English

Graduation Requirement: Four years of Upper School study.

We value critical and appreciative reading, lucid and beautiful writing, logical and imaginative thinking. In the English department, we hope to develop reverence for, and understanding of, literature as a direct path to these skills and habits.

By leading a thoughtful exploration of engaging works of literature, we help students begin to ponder human nature, the world around them and their place in it.

The study of literature also prompts questions related to craft and composition. To communicate their insights, ideas and questions, students need a clear sense of sentence, paragraph and essay structure, and they need to be aware of the many choices available to them as writers and speakers. To that end, the English faculty teach a wide range of writing, reading and speaking skills at all levels, designed to foster precision and elegance in composition and in thought.

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Meet Our English Faculty

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Logan Snow

Titles: English Teacher

Biography:

M.A.—Literature
B.A.—Political Science

"I enjoy teaching because it requires me to always be a student, and I learn every day from my students. I try to make literature relevant to students' lives. It is my hope that they are using our discussions of texts to examine their own lives."

Ms. Snow knows she made the right decision to work at Kent Denver every time she witnesses the physical beauty of our campus, the kindness and collaborative spirit of her colleagues and the welcoming nature of the Kent Denver community.

"I hope that when students reflect on my class they will remember being pushed out of their comfort zone and having to think in new ways through heated debates, lively discussions, Shakespearean skits, graphing out Huck Finn's morality or drawing Holden Caulfield isolated on a hill."

Ms. Snow also hopes to be known as a teacher who cared deeply about her students and worked hard to make independent schools more inclusive.

Bennett Spann

Titles: English Teacher

Biography:

M.A.—English
B.A.—English

“I enjoy seeing students grow and mature over time. I enjoy learning alongside my students, and I hope to make a positive impact on their lives as I show them that I believe in them and care about them.”

Mr. Spann has enjoyed challenging students to find meaning and purpose in their work since he started his career in education in 2004. In that time, he has taught classes like English, American studies, world literature and British literature, led major school initiatives, organized school trips to places like New York and Ecuador, served on an instructional leadership team and so much more. Most recently, Mr. Spann taught at the Career Education Center Early College in Denver for the past eight years, where he also served as the Senior Team Lead since 2017. He says he’s excited to join Kent Denver because it promotes innovation, is a strong community of inclusion and is incredibly welcoming for all.

Eddie Young

Titles: English Teacher, Assistant Speech Coach

Biography:

B.A.—English Creative Writing
M.A.—English Literature

"I think teaching is one of the more holistically human professions. Teachers can't—or don't want to—leave their work at school because everything we do is about inquiring, exploring, constantly adapting, and becoming our best selves. I'm constantly learning, even as I'm teaching."

For Mr. Young, Kent Denver is a second family. He is inspired every day by his colleagues, and enjoys the school's authentic sense of community.

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