When Everything Falls Apart: From Single Mom to Braille Teacher — Gail Showalter cover art

When Everything Falls Apart: From Single Mom to Braille Teacher — Gail Showalter

When Everything Falls Apart: From Single Mom to Braille Teacher — Gail Showalter

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 Sometimes life doesn’t just change your plans — it changes everything. In this episode of The SwagAbility Show, I sit down with Gail Showalter, a former high school teacher who found herself raising three children alone after losing the marriage, the security, and the future she thought she had built. What followed was a calling she never expected. In her 40s, Gail went back to school to become a certified Braille instructor, working one-on-one with children who were blind or visually impaired. Through this work, she discovered something powerful — resilience isn’t taught through sight, but through belief. We talk about: • Teaching children born without vision • Learning Braille later in life • Parenting as a single mom • Starting over in your 40s • Encouragement over judgment • And why baby steps still move you forward Today, Gail leads a nonprofit helping single mothers return to school and rebuild their futures — financially, emotionally, and spiritually. If you’ve ever felt like it’s too late to start again, this conversation will remind you that purpose often begins when everything else falls apart. Chapters: 00:00 – When Life Changes Direction 01:00 – Losing Stability as a Single Mom 03:25 – An Unexpected Calling to Teach the Blind 05:45 – Going Back to College in Your 40s 08:05 – Learning Braille from Scratch 10:30 – Teaching Children Without Sight 12:55 – Early Development for Blind Infants 15:20 – Understanding Braille & Tactile Learning 17:45 – First Experiences in the Resource Room 19:50 – Adapting Classroom Materials 22:15 – Lessons Learned from Students 24:40 – Staying Connected Years Later 26:50 – From Teacher to Advocate for Single Moms 28:20 – Launching a Nonprofit 30:45 – Faith as Motivation 32:45 – Compassion Over Judgment 35:05 – Helping Women Return to School 37:30 – Baby Steps Toward Change 39:50 – How to Connect with Gail To learn more about Swagability visit us at www.swagability.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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