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Marja Wheeler has worked in the dormitories at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) for 25 years. She began her career as a dorm staff member in the high school dorm for Deaf boys and later became the supervisor of that same dorm. In 2005, when the Independent Living Apartment Program was launched, she was invited to develop and oversee the new initiative. For the past 12 years, she has served as the DSL (Department Supervisor of Life Skills) for both the Blind Department and the Apartment Programs at FSDB. In her current role, she continues to enhance the Independent Living Skills (ILS) curriculum and instruction, ensuring students are equipped with the tools they need to live independently after graduation.
Fun Fact: She can find a meme for any occasion.
Presentation
Teaching Independence through Failure
Taking a deeper look at the development of Independent Living Skills curriculum in a boarding setting. We will look at the philosophy of developing independence and going beyond the typical skills of cooking and budgeting. How can we develop students who can think and make decisions independently? How do we give them opportunities to develop their own systems of time management when we schedule their time for them? And more importantly, in an environment where staff are always present and ready to help with every task, how do we teach students it's okay to fail and then help them learn the steps to recover and move on with their success?
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