Week 4: Haslett Middle School, 7th Grade

This week I had my fourth observation of Mrs. Valla's seventh grade choir.  This was an interesting class to observe, as it was "Job Day" for the high school students.  In other words, some of the choir students from the high school were shadowing Mrs. Valla for the day.  It was really cool to see the high school and middle school students interact with each other.  It seemed to me that the middle school kids were trying really hard to impress the high school students - they sat up straighter, they were more active in making the solfege hand signs, they sang on their breath more, etc.  The high school students sang through a 4-part sight singing example, and the middle schoolers were SO fascinated by this...they really lit up and went wild with excitement over what to expect in high school choir.  It was truly inspiring to observe this!  The seventh graders then sang through one of their pieces for the high school kids, and then the high schoolers provided some positive feedback before Mrs. Valla worked on some things in the music.  Mrs. Valla agreed with and reiterated many of the things that the high school students offered up, and I think that it was really beneficial for the seventh graders to hear some constructive criticism from "cool high school kids." The seventh graders have about two weeks until they perform their spring concert, and the music is sounding really great! It is truly a joy to watch these students grow and learn each week, and I look forward to having the opportunity to work with them a little bit when I return from spring break!