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Comments encourage. They lift me up and propel me forward, like wind beneath my wings. I strive to be a good commenter, but it takes time. Time to read the blog post thoroughly. Time to reflect. Time to connect.
Selfishly, I love comments. In the classroom, I encourage them. My students are required to comment on at least 3 blog posts a week. They read each other’s posts, but I wish they would comment more. On Friday, Matthew read Tobie’s post about Harry Potter. Matthew loves Harry Potter. He sat at the computer and laughed and said, ” I love this post, especially the end where he says…”
I replied, “Don’t forget to comment.”
Matthew said, “Oh, I don’t have time for that. I have to write my own post.”
That is exactly how I feel! I usually post on Slice of Life Tuesdays, Spiritual Thursday, and Poetry Friday. Less frequently, I review books for It’s Monday: What are you Reading and Nonfiction Wednesday. I am also posting on Celebration Saturday and here today with DigiLit Sunday. That’s a lot of writing in a week. If I want and expect others to read my posts and leave comments, then I need to do the same.
The last few days, comments have supported me in the grief for a child’s mother, in the celebration of the NCTE award, and with the reading of my poem from Summer Serenity. Thank you, blogging friends, committed commenters. You sustain my writing. You comfort my soul. You are my friends. I hereby promise to be a better commenter.
Link up your DigiLit posts.
Reflections on the Teche 
Commenting is hard and takes time, but so necessary. Sometimes I feel like your student, too. I have just enough time to write my own posts. However, we would lose motivation fast if we never got comments, for sure. That’s how we’ve all gotten to know each other, isn’t it?! It’s great that you’re teaching your students to comment! Good post! I can’t think of anything to write about for DigiLit this week. I need to come up with something. Ha.
We certainly challenge each other every week to reflect on our spiritual journey as well as our teaching. I love the relationships I have built through blogging.
If you find a way that motivates students to comment more, please let us know, Margaret. For those teachers who are blogging now, it’s a challenge! Maybe because the students already know each other in person? Commenting takes time, but it’s the only way I know to make the connection. Thanks for this, what a week you’ve had! Thinking of you and your student all the week!
Linda, you are such a good model. I think you are still my top commenter. I share with my students the comments I get on my blog that are special to me. Leigh Ann wrote a poem response for Emily last week that was so touching. I shared it with her at the funeral home. If students begin to realize that what they say can make meaning, perhaps they will comment more and comment more thoughtfully. I appreciate your thoughts. She will be back at school on Monday. Say prayers.
You make an important point, Margaret – it’s something I’m actually working on right now for a TWT post tomorrow.
I agree — I read and learn from others and sometime don’t let them know how they’ve helped by adding that comment. Time zips by! There’s another side to blogging too, and that is to carry on the conversation, like I did last week with Margaret’s question about assessing blogs.
http://whatelse.edublogs.org/2014/09/14/digilit-sunday-assessing-blogs/
It was a continued conversation in a blog post, not just in a comment. I’ve written about conversations here:
http://whatelse.edublogs.org/2014/05/24/clmooc-blog-conversations/
I’ve been trying to do that more as well — be inspired by and post about what I’ve learned from others to revise my own thinking.
I guess I need to slow down and carry on those conversations.
Thanks Margaret.
Sheri,
I agree about conversations. Your blog post about assessment really helped clarify my thinking. I plan to create a rubric with my students to be more specific about the content of the blog post, for example using an interesting hook. This way I can focus our blogging even more. Thanks for continuing the conversation.
Margaret, I look forward to your post about your rubric, especially since students will participate. It would be great for my students to read how and why your students created it. Another conversation!
Comments and tweets directed at me, push me to write more and be a better version of myself. I, too, work to comment and push my kids to comment. We need each other and we are here: seems like a win-win.
You are so right about the importance of comments. It’s something I’m working on too. Now that my life is a bit more settled, I hope I’ll do better. 🙂