The week before projects always surprises me (one would think I would learn from experience). We begin the week with 4th graders who seem to have an insane amount to do and then, by the end of the week, everyone has a finished paper, everyone has a poster, and everyone is working on speeches.
Part of what makes this possible is the intense time we give our work in the final week but a big part is the mentorship of the fifth graders. They themselves are just finishing up and are eager to guide the 4th graders through the process. Here are some of the things I overheard: "You don't want to leave everything until the last minute…" "I know it feels weird to practice but you'll be glad you did…" "Why don't you put everything on construction paper and then put them on your poster?" 5th grade parents, you might have thought your child wasn't listening but he was.
Hearing such advice from peers give it much more power than what I could give it. The fourth graders also feel great pride in having their work taken seriously by their mentors. And, of course, by helping to teach the presentation process, the fifth graders learn it at a much deeper level.
It's wonderful to see things come together (on so many levels.)
The Rookery 
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