| English Dept Bios
Renate Anderson
[Department Chair]
Ms. Anderson integrates literature, history, and the arts in her World Literature and Advanced Placement Art History classes. Formerly a housing and environmental policy advocate, she decided to pursue her interest in the humanities and education after living for three years in the region of Provence, France. Following her student teaching in Wellington, New Zealand, Ms. Anderson joined Payton in 2001, and after two years teaching American Literature and Contemporary U.S. History, she left to attend the University of Chicago. There she completed the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities, concentrating her studies on Renaissance art and history. Ms. Anderson also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in Planning, Public Policy and Management and a Master of Education from DePaul University.
Email: andersonr@wpcp.org
David Adamji
Mr. David Adamji has moved around quite a bit before finally landing here at Payton. He began his teaching career as a Teach for America Corps member in New Orleans, Louisiana. He taught 9th-12th grade at Marion Abramson Senior High School and helped start a varsity soccer program at a neighboring school. After returning to Chicago, he worked for a year as a substitute at Payton and then taught English and writing and coached baseball for two years at CICS Northtown Academy. He also spent a year teaching in Michigan as his wife pursued her master’s degree in Ann Arbor.
Mr. Adamji grew up in Evanston, Illinois and is a graduate of Kalamazoo College where he spent a year abroad in East Africa and played both varsity soccer and baseball. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English and plans to finish during the 2008-2009 school year. Outside of school, he enjoys hanging out with his wife, traveling, reading, playing a variety of pick-up sports, cooking, and practicing the guitar at The Old Town School of Folk Music.
Email: adamjid@wpcp.org
Tiffany Batiste-Gilmore
Coming Soon.
Email: batiste-gilmoret@wpcp.org
Kerry Catlin
Ms. Kerry Catlin joins the English Department after a five-year extended family leave. Before her leave, she spent six years teaching English and Drama at Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center. She began her teaching career at Farragut Career Academy. While on family leave, Ms. Catlin taught Drama and served as Master Teacher with Lookingglass Theatre Company. At Payton, she is teaching British Literature, AP Language and Composition, and Drama. Ms. Catlin will also be sponsoring Payton Players. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and completed her M.Ed. at DePaul University.
Email: catlink@wpcp.org
Maryann Marchiafava
Coming Soon.
Email: marchiafavam@wpcp.org
Jonathan Miller
With a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middlebury College and a Master's in Literature from Yale University, Mr. Miller began his professional life managing bookstores in New York City. Having earned a Juris Doctor from Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, Mr. Miller worked as an attorney for North Mississippi Rural Legal Services and for the Mississippi Department of Human Services’ Child Support Enforcement Division. Mr. Miller came to Chicago in 1997 as an Account Supervisor for Sudler and Company Property Management, and received a Master's in Education from Northwestern University in 2001.
Mr. Miller has taught each level of curriculum in the English Department, is the Faculty Advisor to the school newspaper, The Paw Print, and is a founding member of the Faculty Advisory Committee to Payton’s "Windy City Sweetness Chapter" of the National Honors Society. Other accomplishments include being one of twenty-four finalists for the Suave Performance Plus Award (2004); receiving a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study John Milton’s writings (2004); appointment as a Teacher’s Assistant in Dr. Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon’s "Problems in the Philosophy of Education" class at Northwestern University, (2005); and the award of a grant to develop a study skills program for rising sophomores and matriculating freshmen (2006). During academic year 2006-2007 Mr. Miller completed a portfolio for National Board Certification candidacy requirements.
Mr. Miller served Payton as Department Chair in English from 2004-2007. In academic year 2007-2008 Mr. Miller will teach the AP Literature and Composition program and will represent the English Department on the Professional Planning and Leadership Committee (PPLC).
"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." John Cotton Dana (1856-1929).
Email: millerj@wpcp.org
Michelle Mowery
Michelle Mowery has taught for many years in different educational settings. She was a Lecturer in English at St. Xavier University for 13 years where she team-taught core courses with music, art, and speech professors and led a senior level research course in the liberal arts division. She also served as English Department Chair, English teacher, and NHS Adviser at Regina Dominican High School. Most recently she taught English at Lake Forest Academy where she was also the girls junior varsity tennis coach and a member of the Technology Committee. Ms. Mowery is a graduate of the University of Chicago where she received a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature. She later attended Loyola University Chicago to earn her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.
Email: mowerym@wpcp.org
Molly Spooner
Molly Spooner graduated from Dartmouth College, where she majored in Spanish Literature. During her Junior year she participated in the “Semester at Sea” program, which took her around the world to countries such as Vietnam, India, Russia, and Israel.
Ms. Spooner spent three years in the private sector before enrolling in the Masters in Education program at DePaul University. She began her teaching career at Marshall High School in 2003. Academic year 2006-2007 was Ms. Spooner’s first year at Walter Payton College Prep, when she introduced the English Department’s elective in Latin-American Literature, sponsored Payton’s Art and Literature Magazine, organized Payton’s participation in the Poetry Out Loud contest, and, with the other Freshmen English teachers, created a new Freshmen program.
Email: spoonerm@wpcp.org
Greg Wright
Coming Soon.
Email: wrightg@wpcp.org
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TEACHER BIOS
Renate Anderson
David Adamji
Tiffany Batiste-Gilmore
Kerry Catlin
Maryann Marchiafava
Jonathan Miller
Michelle Mowery
Molly Spooner
Greg Wright
English I – Survey Lit
English II - American Literature
English III – British Literature
English IV – World Literature
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
Honors African American Literature
Honors Creative Writing
Honors Drama: Introduction to Theatre Arts
Journalism Newspaper I, II, III
Journalism Yearbook I
Journalism Yearbook II
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