C4T #2

About a Teacher

By: Greta Sandler

     I read Ms. Sandler's blog post entitled, Finding My Voice. Her post was written about her return to the world of writing after many years and what ultimately caused the birth of her blog, About a Teacher. She wrote that she had been interested in writing when she was little, but that she lost her nerve somewhere along the way. Years later, a friend of hers (through her PLN) asked her to write a guest blog post and she agreed. Ms. Sandler said that it was very difficult for her to write that post, but once it was written, she decided that it was the best thing she had ever written. After that post, she was hooked on writing because she had finally found her voice. Finally, Ms. Sandler wrote that writing a blog post for her own blog gives her classroom an audience and forces her to take a step out of her comfort zone.

I left a comment for Ms. Sandler that reads as such,

Ms. Greta,
My name is Eleanor Pomerat and I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I have often had difficulty in writing, as well. I find that blog posts can take me hours to write and leaving a comment can take nearly an hour! I have not read your post “my best piece ever,” but I will make sure that I do, as I thoroughly enjoyed this post.
You wrote that blogging has changed how you teach, as you reflect more deeply when writing for an audience. I wonder, does it still take you a long time to write a blog post?
I love that you write about how we need to “step out of our comfort zones.” I completely agree with you; I think that in order for wonderful things to happen in the classroom, we have to have let go and simply let them happen.
Regards,
Eleanor Pomerat

     Ms. Sandler did not post another blog post during the time period given for C4T#2, so I left my second comment on her previous blog post, which was entitled Kids Motivating Other Kids to Blog!. Ms. Sandler wrote about having brought some students into her classroom that she had taught the previous year. She asked these students to share their "blogging adventures" with her current students. Ms. Sandler includes a listing of some of the things her previous students said about blogging including,

“The blog was the best, I blogged all the time, when I was happy, sick, bored… all the time!“, said Vickucha

     Ms. Sandler wrote that listening to her previous students talk to each about blogging and how much they had enjoyed it, was "one of my most inspiring moments as a teacher." She ends her post by saying that she and her current students are eager to begin their own blogging experience.

My second comment for Ms. Sandler was this:

Ms. Sandler,
My name is Eleanor Pomerat. I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 Class at the University of South Alabama. I left you a comment two weeks ago on another of your blog posts. This the final comment I am leaving you; after which, I will post a summary of my comments in a blog post.
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. It’s wonderful to know that there are children excited about writing and blogging. It sounds as though some of your students became writers. I am just now (this year) learning how valuable and important blogging and commenting is for students in this day and age. Have you heard of Comments4Kids?
Regards,
Eleanor Pomerat

Naturally, I left a link to my blog in both of my comments.