• To create an environment which fosters independence, confidence, creativity, respect for materials and the people in the environment and is conducive to enjoyment in learning.
• To facilitate children’s interaction with a curriculum which is child-centered, based on basic principles of child development, and will provide children with problem-solving skills and a foundation for acquiring knowledge which is more content-related in the elementary years.
• To provide a comfortable, supportive environment for parents in which they are respected, encouraged to observe their children, and supported in their efforts to parent their hearing-impaired children.
• To observe children in the classroom and record information related to all aspects of the child’s developmental profile to be used later in reports.
• To maximize opportunities for auditory and language learning in the classroom.
• To facilitate children’s communication in the classroom and ensure carryover of activities between the classroom and individualized sessions.
• The role of the classroom teacher is one of facilitator, diagnostician and observer.
• To engage individual and small groups of students, on a daily basis, in activities that contributes to the development of auditory and spoken language skills.
• To provide diagnostic information about auditory and spoken language skills of hearing-impaired students using formal tests, diagnostic teaching and observation.
• To provide a comfortable, supportive environment for parents in which they are respected, encouraged to observe their children in the individualized sessions, and supported in their efforts to communicate with their hearing-impaired children.
• To educate parents and provide them with follow-up activities which will enhance the development of their child’s communication skills.
• Discuss concerns regarding individual children’s needs, abilities, etc., with the director to ensure consistent and accurate communication with parents, thereby best serving the children.
• Will participate in staff meetings of the classroom team to plan classroom activities as dictated by the developmental needs and interest of the children. Teacher will provide input regarding the progress of students, curriculum issues, concerns, etc.
• Will attend other workshops/meetings for the hearing-impaired children, schedule permitting (e.g., cochlear implant workshops).
• Classroom lesson plans will be kept to ensure that information is available to professionals working in the classroom and to provide a record of activity in the classroom. Lesson plans and data from individual sessions/observations will be kept on a daily basis. Copies of lesson plans, activities, songs, finger plays, etc., that are related to the thematic units will be presented to the Co-Directors and stored in a “classroom curriculum file.”
• Contributions to the hearing-impaired children’s Individualized Educational Plans will be in the form of supplying goals and objectives in the areas of cognitive, motor, social-emotional, auditory, speech and language development.
• Semi-annual reports will be written for the students, and submitted on a timely basis on dates provided at the beginning of the school year (in November and June).
• Regular entries in a communication notebook provided by the classroom teacher will be one way of informing parents about audition, speech, language, and skill development which takes place with their children.

Qualifications necessary for this position include:

• An educational background and experience in early childhood education
• Training in auditory/oral education of hearing-impaired children and/or experience in parent counseling is preferred.
• Master’s degree in Education required; Master’s degree in Education of the Deaf preferred.
• Eligible for Florida certification as a teacher of the deaf.