Who is Ms. Cunningham? Ms. Cunningham is an Honors English 9, AP Language and Composition, and AP Seminar teacher at Patriot High School. In addition, she is the AP Capstone Club advisor on campus. The AP Capstone Club is a student-run club. One of the main priorities is advancing the leadership skills of those involved. When asked about the club and its life cycle she explained that it is in its eighth year and the club’s activity depends on what the members want to accomplish as goals each year.
We wanted to know more about the points-free grading system Ms. Cunningham and other teachers have begun implementing on campus. She stated that a points-free grading system, "shifts students' attention towards the comments and feedback of the assignment rather than focusing so much on a particular score.” Ms. Cunningham added that it is much more about, “developing and growing as a student over the course of the semester." Ms. Cunningham continues to use this grading system each year due to the students’ positive feedback.
Ms. Cunningham also shared her thoughts on the increasing usage of AI in recent years. She explained how important it is that English work shifts to paper to ensure fairness for all. She has also felt changes in technology and social media use in the past several years, as she makes note of the changes in students’ ability to focus. One strategy she uses is to split assignments into multiple parts so students can complete them without feeling overwhelmed.
She feels that all students should have access to writing and literature. Part of her philosophy as a teacher (and her main motivation) is to make things that were previously difficult to learn easier for students to understand.
We also asked Ms.Cunningham about the PHS community and other teachers she considers her mentors on campus. She mentioned that when she was first introduced to the educational scene she had many mentors who supported her, and even to this day, she looks up to Ms. Mendoza and Ms. McIntosh as her mentors.
Some of Ms.Cunningham’s favorite things to do outside of school are going for walks, concerts, and traveling, and she emphasized her love for reading.
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