Thing #4

Commenting helps create a sense of community and interaction by letting the blogger know that what they are saying means something to someone out there and that further discussion is wanted and/or needed.  People who deem a post worthy of taking the time to comment must also be avid followers of said blog.  An interest or lifestyle must be shared, so that's where the initial connection is shared.  Take for example, "mommy blogs".  There is a website called Top Mommy Blogs with "mommy blogs" for every type of mom out there--working moms, single moms, stay at home moms, homeschooling moms, etc--so being a mom is in itself a connection that is easily shared.  Then narrowing that connection down to the type of lifestyle a  makes it even easier to form that community.  Note: As of Sept 19, 2014, I am waiting for the new registered blogs to be posted and then I will go through and post comments on them. But two blogs I have come across that hold some interest to me are The Nerdy Teacher and Learning from My Mistakes. These are both blogs by English teachers, and they talk about real in's and out's of teaching itself. They admit when they've made mistakes in front of students and, to sum it up, just saying that we're all humans and that is what's great about this career. We are influencing students and even more so when they see the human side of us. I simply commented on both these blogs that I appreciate everything that they appear to do for their students and that I feel that I'm not alone since I'm sure throughout my first year of teaching and beyond I will make my fair share of mistakes.