As the Independent Study and Mentorship Program comes to a close with their Final Presentation Night on April 25, the success of the ISM Program at Emerson High School and s success of their organized events can be attributed to Peyton McCutchen. Peyton McCutchen teaches  the Independent and Study Mentorship Program at Emerson High School and AP Language and Literature. With her background stemming from political journalism and non-profit organization marketing, McCutchen knew that she always wanted to teach. However, she strayed away from the teaching path during her time at university.

“When I got into the real world and started doing it, I realized that it wasn’t what I actually enjoyed doing. I couldn’t be more happy for making that switch and Emerson is honestly the reason for that,” McCutchen said. 

This is McCutchen’s second year of teaching at Emerson High School and ever since she transitioned from non-profit work to teaching, McCutchen’s dedication to both the AP Lang and ISM programs at Emerson can be seen through the one-on-one personal experiences she aims to foster in both classes for her students.

“I feel that the students are so willing to learn here and I would never want to give up teaching AP Lang because I get all those hands-on teaching moments where I see a concept click for a student after struggling with it for months,” McCutchen said. “That is one of the most rewarding moments I’ve been lucky to have while teaching.” 

McCutchen was requested to specially teach the Independent Study and Mentorship program, and it turned out to be a class she values mentoring and has shared precious memories with. McCutchen will welcome in the next ISM 1 class next year as the program continues to expand into a larger class. 

“I committed to it originally because they asked me to. I like teaching both ISM and AP Language and Literature because while AP Lang is more hands-on, ISM lets me allow students to do what they want and I get to see the personal creativity and excitement behind their eyes.” 

She has plans to grow the ISM curriculum to involve peer feedback and encourage students to practice professionalism within the classroom environment. McCutchen wants to continue personal benchmarks for students during their Original Work and Final Product creation process. She also wants to prioritize class discussions and continue creating a safe environment for an exchange of perspectives, especially in a class like ISM where students have such diverse interests. 

“I’d like to find a way to incorporate professionalism into the classroom without it feeling like a burden,” McCutchen said, “I’ve been leaning more towards peer-to-peer feedback because even though there is a level of credibility receiving advice from me, I think that a peer personally giving criticism has a greater impact and can be useful to build upon.” 

Even though McCutchen’s classroom will start fresh next year as she welcomes new students, she has plans to continue creating a collaborative open environment for her students. Her ideal vision is to allow students to not be divided and interact with each other in a positive, character building way. 

“I want to find a way to lessen the divide in seating and I want us to feel like one big classroom, so a bond can grow between all students,” McCutchen said. “It’s easier for us to find our clique, but I want students to be able to create connections between other students that they wouldn’t normally find themselves connecting with.” 

McCutchen has made close relationships with her students and she hopes to foster a space where students can open up to her. 

“The most memorable moments are when I’ve had those moments with students where we open with each other and see that my students are human,” McCutchen said. “They need someone to lean on especially when school or what’s happening within their lives gets overwhelming.” 

Outside of school and grading papers, McCutchen finds herself spending time with her plants: repotting them and reorganizing them or spending quality time with her pets. She loves hanging out with friends and values the time she has to herself to reboot. 

“This weekend my friends and I actually went out to see the theater and went to a rage room after,” McCutchen said. 

As the school year ends and McCutchen gets ready for the next prospective AP Language and Literature and ISM class, she imparts a message to incoming students of her class in hopes of another great year at Emerson High School. 

“I want them to know that it’s hard work, but don’t let that scare you away,” McCutchen said. “It takes a lot of dedication and I think that ISM is one of the most valuable classes that you can take in high school.”