• DeWalt, Ms. C. Dr. Caty DeWalt


    English Teacher

     

     

    Background:

    Dr. DeWalt earned her undergraduate degree at the College of Wooster, double majoring in English and Theater, her M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh, and her Ph.D. from Robert Morris University. She worked for 10 years in arts and nonprofit public relations, marketing, and fundraising before becoming a teacher. She taught for a year at Mt. Lebanon High School prior to being hired at Upper St. Clair High School in the fall of 2001.

    Courses Taught:

    MYP English 10: The objective of this course is to emphasize reading and writing through the study of universal themes reflected in the literature of numerous cultures and eras. Areas of concentration include literature, vocabulary, grammar and usage, speech techniques, and composition. Students will explore nonfiction, poetry, drama/tragedy, and fiction, including supplemental books. Student writing will include various multi-paragraph essays, both formal and informal. Students will also develop research skills by writing a critical paper in which they integrate primary and secondary source quotations. The grammar/usage study will reinforce skills needed to write clear and complete sentences with units on clauses, punctuation, and usage. The vocabulary program consists of literary and contextual vocabulary, as well as a rigorous online unit of enrichment words. Students will also prepare and deliver a formal speech. MYP instruction emphasizes IB principles, such as global contexts, Approaches to Learning, international mindedness, the Learner Profile, and development of skills for lifelong learning.

    Honors English 10: Honors English 10 offers motivated students a survey of classic literature of western civilization. Students will study various genres of literature from ancient Greece and the classic writers of England. Throughout the study of core works and supplemental novels, students will explore the nature of a literary classic, its universality, and its relevance to modern man. To complement the study of literature, students will write for various purposes and audiences, including a controlled literary research paper. Besides offering an accelerated reading and writing program, the course also provides opportunities to practice effective speech techniques. An ambitious independent vocabulary program and grammar study are other important components of this course.