BATTLE
PROCRASTINATION
WITH PLANNING
The teams met a few hours each
week across a six-week period.
When absences, snow days, and
other delays got in the way, students
learned to create timelines and
delegate responsibilities.
“Always stay calm,” advises seventh
grader Carmella Mooney. “When we
first got the project, it was a living
nightmare, but once we got moving,
it was easy. We worked on everything
in small pieces, then put it together
into one big piece.”
Time management was also an
exercise in collaboration for the
teachers. Coordinating schedules for
three separate classrooms required
creativity and flexibility. “We were
still doing a full school day during
this,” says Brown, “but we made it a
priority because we decided it was
that important for students to work
on this kind of project.”
COLLABORATION
IS CRUCIAL CONFIDENCE TO
OVERCOME JITTERS
Anyone who’s participated in a
group project knows: disagreement
is inevitable. With three separate
grades in the mix, teachers weren’t
sure what to expect. But students
quickly acclimated to a pattern of
communicating, collaborating, and
compromising. Some groups even
scheduled dedicated meeting time to
get to know one another better. The project presented a series of
firsts for many students: the first time
working with kids from other grades,
the first time presenting to a large
group, and the first time attempting to
persuade strangers to give them money.
“I learned how to work with different
types of people,” says eighth grader
Andrew Ashcroft, “people
who like art, and people who like
to research.”
“We wanted to show kids the value
of working within a group,” adds
Brown, “They learned that you may
not always get along with the people
you work with, but you do have to
respect their ideas and opinions.”
Early on, the eighth graders were
concerned that sixth graders couldn’t
keep up. The sixth graders were
intimidated by the eighth graders. And
the seventh graders bore the weight
of both anxieties. But by presentation
time, even the teachers were surprised
by the students’ newfound confidence
and leadership skills.
“Even though I was the youngest, I
still learned how to take charge in
my group,” says sixth grader Madison
O’Brien.
And in the weeks leading up to their
presentations, students practiced
maintaining eye contact, breathing
deeply, and speaking clearly,
enthusiastically, and persuasively.
“I didn’t need to feel scared for the
presentation,” O’Brien says. “Once
you’re up there, you feel fine.”
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