Language Acquisition Support Worker
Under the direction and supervision of the Principal and in consultation with the Special Education Teacher and classroom teacher, the Language Acquisition Support Worker (LASW) provides language modeling services, oral/manual, depending upon the student need, as part of a communication support continuum and educational assistance including preparation of materials for students who are deaf. The LASW role will provide bilingual/bicultural supports for students who are deaf and hard of hearing to aid in the development of American Sign Language/English.
Education & Experience:
Sign Language Proficiency minimum ASL proficient score of 3 and above preferred and
Community college diploma in related field such as Educational Assistant, Early Childhood Education, Youth Care Worker, Child and Youth Worker, or ASL Instructor.
Skills Required:
Demonstrated fluency in American Sign Language (ASL)
Knowledge of child and language development
Knowledge of cross-cultural issues for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, student, staff and interpreters
Ability to work in collaboration with the school personnel in the supervision and instruction of students with special education needs
Ability to implement instruction while ensuring the safety of the student
Demonstrated ability to respect the confidentiality of information, practices tact and diplomacy
Promotes an atmosphere of respect for children and adults
Duties and Responsibilities:
Facilitate the student’s language acquisition in the educational environment by providing access to ASL in a variety of classroom settings including field trips, assemblies, alternative programs; language acquisition support may also include other school environment settings such as recess and nutrition breaks, as required.
B ring educational activities and conversation to a student’s linguistic level through language modeling.
Increase the student’s vocabulary, syntax and critical thinking\
Interact with the student to focus their attention on relevant information, guide appropriate responses, advise student of social expectations, including but not limited to turn taking, appropriate vocalization and how language is influenced by social distance.
Provide educational support in collaboration with the teacher(s) and other support staff personnel.
Prepare for the day by maintaining good communication with the teacher, becoming familiar with content areas and developing strategies to facilitate student success.
Participate in parent teacher interviews, case conferences and IEP meetings when directed by the teacher or Principal.
In conjunction with the teacher, establish a physical setting within the learning environment for communication interaction.
Meet with designated system special education teachers and classroom teachers on a regular basis regarding the communication needs of the student.
Participate as an active member of the educational team and acts as an adult role model to all students.
Other duties as assigned.
Please do not email resumes directly. Resumes sent via email will not be accepted.
It is expected that a short list of candidates will be developed from a review of the letters of application, resumes, and qualifications of the candidates for the interview process. The Board reserves the right to limit interviews to qualified candidates.
Employment Equity Statement
Hamilton-Wentworth
District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to building inclusive
learning and working environments where students see themselves
reflected in the curriculum, staff population, physical surroundings and
the broader community.
HWDSB’s
mission is to empower students to learn and grow to their full
potential in a diverse world. Guided by this mission, HWDSB strives to
build a workforce that embodies the values of human rights, equity,
diversity and inclusion, while reflecting and welcoming the diverse and
distinct identities, experiences and needs of our students and our
communities.
HWDSB
seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and
inclusion, and who will contribute to the vision of creating inclusive
and equitable outcomes. HWDSB especially invites and welcomes
applications from:
Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples;)
Members
of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race,
ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
(e.g. Black and racialized communities, immigrant communities, etc.)
Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
Persons who identify as women; and
Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. (i.e. Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+)
As
part of HWDSB’s commitment to employment equity and removing barriers
to groups that have faced and continue to face barriers in employment,
we invite all applicants to complete a voluntary question(s) that
collects identity-based information. The voluntary question(s) is on the
Apply to Education application page for this position.
HWDSB
is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment and
selection process, based on any human rights protected grounds. If you
require accommodation, please notify us in advance and we will work with
you to meet your needs.
Land Acknowledgement
HWDSB is
located on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Confederacy land as
determined by the Dish with One Spoon treaty. The Dish with One Spoon
wampum belt represents the treaty relationship between the Haudenosaunee
Confederacy and Anishinaabe with respect to sharing the land and
resources thereon. The intent of this agreement is for all nations
sharing this territory to do so responsibly, respectfully and
sustainably in perpetuity. We respect the longstanding relationships
with the local Indigenous communities, the Mississaugas of the Credit
First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River.
Applicant Self-Identification Form
The
information collected on this form is used to monitor HWDSB’s progress
toward our equity goals including our commitment to diversity in HWDSB
recruitment and hiring practices.
We
are committed to the security and confidentiality of information under
our control, and to the protection of privacy with respect to personal
and confidential information that is collected, used, disclosed and
retained in the system (Policy 1.6 - Privacy). Information on this form is collected pursuant to Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan (Ministry of Education) and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).
Access to this form is restricted to specific individuals in Human
Resources. The Research and Analytics Department will use aggregate data
from all the forms (not individual data) for internal reporting. Their
access and use of the data is governed by MFIPPA and ethical research practices.
Applicant Self-Identification Forms will be maintained in the Human
Resources job competition file and securely destroyed 1 year after the job posting for candidates not selected for an interview and 6 years after the
job posting for candidates interviewed, in accordance with general records retention principles.
If
you prefer not to answer any of the questions, you can select “prefer
not to answer”. This in no way affects your application or the applicant
selection process. If you have questions or concerns about this form
please contact
[email protected].
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