English

The English program at Montgomery Bell Academy is designed to provide students with a series of college preparatory courses. Emphasis in these courses is placed on a knowledge of and good use of the disciplines of English language through study of grammar, vocabulary, composition, and literature. At every grade level from seven through twelve, the student is challenged to develop skills and abilities that will prepare him to meet college requirements, to understand himself and the society in which he lives, and to guide him to be a responsive and responsible citizen. Within the scope of the courses offered, the faculty emphasizes mastering fundamental skills, gaining important insights into life through the study of literature, and forming good study skills and self-discipline.

Summer Reading	Useful Links
Theme Dates	7 Steps to the 10th Grade English Research Paper
Writing Center	Harbrace Mark-up Tables

Faculty:

Mr. Michael Anderson e-mail | web page	Mike Anderson graduated with an English Degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and he is currently working on his Master's Degree in Education.  An MBA graduate, Mike began teaching at MBA in 2003.  He teaches 7th and 8th grade English, and he coaches 9th grade basketball and Varsity baseball.
Dr. Wayne Batten e-mail | web page	Wayne Batten received his B.A. and later his M.A. from the University of Wyoming.  He earned his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt.  He has taught every level of high school English since he came to MBA in 1985.  Dr. Batten currently teaches English I honors and English IV.  He has had articles published on Jesse Hill Ford, Kate Chopin, and Charles Dickens. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Dickens Project, where he also conducts the Secondary School Teachers’ Workshop. He is the faculty advisor for MBA's creative writing magazine, Archives.  He also enjoys playing classical piano and organ as well listening to opera.
Mr. Robert Black e-mail | web page	Robert has been a teacher and coach since 1989.  He spent six years at Sewanee where he coached football and baseball and taught in the PE department.  From there Robert went to San Antonio, Texas to TMI Episcopal where he taught English and was the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach for six years.  Robert is a 1985 graduate of MBA and a 1989 graduate of Sewanee.  At MBA, Robert is the Director of Admission and Financial Aid, teaches freshman English, and coaches varsity football.  Robert and his wife, Kelley, have a son, Aubrey, and a daughter, Jenna.
Mrs. Libby Bourland e-mail | web page	Libby Bourland is a graduate of Harpeth Hall and Vanderbilt University. She taught eighth and ninth grade English for three years with Metro Nashville Public Schools at John Trotwood Moore. In the eighties, she was a writer and curriculum developer for UPBEAT BASICS Children's Record Company and an account executive for Pat Patrick Productions. She came to MBA in 1994 after graduate work at Belmont University. She is currently teaching seventh grade English and grammar and of co-sponsoring The Buckeye and Top of the Hill. Libby is the wife of Til Bourland and mother of three sons, John Bearden, Rob Bearden, and Cole Bourland.
Mr. Bradford Gioia e-mail | web page	Brad Gioia has been the Headmaster at MBA since 1994. He received his B.A. in English from the University of the South, and later earned his M.A. in English from Middlebury College. He has taught AP English for his entire tenure at MBA. Among his other interests for MBA is a strong focus in setting up exchange programs for MBA students. He and his wife, Minna, have two children: Christopher and Gabrielle.
Mr. Hasting Hensel e-mail | web page	Hastings graduated last May with a B.A. in English from the University of the South. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, he graduated from The Hammond School in 2001. He teaches sophomore English, works in the Alumni and Develpment office, and helps sponsor the Rock Climbing and Creative Writing clubs. Hastings will also be coaching Microbe soccer this fall. His hobbies include writing, playing guitar, and outdoor recreation.
Mr. Michael Kelly e-mail | web page	Michael Kelly earned his B.A. H.D.E (Higher Diploma in Education), University College Cork , Ireland.  Having taught for two years in Ireland and two years in England, he has been teaching junior (lead teacher) and sophomore English at MBA since 1998.  Hailing from Cahir, Co. Tipperary , Ireland , he has two brothers, two sisters and his mother living there.  As an MBA teacher he also assists with a school-wide speech competition, coaches varsity golf, is a track and field assistant, and is a founding member of the King Society.  He also plays the occasional game of golf.
Dr. Sean Kinch e-mail | web page	Sean Kinch, a native of Austin, TX, received a B.A. in English from Stanford University in 1990. He completed a PhD at The University of Texas at Austin in modern fiction in 2001. Before starting at MBA in 2002, he taught at Fort Worth Country Day School and St. Michael's Academy in Austin. He teaches junior and senior English and coaches the junior school tennis team. Sean and his wife, Jill, have an Italian greyhound named Brutus.
Mr. Richard Klausner e-mail | webpage	A graduate of MBA, Richard Klausner has been teaching at MBA since 1996. He is a ninth grade English teacher, assistant soccer coach, and Assistant Director of College Counseling. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and earned his Masters Degree in Literature from University of California , Irvine .  He first taught at Aspen Country Day School where he was Head of the English Department and head soccer coach from 1978-1985. He then moved to Francis Parker School in San Diego where he taught British Literature and was the head soccer coach until 1996 when he returned to MBA.
Mr. Malcolm Morrison e-mail | webpage	Malcolm has been at MBA since 2000 teaching English and Theater. He graduated from the University of London with a degree in English with Drama and immediately began teaching English in Central London. When the ILEA disbanded in 1988, he became Director of Performing Arts at a large Central London College training 16+ year-olds for careers in performance. During this time he was also the Chief Examiner for Community Theatre in England and Wales. In 2000, after twenty-five years in London, he emigrated to the USA with Karyn, a singer-songwriter. As a British native, combining his English and Theater teaching and using diverse and varied approaches to literature has been most rewarding for him and his junior students. He also teaches theater to the seventh and eighth grades. He also takes great pleasure in teaching Mediterranean Cookery to faculty, parents and students at MBA and in the wider community. He has one son and the remainder of his family is in England.
Mr. Haywood Moxley e-mail | web page	Haywood Moxley has taught at MBA. since 1986. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Georgia and an M.A. from the University of South Carolina. Currently he teaches English II Honors and English IV. He sponsors THE BELL and has coached junior-school basketball, baseball, and tennis. In 2003, he started the Harpeth Hall-M.B.A. Creative Writing Group that meets monthly during the school year. Serving on the Discipline Committee, Mr. Moxley is also the discipline supervisor for the sophomore class.
Mrs. Jo Palmore e-mail | web page	Jo Palmore has served as MBA's English Department head since 1993. She earned a B.A. in English and an M.S. in English Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She taught at Clarksville High School and Farragut High School before coming to MBA, where she has been for 22 years. She teaches English I and English IV AP, and she has been involved in multiple MBA committees. She also serves as a reader for the AP English Literature and the SAT II Writing exams, and has co-authored 5 books on standardized testing. She has also been a contributing writer for the ACT tests for a number of years. Jo is a member of MBA's Totomoi Society.
Mrs. Carole Pettus e-mail | web page	Carole Pettus graduated from David Lipscomb University before receiving her MA from Peabody College.  She is began teaching at MBA in 2000 after spending 31 years teaching in Nashville's public school system.  She teaches 8th grade English at MBA and sponsors the Junior School publications Top of the Hill and The Buckeye.  She and her husband Ron live on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee.  Carole enjoys reading, walking with her dogs, and spending time with her sons Mark, Jay, and Scott.
Mr. Michael Risen e-mail | web page	Michael graduated in 2001 from the College of William and Mary with a double-major in English and Philosophy. Also, while in college, he worked as a carpenter for the theatre department. Before William and Mary, he was a student here at MBA, graduating in 1997. He has been teaching English and coaching varsity debate at MBA since the fall of 2003. When not travelling to tournaments, he likes to spend his spare time playing with his two dogs, Starch and Tucker.
Mr. Emmett Russell e-mail | web page	A 1988 graduate of MBA, Emmett received his BA from Rhodes College in 1992 and his Masters Degree in English through the Bread Loaf Program in 2004. Before coming to MBA in 1996, Emmett taught at Memphis University School and Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Georgia. Emmett teaches 7th grade Literature and Composition as well as 7th grade Grammar and Vocabulary. He is the 7th grade class advisor as well as the faculty Totomoi advisor. Emmett is also the head microbe cross-country coach, and he is an assistant microbe track coach. He and his wife, Gina, have a daughter named Sabrina Abigail.
Mr. Robert Sawyer e-mail | web page	Robert Sawyer graduated from MBA in 1998 before receiving his B.A. in the College Scholars program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2002. In 2004, he began work on his M.A. from Middlebury College’s Breadloaf School of English. He has been at MBA since 2002 as an English teacher. He is the head 9th grade football coach and he assists with varsity football, ultimate frisbee, and varsity track. He is also the advisor for MBA's FCA program and will be leading MBA's PEAKS trip this summer.
Mr. Steven Sowell e-mail | web page	After graduating MBA in 1988, Steven Sowell pursued a bachelor's degree at Lipscomb University , majoring in English. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he enrolled in the Internship Induction Program at Vanderbilt University , through which he earned a Master of Education degree and a year of teaching experience in the Nashville Metropolitan School System. He then taught English and history at Heritage Hall School in Oklahoma City , OK , eventually deciding to return to graduate school. In the fall of 1995, he matriculated at the University of Miami , where he later earned a Master of Arts degree in English Literature. In the spring of 2005, he successfully completed his doctorate in the same field. Having returned to MBA in 2001, he teaches English and coaches wrestling,.
Mrs. Carol Steele e-mail | web page	Carol Steele has been at MBA since 1985, and she teaches English 7 and Grammar/Vocabulary. She earned her B.S. in English from MTSU and her B.S. in Elementary Education from UT. She later earned her M.Ed. in Reading from TSU. At this time, she is also involved with the Spelling Bee. She has two sons, Chris and Jon, who graduated from MBA. She has a grandson, Aidan, and a granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth. She also has a puppy, Mr. Dog, a Coton de Tulear. Her other interests include reading, movies, sewing and travel.