About Tonya

Hi! My name is Tonya Earle, a certified Infant Aquatic Survival Specialist. I live in LaPorte, Indiana and work at Shoreline Infant Aquatics in New Buffalo, Michigan with Susan Willey. I received a Bachelors in Elementary Education (2006) and a Masters (2013). I have taught kindergarten for 3 years and first grade for 12 years. Teaching children has always been my passion in life!

My husband and I have two girls that definitely keep us busy. In the summer of 2020, we installed a pool in our backyard. My first concern was that my youngest couldn't swim. My oldest is a great swimmer, but all the “what ifs” started entering my head. What if my little girl follows her sister outside and gets into the pool? What if someone leaves the door open? What if someone doesn't put up the ladder after they get out of the pool? And that’s when I knew I didn't have years to teach my 20 month old how to swim; I needed it done in weeks. I started researching and asking around for places that would teach little ones survival swim lessons, and that’s when I found Shoreline Infant Aquatics in New Buffalo, Michigan. I started taking my 20 month old for 10 minute lessons, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks. I couldn't believe the progress she would make each lesson. And that’s when I fell in love with Infant Aquatics. I started researching how to become an instructor, and with the help of Susan Willey and Judy Heumann, I am finally living this dream of teaching young ones to swim and survive during an aquatic accident.

I attended an intensive 6 week training in Longmont, Colorado with the founder of Infant Aquatics, Judy Heumann. It was all hands-on training where I learned how to teach babies 6-12 months how to float and the older kids the swim-float-swim method sequence. The program integrates child development, child behavior, anatomy and physiology, and sensory integration into teaching safe and effective swim lessons for all kids. I am so excited to be a part of Shoreline Infant Aquatics as a Certified Infant Aquatics Instructor. I have always been an advocate for children in the classroom, and now, I am so excited to be advocating for them in the water - where I can teach them a life-saving skill that's not taught in schools.