1. Today I feel like a terrible teacher. I have a class that is a bit unruly, and it’s been a challenge for me. I’m quite fond of having people like me, and so I feel very uncomfortable when I have to be stern in class because I worry about the students hating me. Stephen keeps reminding me that my job is to teach them, not be their friend, but it’s really hard for me. Am I completely crazy?
2. I originally titled this “Fun with Bullets,” but then realized I was numbering each item. Oops. I wonder how bullets got their name (I’m talking about the typographical symbol, not ammunition). Are the typed bullets called so because of their round shape? Because they’re often used to make quick points, so it’s like the speed of a bullet? (Yeah, probably not.)
3. iTunes 8 has a new feature called Genius, and it truly is genius. It works kind of like Pandora. You select a song in your library, click on the “Genius” icon, and then it searches your library for songs that complement the one you picked. I’ve tried it with a Fiona Apple song, a Jason Mraz song, a Bethany Dillon song, and a Natasha Bedingfield song, and I have LOVED each playlist iTunes generated! Definitely give it a try; I rediscovered a lot of songs this way.
4. I have received my first batch of papers. Guess what I’m doing this weekend?
5. There are four weeks until my birthday! In case you don’t know, I LOVE celebrating my birthday. I love making a big deal out of it, and I always have. When I have kids, I am going to make a big deal out of their birthdays. Stephen couldn’t care less about his birthday and doesn’t like big deals made about him in general (I married such a humble guy), so I look forward to forcing my children to make big deals out of their days of birth. 
6. Yesterday was National Punctuation Day. I feel that not realizing this is a personal failure on my part. To read one example of how one incorrectly used comma can cost millions of dollars, read this article.
7. My favorite punctuation is the semicolon; it’s super.
8. Once again, alot is NOT a word! And your=possession (e.g., your coat), you’re=you are (e.g., “you’re silly). Why is that so hard for people to get??
9. Every time I see GG used to reference the CW show Gossip Girl, I want to hurl something at the computer. Everyone knows the original GG is Gilmore Girls, thank you very much! (And don’t tell me the original GG is really Golden Girls. Let’s be serious.)
10. I don’t really have a tenth thing, but I can’t end with an odd number, unless it’s divisible by 5. Weird, huh?
Erin Mount 
I think the thing I write most on my students’ papers is “PROOFREAD”I’m sure you feel the same way…
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I found your blog through a friend and I have enjoy reading it as it makes me motivated in my weight loss too.Don’t feel bad about discipling the class. I have gone back to school and I wish my spanish teacher would kick some out. It is not fair to other students who want to learn to have these disrupted children (as I call them) disturb the whole class.Off my soapbox
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Golden girls are like eighty times better than Gilmore Girls. They’re alot better!! I am enjoying your blog! Angela
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i looove semicolons too! we had a discussion about them when i was teaching today, since Richard Hugo in his instructional book on writing says that he hates semicolons. me and my class like semicolons.but i really have a teaching question for you…so i require these daily reading responses that are easy-peasy, just one page on what you thought of the reading. well i have one guy that has yet to turn in One, then i’ve had the occassional missing one here or there in the class–i’ve already talked to the student that isn’t doing them about how he needs to do them, do i need to continue talking about it, or just let him worry about it? my first thought is to email each student that didn’t turn something in and make Sure that they don’t have it and they didn’t just forget it in their dorm or something, but i know that’s completely unrealistic….the reading responses are there to Boost their grade so i hate to see it make their grade drop….what would you do, warn them once then let it go, or keep talking about it with them??
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Oh, I so feel you on the grading of papers…I have a stack that is literally about 4 inches thick for the weekend and I am procrastinating because I despise grading…especially objective tests (which is what these are); at least with essays, you can get to know the kids better. I’m sorry you have a class that is a bit unruly…but I understand wanting your students to like you…I feel the exact same way. I want to be the fun, inspirational teacher that they look forward to seeing each class. I want to give them challenging assignments that mold them into the people who they are going to be. I understand, you are not crazy! =)
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thank you for the advice!! its actually such a relief that its for Them to worry about, i’d much rather focus on my own classes then chase down some slackers and nag them about reading responses!
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Erin…I am literally giving students 20/100 on these papers…I should email you some of what they’re writing…it will crack you up because it makes absolutely no sense!
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