Upper St. Clair High School

Mr. Thomas J. Yochum

English Language & Cultural Studies Instructor

Background:

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh's Masters of Arts in Teaching program, Mr. Yochum has been an English instructor at USCHS since the summer of 2007. Outside the classroom, Mr. Yochum is interested in modern art, vinyl records, and collecting first-edition novels.

Phone: 412.833.1600 x. 2629 Email: tyochum@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Courses Taught:

IB English 11 & 12: This is a two-year course that focuses on literature from around the world and presents ideas from both a micro and macro global perspective.  Genres include novels, essays, short stories, poetry, and genre.  Additionally, discussion-based inquiry, group projects/presentations, and an emphasis on the arts are hallmarks of the course.  Traditional aspects of the English classroom, including writing and high-level reading comprehension, are also ingrained.

English 12: This course provides a survey of English literature with an in-depth analysis of literature from the Anglo-Saxon Period, Medieval Era, Renaissance, Victorian Age, and Modernism. Coursework includes poetry, short stories, and an examination of modern texts outside the scope of British literature. The course also incorporates an examination of sophisticated grammar, expectations regarding the rules of usage, and implementation of composition skills as delineated in the sequential writing program.