What does a sign language teacher do?
A sign language teacher provides instruction in signed communication. They teach sign languages such as American Sign Language or British Sign Language to both deaf and hearing students. Fluency in sign language can significantly enhance quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing students.
Sign language teacher responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sign language teacher resumes:
- Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
- Develop syllabus and overall class curriculum.
- Re-Design the extensive ESL program.
- Interface with the dean of instruction regarding the professional learning community (PLC) and teachers' and programs' evaluation.
- Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative graphing, and charting exercises that develop problem-solving skills.
- Train teachers using SIOP models and
- Create formal and/or informal assessments in reading and mathematics every month.
Sign language teacher skills and personality traits
We calculated that 76% of Sign Language Teachers are proficient in ESL, Student Learning, and Classroom Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Sign Language Teachers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- ESL, 76%
Have developed curriculum and taught beginning and low-intermediate ESL, pronunciation and conversation, and citizenship preparation classes to adults.
- Student Learning, 7%
Administered Student Learning Objectives at the beginning and end of the year, with 95% of students showing measurable growth.
- Classroom Management, 4%
Implement classroom management procedures to establish a positive and safe learning environment.
- Deaf Culture, 3%
Created, and lead, a study group dedicated to American Sign Language and Deaf culture at Colorado State University.
- Learning Styles, 3%
Teach students by assisting them in their own learning styles and helping them learn to translate English to American Sign Language.
- Foreign Language, 2%
Attended monthly foreign language department meetings to develop assessments.
Common skills that a sign language teacher uses to do their job include "esl," "student learning," and "classroom management." You can find details on the most important sign language teacher responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a sign language teacher to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Additionally, a sign language teacher resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "attained valuable interpersonal experience with younger children, especial early childhood development. "
Speaking skills. Another essential skill to perform sign language teacher duties is speaking skills. Sign language teachers responsibilities require that "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." Sign language teachers also use speaking skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "developed and presented comprehensive lesson plans that facilitate all learning styles based on the general syllabus. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for sign language teachers to perform their duties. For an example of how sign language teacher responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a sign language teacher: "teach polish and european literature and writing composition. ".
The three companies that hire the most sign language teachers are:
- K123 sign language teachers jobs
- Greenfield Union School District3 sign language teachers jobs
- South Washington County Schools2 sign language teachers jobs
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Compare different sign language teachers
Sign language teacher vs. Instructor of spanish
A Spanish Instructor specializes in teaching the Spanish language in a classroom or one-on-one setting. Their responsibilities typically include preparing lesson plans according to the students' needs and capacity, researching and creating learning materials, facilitating discussions, conducting quizzes and examinations, organizing activities to enhance their language skills, grading the students' performances, and assisting students as necessary. Spanish Instructors monitor the students' progress while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between sign language teachers and instructor of spanish. For instance, sign language teacher responsibilities require skills such as "deaf culture," "autism," "instructional techniques," and "sentence structure." Whereas a instructor of spanish is skilled in "literature," "teaching methodologies," "professional development," and "language acquisition." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Instructors of spanish earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $61,981. On the other hand, sign language teachers are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $50,584.On average, instructors of spanish reach higher levels of education than sign language teachers. Instructors of spanish are 17.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Sign language teacher vs. French instructor
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, sign language teacher responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "esl," "student learning," "deaf culture," and "autism." Meanwhile, a french instructor has duties that require skills in areas such as "literature," "grammar," "teaching methodologies," and "language curriculum." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
French instructors earn a lower average salary than sign language teachers. But french instructors earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $57,989. Additionally, sign language teachers earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $50,584 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. French instructors tend to reach higher levels of education than sign language teachers. In fact, they're 22.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sign language teacher vs. Adjunct spanish instructor
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, sign language teachers are more likely to have skills like "student learning," "classroom management," "deaf culture," and "autism." But a adjunct spanish instructor is more likely to have skills like "spanish language," "literature," "instructional materials," and "language acquisition."
When it comes to education, adjunct spanish instructors tend to earn higher degree levels compared to sign language teachers. In fact, they're 32.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 4.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Sign language teacher vs. German instructor
Types of sign language teacher
Updated January 8, 2025
