Welcome to Mr. Bruton's Class!

Hello, my name is Mr. Bruton.  I am a Harnett County and a Lee County resident of Sanford, NC.  I say that because I live in Harnett and Lee County at the same time.  Most of my house is in Harnett County, but the part of my house where I sleep is in Lee County.  That is kind of crazy, isn't it? 

I am originally from the Golden State of California but moved here with my family when I was 10 years old.  I now live deep in the woods on the other side of an often flooded creek with squirrels, deer, and bunnys running through my yard on a regular basis.  So, now I am "mostly" a country boy.  But, with regular visits to my California home, visiting family and friends and my love for spicy foods, I still carry a lot of the West with me wherever I go.  That, and I am one-half Ute Indian from my mother's side of the family..."Maik'w" (that means "Greetings" in Ute.)  I love to learn about my own family's culture and other cultures from my students, books, documentaries, and traveling.  I also love to share my experiences from living and visiting the Western United States.  

I have been working for North Carolina Schools since 2011, when I began as a teacher's assistant at Greenwood Elementary (Go Hornetts!!) while attending college at East Carolina University (Go Pirates!!).  I have taught at East Lee Middle School (Rockets!) in Lee County and at Highland Middle School (Vikings!) in Harnett County.   I have enjoyed being a Sanlee Stallion since September of 2020. GO STALLIONS!!!

Something that my students and parents have learned about me is that I care for each and every one of my students.  Everyone is important in my classroom.  I believe in a friendly, fair, and exciting classroom learning environment.  Students will find that I am easy to talk with and I am not judgemental.  

Students will also find that I have a crazy sense of humor and will probably make them laugh at some point during class on a daily basis.  A Superlative recognition that I received when graduating from East Carolina University was "Most Likely to Have Fun with Students while Meeting Every Objective."

Teaching is my second profession.  I am a former Office Operations Manager and Technical Manager for a large Cable Television Company and Internet Service Provider.  I have also held jobs in restaurant management and also worked as a steak and seafood cook when I was a teenager.  I learned a lot from working in the "Real World" (outside of school) and like to share many of those experiences with my students.  

Why the change to teaching?

Well, I knew you would probably come around to asking why I decided to devote my life to teaching.  The answer is both simple and complicated.

When my son was a teenage driver, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident and I almost lost him.  It was a battle for his life and I am thankful that our Faith in God brought him through.  As a result of the accident, he has what is called a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  Since this occurred before the age of 21, he has what is referred to as a developmental disability.  We have had a lot of challenges since his accident and he became part of the reason that I decided to be a teacher. 

A couple of years later, I met my wife who worked for the Governor Morehead North Carolina School for the Blind.  She worked with students who were blind and could not see.  (Visual Impairment.)  It is also fair to point out that she is also blind.  My wife has been blind since birth due to a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) where, due to an excessive amount of oxygen administered at birth (she was pre-mature), her retina became detached and she became blind.  I was so amazed at the things she could do without ever having sight.   After a while, we became engaged and then married.  She now works for the Harnett County School System as a teacher for the Visually Impaired.  She was my other inspiration for becoming a teacher.

In addition to having a son, my wife and I have a 10-year-old daughter who attends Highland Elementary in Harnett County and has been taking classes in dual-immersion classes that have taught Spanish and English since Kindergarten.  I am looking forward to her one day being a Stallion at Sanlee Middle. 

I have attached a slide show to my profile so that you can get to know me a little as well as my family.  The pictures mainly come from a family vacation that we were blessed to have during the summer of 2021.  You will find that I like silly poses as well as meaningful backgrounds.  Fun and educational... the way I like it! 

Sincerely, 

Mr. MW Bruton

More about me: 

I am a Daddy to a 10-year-old daughter and a grown-up son.  

My family LOVES travelling.

Outside of school, I am a   Sunday School Teacher, Church Youth Group Leader, Church Technical Team Member, Church Safety Leader, Church Deacon, as well as other Church Positions, (Can you tell that I am involved in my Church?).

My favorite TV shows:  NCIS, Survivor, La Brea, The Blacklist, other suspense...  I also like Batman stuff, Pirate stuff, Native American objects and pictures, and Cultural art from many cultures.

Email Address:  wbruton.slms@lee.k12.nc.us

School Phone: 919.708.7227 (Ext 1501)

The best time to contact me via phone is from 1:00 to 2:30.  

Please feel free to email at anytime.