Welcome to American Sign Language

Welcome+to+American+Sign+Language

Kalista Miller, Staff Writer

  Mayo High School would like to welcome a new American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, Mrs. Bruns. Even though she only has three classes, she has had a busy start to her first school year, but the warm welcome from her students and Mayo’s staff have helped her feel right at home.

      Mrs. Bruns has been using sign language for over 25 years, teaching and being an interpreter. Before teaching at Mayo, Mrs. Bruns was a staff interpreter in an agency in North Carolina. Not only has she worked with deaf people but she is also married to a deaf man. Mrs. Bruns learned ASL because of her husband, Gary. Mrs. Bruns met her husband in the years after college. At the time she didn’t know any sign language; therefore, Gary taught her. In her family her husband is the only deaf person, but her children and grandchildren learned or are learning ASL.

      In her free time Mrs. Bruns loves to spend time with her family and run. Mrs. Bruns said she loves to spend time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Mrs.Bruns is also involved greatly in the deaf community.

           Before Mrs. Bruns learned ASL she knew she would be teaching but never considered it to be ASL. As stated earlier, Mrs. Bruns’s husband taught her ASL. Prior to meeting her husband she had no exposure to ASL. Mrs. Bruns also understands and has an appreciation for sign language because of her spouse; she believes she has learned but is also still learning. She also believes that she is still gaining more of an appreciation for the language.

When Mrs. Bruns started at Mayo she found a welcoming environment with her students and her coworkers. Mrs. Bruns calls her student respectful, as she hopes to get closer with them. She also hopes to get more involved with extra activities. Mrs. Bruns not only teaches at Mayo but also at Century. Wherever she is throughout the day, she enjoys her time interacting with others and hopes to have a great year with all of her students and fellow staff.