Aug 09 2010
Signing Time Instructors are your partners on the road to reading.
Listening to a child sound out a word or read a book for the first time is truly awe-inspiring. As parents and teachers, we understand that learning to read just doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a lot of work involved! Signing Time Instructors are here to help you in the important work of raising a reader – and here’s how: Continue Reading »
Jun 09 2010
By Gwen Cox
The Signing Time Academy is adding new people almost daily. Some of those new instructors are dads! We currently have three men teaching classes in their communities and loving what they are doing. Their classes are impacting families and changing lives in a positive way. Our three Academy dads each have a very different story to share. One dad even has over 740 children…and they are all 6 years old!
On Sunday we will celebrate fathers and how important they are to us. At the Signing Time Academy we recognize that dads play an important role not only in the home, but also in the world of teaching as they reach out to families and help them to discover the joy of signing with a child.
Read the three stories below and feel free to send them your feedback. If you are a dad and have considered doing something like this, contact them…they will be happy to share how you, too, can be a Signing Time Academy “DAD”. Enjoy!
May 10 2010
By Gwen Cox, Signing Time Academy Director
The Signing Time Academy has enjoyed tremendous growth, not only in the United States, but around the globe. Among the 200 certified instructors, the Academy has now expanded to include instructors from Canada, Germany, Australia, South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Many more have applied from other countries and are now in the process of becoming instructors, and so the number of countries with Signing Time Academy instructors is growing each week. The reaction of families all over the world to the top-rated Baby Signing Time program has been exciting. After all, parents’ desire to communicate with their children using signs is not exclusive to North America. Families everywhere want to experience the same joys and successes that the families here have enjoyed for many years. Families and educators in South America, Mexico, Africa, India, Russia and England are inquiring about classes, and many are inquiring about becoming Signing Time Academy Instructors themselves. Continue Reading »
Feb 11 2010
by Gwen Cox, Signing Time Academy Director
As you may have heard, the Signing Time Academy has recently opened its doors and the virtual halls are buzzing with activity. Each month I will focus on a special Instructor that has exemplified the essence of the Academy and its mission.
This month, however, I can’t just pick ONE! During the first few days after we launched this new network of certified instructors, there were a number of applicants that stood out among the rest because of their hard work and their “get it done” attitude. I nicknamed them The Dynamic Dozen.
This group has worked hard to help create an Academy that supports and motivates all who come through our “doors.” There are obviously many more Instructors that have since come on that are an integral part of the structure of the Academy and are doing an amazing job. You will hear about a new instructor each month!
And now, without further adieu, I’m pleased to introduce The Dynamic Dozen (plus one!):
Abbey Cook, Master Signing Time Instructor – Peoria, Illinois abbey@signingtimeacademy.com
Amanda Hudgins, Baby Signing Time Instructor – Surprise, Arizona amanda@signingtimeacademy.com
Brenda Jones, Master Signing Time Instructor – Corona, California brendajones@signingtimeacademy.com
Cathy Ybarra, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Henderson, Nevada cybarra@signingtimeacademy.com
Christine Fitzgerald, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Burbank, California cfitzgerald@signingtimeacademy.com
Dana Iungerich, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Frisco, Texas dana@signingtimeacademy.com
Franci Agajanian, Advanced Signing Time Instructor - Hermosa Beach, California teacherfranci@signingtimeacademy.com
Hedi Bright, Baby Signing Time Instructor – Laconia, New Hampshire
Jen Norton, Master Signing Time Instructor - Peterborough, Ontario jnorton@signingtimeacademy.com
Jennifer Turnbull, Master Signing Time Instructor – Knox, Maine jennifer@signingtimeacademy.com
Jessica McLaren, Baby Signing Time Instructor – Twenty-Nine Palms, California jmclaren@signingtimeacademy.com
Ronai Brumett, Master Signing Time Instructor – Maple Grove, Minnesota ronai@signingtimeacademy.com
Sue Rouillard, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Whitefield, New Hampshire sueroulillard@signingtimeacademy.com
I hope you will take some time today and contact them about classes that they are offering in your area. You can view all Certified Instructors here. Click on your state or Province to see if there is one near you. We have over 100 instructors either certified or in the process of becoming certified, so be sure to check back frequently.
If YOU want to become a part of the Academy, you can find out more at www.signingtimeacademy.com. This could be an opportunity for you in 2010, to start your own business, reaching out to families in your community and provide them with the educational tools that help them to learn to sign with their children. We are a very diverse institution with men and women from all parts of the world interested in teaching parents how to use the Signing Time materials to enhance their lives through early communication. We invite you to join us!
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*Next month read about THE DREAM TEAM. These individuals have been instrumental in using their creative abilities to help other Instructors make the teaching experience a memorable one!