Applying anthropology often involves going from the academy to the real world. In this article, we discuss bringing anthropological knowledge and practice back to the academy. The authors collaborated with a local community organization and with a university department to teach faculty, staff, and students American Sign Language and about Deaf culture. One author is a hard of hearing anthropologist who reflects on the way this project began through experiences as an adjunct professor at two universities. Through this example, we explore the lessons we learned and provide advice.