Merritt Lott Scheffler spent her early years in Flint before her family set their sights on Ann Arbor in 1965 when both parents enrolled at the University of Michigan. After completing their degrees, her father found his calling at the Downriver Guidance Center, while her mother, Virginia Russell-Sheldon, worked as an art teacher at Forsythe Middle School for most of her career with AAPS.
Scheffler, a 1981 graduate of Huron High School, became the owner of the 1950s-style Dexter Diner in nearby Dexter. But on Friday the 13th during Dexter Daze 2003, a fire in the neighboring building left her restaurant severely damaged. Scheffler viewed this as an opportunity for reinvention and after selling the diner, she returned to school, eventually following in her mother’s footsteps to Forsythe Middle School. There, she took on two long-term substitute positions—first as a lead teacher helping prepare for Skyline High School’s opening, then as a teaching assistant the following fall. She has been at Skyline since 2003.
Scheffler makes special connections with each one of her students, says Principal Casey Elmore, adding that Skyline is lucky to have her on its team.
“She has formed deep and long-lasting relationships with students and families that last long beyond when they move on from Skyline,” says Elmore. “She goes above and beyond to make sure that students are supported and included with their gen ed peers whenever possible. She has been a teaching assistant that we have relied upon for years for her expertise and experience to help us better serve students.”
Scheffler lives on Buck Lake in Hamburg Township, where she and her late husband raised their two boys after moving there in 2013. She has five grandchildren, with a sixth expected any minute.
Describe a typical day in your classroom:
A typical day at work begins at 7:30 a.m. waiting for the buses and flows into 1st hour in Math. We talk about the previous night a bit, what the weather is and will be, the Question of the Day, and then into whatever Math assignment there is.
In the second hour (my favorite) the students are put into groups by the Lead Teacher, Ms. Gregory. Half go into Skyline Café to work in our student-run café or remain in her classroom to work on other Life Skills. The students in the Café, along with Treavor R. and myself, collect orders, write up tickets for orders, and make coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. The students love the Café and the independence it offers them. They learn science, math, social skills, cooking, and teamwork. They earn money from their sales and have saved money to purchase items individually and independently.
Students go to lunch after the third hour, and the fourth hour is their electives. I am with four students in a Web Design class. They are going to develop and design a Web Page for the Skyline Café so staff can order from the Web. In the fifth hour, I have two students, and we are in Art Class. It’s a nice way to wind down the day, too!
How do you foster independence in your students while still providing necessary support?
My methods to foster independence, learn, and feel more positive about life than negative is infusing a very straightforward approach. This includes all my communication both verbal and non. I treat them as a typical teen and really want them to see themselves this way as much as possible. Life is about lots of things and they encompass positive and negative energy your whole life. I find that if you feel safe and understood and heard by those teaching you and seeing you for the majority of their day you can thrive with the right pieces put together.
What is your favorite part of being a teaching assistant?
My favorite part about being a TA is seeing the progress through their high school years at Skyline. While there are always ups and downs and sideways, it’s simply part of the process. I develop relationships with students as best I can. Some relationships are more developed than others. I have established relationships with a number of former students and continue our relationship/friendship outside of school. We work on social skills mostly when we hang out. I work with one former student each summer and through the year we get together once a month to do lunch/dinner etc.
What do you enjoy about working at Skyline?
Skyline tries to foster a healthy relationship among staff and students. It’s difficult to do with so many personalities but we manage in our own way. If I did not feel supported by staff or admin it would make my job a hundred times less rewarding. Our students while in General Ed classes definitely feel included and acknowledged a large percentage of the time. We all must do our part to make all feel welcome and accepted and we try to foster this frequently.
What methods do you use to track and report on your students’ progress?
Adaptations happen each and every day. There are small changes and sometimes larger changes. Each student’s needs become clearer as we get to know them. It’s so important that you become very good at adjusting schedules, materials, seating arrangements, increasing independence, and fostering confidence. As a TA, things occur on the fly and you need to advocate when needed and let things fly on their own path at times, too. This allows the ability to work out conflicts or differences. Our students need these skills as much as we do.
What are the biggest challenges you face at work?
My biggest challenge is almost always the lack of understanding of what other staff believe our students are capable of.
Did you enjoy being the Women’s Skyline Bowling Coach?
I coached the first four years at Skyline. I still am friends with all the ladies I coached, including an amazing foreign exchange student. Having only 9th graders in the first year and the following years was tough. By our senior year, we beat Huron and Pioneer and one of my girls rolled a 300. She was a deaf student with amazing abilities and smarts.
How do you spend your free time?
My hobbies are reading, writing, football and more football, and travel with whoever will go with me. I have been to Costa Rica and Amsterdam in the last few years. I discovered that going abroad comes with a better understanding of where I live. The positives and negatives of traveling and adventure with friends and family give me experience that I will never lose. I enjoy living in the present and trying to make each day an experience that I learn from and enjoy.
What are your favorite local restaurants?
I would call myself a foodie and love to recommend great restaurants to visit. Going out is a big part of social life with family/friends. I would recommend Knight’s Steakhouse restaurants and their amazing Knight’s Market butcher shop. Dimo’s Deli & Donuts serves an amazing breakfast or lunch with the flare for the dramatic from Waleed who is the owner and who worked with his father in the same location. I like family-owned businesses most, but will venture for an amazing Whopper Jr. Yum!
How do you spend your summers?
My summer is filled with trips with my grandkids (twins and three others), hanging at my beach, enjoying working around the house, and reading on the deck. I’m also known to put my Bose speaker on the deck, blast some music, and dance like no one is watching. I can have something to do or nothing to do and I can be happy either way. I love to read John Grisham and others. The library has always been a hideaway spot wherever I am or live.
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