English Language and Literature Department

The English Language and Literature Department has developed a grades 9-12 college preparatory curriculum that focuses on critical reading, literary analysis, and writing. Additionally, students at all grade levels are challenged to improve their fluency in English. We want our students to become better readers, to think critically, to improve their writing both academic and non-academic, to enjoy their classes, and to be fully engaged.

Jan Zagaja

Department Chair, English Language and Literature Teacher
j.zagaja@acsbg.org
  • Honors Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English

  • St. Jerome's College, Waterloo, Canada

  • Master of Arts in English Literature

  • University of Waterloo, Canada

  • Bachelor of Arts in Education

  • University of Western Ontario, London, Canada

  • Post Graduate Studies in Romantic Poetry

  • University of Waterloo, Canada

  • Diploma in Creative Writing

  • Humber College, Toronto, Canada

Patrick Bicknell

English Language and Literature Teacher
p.bicknell@acsbg.org
  • Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies

  • University of North Carolina

  • Professional Teaching Certificate

Kiara Brooks

English Language and Literature Teacher
k.brooks@acsbg.org
  • Master of Arts Russian

  • Middlebury College

  • Bachelor of Theatre Arts

  • DePaul University

  • Professional Qualifications: English Language Arts 4-12, Washington, D.C.

Charlotte (Callie) Carew-Miller

English Language and Literature Teacher
c.carew-miller@acsbg.org
  • Master of Arts in Teaching of English

  • Columbia University

  • Bachelor of Arts in English and Near Eastern Studies

  • Cornell University

  • Professional Qualification: Provisional Teaching License from Massachusetts

Jessica Coates

English Language and Literature Teacher / 10th Grade Dean
j.coates@acsbg.org
  • Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

  • Bachelor of Science in English Education

  • Nicholls State University, Louisiana

Iain Flannery

English Language and Literature Teacher / Tangra Block Leader
i.flannery@acsbg.org
  • Master of Education

  • University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana

  • Bachelor of Arts in English, Minor: Religious Studies

  • Stonehill College, Massachusetts

  • Professional Qualification: Grades 5-12 English Language Arts Professional Educator's License, State of Indiana Department of Education

  • Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Cambridge University English Assessment

  • Qualified Teacher Status, UK Department for Education

Chloe Gunn

English Language and Literature Teacher
c.gunn@acsbg.org
  • Master of Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency

  • University of Iowa

  • Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Secondary Education

  • St. Ambrose University

  • Professional Qualification: 5-12 English Language Arts Iowa Standard Teaching License

Amber Hood

English Language and Literature Teacher
a.hood@acsbg.org
  • Master of Education

  • University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas

  • Bachelor of Arts English, Minor in French

  • Lyon College, Arkansas

Kevin Humbert

English Language and Literature Teacher
k.humbert@acsbg.org
  • Doctoral Candidate in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature

  • Master of Arts in Humanities

  • San Francisco State University

  • Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre

  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Mackenzie Kelley

English Language and Literature Teacher
m.kelley@acsbg.org
  • Bachelor of Arts in Education with a Concentration in English

  • University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, Maine

Stephen Morison, Jr.

Dean of Students / English Language and Literature Teacher
s.morison@acsbg.org
  • Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

  • University of Montana

  • Bachelor of Arts in English & History

  • Wesleyan University

  • Certificate in School Management and Leadership

  • Harvard University

Ellen Rennard

English Language and Literature Teacher
e.rennard@acsbg.org
  • Master of Arts in English

  • Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont

  • Bachelor of Arts in Independent Studies, American Studies Certificate with Distinction

  • Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

  • English 7-12 Professional Class IV Certification (lifetime), Missouri, USA

Tim Ward

English Language and Literature Teacher
t.ward@acsbg.org
  • Master of Philosophy in English Language and Literature 1660-1800

  • University of Oxford, UK

  • Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

  • Post graduate certificate in Education in English and P.E.

  • University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

  • Bachelor of Arts with Honors in English Language and Literature,

  • University of Oxford

Joseph Waugh

English Language and Literature Teacher
j.waugh@acsbg.org
  • Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

  • University of California Riverside

  • Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

  • Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing, Minor: Film Studies

  • Whittier College in Los Angeles

Electives

College Life newspaper, Grades 10-12
Phoenix News newsroom, Grades 9-12