Upper St. Clair High School

Jianina Duchi

English Teacher

Background:

I am a 2002 graduate of John Carroll University, where I majored in English. I began teaching at Upper St. Clair High School in January of 2003. The following year, I taught 8th grade language arts at Fort Couch Middle School. Additionally, in 2005, I received a Master's Degree in Education from Gannon University. In 2011, I returned to the high school where I currently teach 10th grade Academic English.

Phone: 412-833-1600 ex. 2638 Email: jduchi@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Courses Taught:

Academic 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, the short story, poetry, drama/tragedy, and the novel, 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 terms, contextual vocabulary, and words common to the SAT. Students will also prepare and deliver an informative speech.