Ms. Janet Connor, from driving the bus to supervising freshman free blocks on Fridays, to teaching American Sign Language, what can’t she do?

Ms. Connor initially learned American Sign Language from a Deaf neighbor after moving to a new house in Rhode Island. Her neighbor went to the Rhode Island School for the Deaf, and that girl went on to become her best friend. Ms. Connor would play with her friend every day, and that is where Ms. Connor initially gained interest in sign language.

At age fifteen she moved to North Carolina because of her father’s job. And she “felt like a misplaced northerner” when she first moved but eventually she adjusted. 

She studied communications in college at UNC Chapel Hill and would later go on to be a Deaf interpreter for various corporations.

Ms. Connor initially got a contract with Mecklenburg County Health and Human Services teaching sign language to families with Deaf children.

In 2010 she came to teach at CSD but for her first two years she worked in the special education classroom as a teachers assistant.

In 2012 she started teaching high school American Sign Language and has been teaching ASL 1-4 for 10 years. First year ASL begins with basic sign language and the ASL alphabet and students learn more each year.

Ms. Connor also coaches a running group and has run 6 marathons including New York City and Paris.

Other things she enjoys are travel in general and baking.

Ms. Connor says the most rewarding part of teaching ASL is interacting with the students.