The Life Skills program is an opportunity that is offered at Gibson Southern High School to help students with disabilities become more independent and acquire the skills needed to get a job. 

Things in the classroom have been different this year with COVID. It is hard to find activities to do with the kids with social distancing, and they can no longer go on field trips. The teacher and aides are doing what they can to help these students. 

The room is staffed by teacher Tiffany Absher and aides Amy Foster, Jodi Meuser, April Lanham, and Danny Thomas.

The teacher and aides are all trying to help these students with their academics.

“We provide significant accommodations to the general education curriculum to make academics accessible to them,” Absher said. 

They also work with students to help them prepare for a life outside of high school. They work on things such as hygiene, career exploration, cooking, laundry, and social skills. 

Peer tutors, such as juniors Cassidy Hasenour and Kristen Spindler, also come in during their study hall periods and help the students.

“As a peer tutor, you help the students with homework they may have, participate and lead class activities that may be going on to help the kids feel more involved, and help the teachers take care of things around the room,” Hasenour said. 

The room has recently added a new student. Tyler is a freshman who came to Gibson Southern from Bradenton, Florida. 

Tyler has enjoyed getting to know the teachers and other students in the room such as Tristan Dunn, Merrik Chandler, Joshua Leaf, Starre Odom, and Erik Kolb.

The peer tutors, teacher, and aids have all helped Tyler get settled into the life skills room at Gibson Southern.

“I have helped Tyler collect recyclables while walking by all of the classrooms,” Spindler said. 

Tyler also enjoys going to the gym to practice basketball.

The teacher, aids, and peer tutors have helped so many students acquire the skills needed for jobs and prepare them for a life after school and they plan to do the same for Tyler.