I have been having a problem lately in my classes.  Almost every time I intend to say Blackboard (which is an educational resource tool used at NDSU), I say Facebook.  I have said things like:  “Check your grades on Facebook. The reading is posted on Facebook.  I will put that up on Facebook later today.”

The first few times it happened I attributed it to an innocent slip, but after a couple of dozen times it appears to be a mental block or some other sort of mental fog.  I think Blackboard and I say Facebook.  After doing it so many times and students now asking all too regularly, “Do you mean Blackboard?”, I have started to let out primal-sounding groans of angst each time it happens.

This is not a po-tay-to/po-tah-to issue – this is a “Where did our professor’s mind go?” issue.  I do believe students are beginning to think that I am growing feeble.  I don’t know why this keeps happening.

My mission for tomorrow is to say Blackboard when I mean Blackboard.  You would think this mission should not be all that difficult.   I think I just need to slow down and concentrate more intently when I intend to say Blackboard.  Hopefully, once I get back on track all this Facebook confusion will be over.

But never fear, if this problem continues you are sure to read about it.  I imagine it will be a post on Facebook that says – Feeble professor internally-combusted after mistakenly saying Facebook for the 500th time.  And that will be the only time that me saying, “It will be posted on Facebook”, will actually be correct.