A Commenting Marathon Reflection

I took part in my first ever commenting challenge which I equate to a commenting marathon. I do writing marathons in my classroom each month and this commenting challenge was very similar. It was hard at first because let's be honest, 75 comments is A LOT! But the more I commented, the more I found I wanted to read what people had to say and the A LOT became quite doable. I learned a lot about people and how they think and how they write. I am most intrigued with a blogger from Australia who lives in India and opened up a school for children with her husband. I am sure I will be visiting her blog more frequently to see what she is up to. I am not sure I would have found her had I not taken part in this challenge.

Another thing I did during this challenge was keep track of different types of slices my fifth graders could do to vary up their normal writing routine and experiment. I made a list for them that I will print up and hand out tomorrow. Many of these ideas I saw multiple times from different bloggers over this past weekend. And I am sure I will experiment with them as well.

Ideas for my fifth graders based off of the commenting challenge:

Party-If you were to have a party and the following attending, what/who

would they be and why.

Favorite book

Favorite person

Favorite food

Favorite song

A Surprise

They’d see...

But wouldn’t know…

If someone were to come to your house what would they see? Then what would they not know about that thing they saw.

Example:

They’d see the butterfly made out of a clothespin hanging from the ceiling in bedroom.

But wouldn’t know my son made that for me when he was in preschool. It was a Mother’s Day present. It is one that constantly reminds me of him in his four year old days.

Six word stories/memoirs

Can you write a story or memoir in six words? It is harder than you think.

Example: For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. -Ernest Hemingway

I could write about...For this, start each sentence with things you could write about and tell me why using because.

Things I didn’t do today...Title your piece: Things I Didn’t Do Today and write about all the things you didn’t do today because you were busy doing other things making sure to explain why you didn’t do them.

Then and Now-Think back to your younger days, maybe 1st or 2nd grade. What were some things you did then vs. things you do now? You can have a list of then things followed by a list of now things.

I can write with..-Notice the things around you at this present moment. Start each line with I can write with and continue with what you hear and see around you. Try to go for eight lines.

Example: I can write with the conversations from my son’s video game.

Poetry-Write a poem about something that happened in your day.  

Experiment with author’s craft.

A Collection of Slices-Write a collection of small slices that could be turned

into larger slices. These are one or two sentences that tell about your day.

Try to go for eight.

Example: My daughter and I had a tea party with her tea set that she has

had for years.

A List of Things I should Be Doing, But I’m Not-

Make a list of things you should be doing in your life, but you are not.

Go for at least ten things on your list.

Example: Reading 20 pages a day.

              Five More Minutes-Think of someone or a pet close to you that has passed

away. Think of the memories you had with them.

Make a list of eight of those memories.

Now if you had five more minutes with each memory, what would you have

done?

My record keeping