• Ability to plan, organize and prioritize daily assignments and work activities.
• Able to offer assistance to fellow employees as necessary.
• Knows how to maintain effective relationships with co-workers, personnel of other departments, parents, students and members of the public through contact and cooperation.
• Knowledge of the occupational hazards and safety precautions of the industry.
• Knows how to react calmly and quickly in emergency situations.
• Ability to learn and utilize new skills and information to improve job performance and efficiency.
• Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities.
• Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility.
• Maintains high quality communication and interaction with all District departments and divisions, co-workers and the public.
• Performs described "Specific Duties and Responsibilities" and related assignments efficiently and effectively in order to produce a quantity of work which consistently meets standards and expectations of the District.
• Assumes responsibility for completing assigned work.
• Completes assigned work within deadlines in accordance with directives, District policy, standards and prescribed procedures.
• Remains accountable to assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.
• Attends and remains at work regularly and adheres to District policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness.
• Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests.
• Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountability.
• Strives to anticipate work to be done, and initiates proper and acceptable direction for the completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.
• Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility.
• Identifies problems or situations as they occur, and specifies decision objectives.
• Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations.
• Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors.
• Seeks expert or experienced advice where appropriate and researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.
• Monitors the activities/behavior of the student body as scheduled to ensure student safety and well-being.
• Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of the same.
• Questions such as instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with established policies or procedures, etc.
• Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons and departments within the District.
• Shares knowledge with managers, supervisors and co-workers for mutual benefit.
• Contributes to maintaining high morale among all employees.
• Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships inter- and intra-departmentally, and with external entities with whom the position interacts.
• Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints in order to establish and maintain good will.
• Emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive image.
• Plans and organizes daily work routine.
• Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology.
• Avoids duplication of effort.
• Estimates expected time of completion of work elements and establishes a personal schedule accordingly.
• Attends required meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time.
• Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules.
• Adheres to all established safety and housekeeping standards.
• Ensures such standards are not violated.
• Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.

Responsibilities

• Provides research-based, specialized instruction tailored to students who are deaf or hard of hearing, focusing on language development, communication skills, and academic goals outlined in the IEP.
• Facilitates access to the general education curriculum through appropriate accommodations, including the use of assistive technology (e.g., FM/DM systems, captioning), American Sign Language (ASL) or Total Communication, and classroom modifications.
• Develops and implements annual IEPs that reflect the student’s specific auditory, language, and social communication needs.
• Works cooperatively with child study teams, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and classroom teachers to develop instructional strategies that minimize barriers to learning.
• Provides training and consultation to classroom teachers and staff regarding hearing loss, the use of amplification/assistive equipment, and effective communication strategies.
• Conducts formal and informal assessments related to auditory skills, language acquisition, and functional communication; participates in IEP meetings as an expert on D/HH student needs.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for parents, ensuring they are informed of their child’s progress and involved in the educational process.
• Creates an inclusive, positive, and linguistically accessible learning environment that encourages student independence and social-emotional growth.
• Maintains accurate records, completes state and district reporting requirements, and complies with all federal/state mandates regarding special education.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level