Lessons HearMyHands Learned in Just 7 Short Weeks Since the New Year

HearMyHands' blog started New Years Eve 2011. I was over zealous and uneducated in the world of blogging and websites. But I knew I enjoyed signing, enjoyed teaching Little Fingers (my infant) ASL, and wanted to share that love. 

One year later (New Years Eve 2012), the blog was really coming along but I was still over zealous and uneducated in the world of blogging and websites! But I knew I still enjoyed signing, still enjoyed teaching Little Fingers (now a toddler) ASL, and wanted to share that love with others. In one short year I have met other great bloggers, signers, families using sign, individuals learning sign for various reasons, SLPs, teachers, and more. 

I started the year with high hopes of a new website to support all my new ideas, product development, and other projects up my sleeve. 7 weeks into the New Year 2013 I am realizing I need to refocus so I can continue the 3 reasons I started this in the first place (my love for ASL, desire to teach Little Fingers, and eagerness to share this love). 

I realized doing the Letter of the Week stopped me from talking about Little Fingers' signing progress, my life signing, my ability to use sign in my work life, and other things related to helping others with their signing requests. So .. this week it ends early! X, Y , Z! 

We are still finalizing our new website. We are still working on Signing Simon, which you have seen recently with our Valentine's Day Sign Language Packet and Winter ASL Packet on TeachersPayTeachers. But I also realized many of my readers and followers don't use TPT ... so while I have to figure out a way to pay for this awesome Signing Simon character, I also want to help when I can to my families and educators learning ASL! (I'm still working on that!)

We are still working on our new online store, which some have already found thanks to the wonderful World Wide Web and we're still working on our other secrets as well. Our goal this year continues to be helping others with sign language in many regards - sign language as means of communication for Deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals, individuals using it as a total communication (TC) approach, individuals who simply want to learn, and those who use it as an augmentative alternative communication (AAC) approach. Our feelings for ASL haven't changed, but our minds have opened that sign language can pertain to so many for so many reasons. 

During my doctoral journey, you've heard me talk a little about genetics and deafness and music therapy and deafness ... and now I'll be talking about pharmacology and deafness. If there's some way to tie deafness into my various courses I have to take to finish this degree, I will! BUT I realized I wasn't able to write about it as I wanted to and promised I would. So ... these are the things I will be working on - more informational blog posts. 

Lastly, I have been introduced to some great Speech Language Pathology blogs. While my passion is ASL and all topics related, I still am a SLP. I would like to start sharing these great sites and great ideas for other teachers, stay-at-home-moms and dads, and other SLPs. There are awesome ideas and materials that can pertain to so many of us. 

We welcome all comments and suggestions during this transition. And as always, Happy Signing!

As a 'thank you' for reading this long post, I'd like to offer the first 10 people who comment below a free copy of my Winter Sign Language packet. (I just ask for honest candid comments about what you thought of it).  Thanks everyone!