I accidentally put only half of the sugar in thumbprint cookie dough! It is still in dough form. Is it better to try to beat in the rest of the sugar or to just leave it out? Or do I chuck those batches?!?

Really, try not to let it get to you. I have 13 years under my belt and it took a few years to let those random terrible comments go. Even in my very first year teaching, the bad comments did not actually speak to my very real newbie weaknesses. Now I find it amusing as, like others have said, the stingy comments are almost always paired by an exact opposite comment from another student. I find lots of useful feedback in the comments but the outlier negative comments are almost always students with an ax to grind. I still don't have the stomach for Rate My Professor. I do not look at that one anymore. Luckily, the students at my school report that they do not find RMP very helpful unless they are seeking specific information. General rants are taken as non-reliable according to the TAs I have had over the years.

I have taught flipped classes and as others say, the time commitment should be the same. It often ends up being more because in the standard lecture model, many students simply do not do the pre-reading. This means they get less out of lecture. I noted with flipped sections, time in class was more productive. I have kept data on outcomes and have noted better outcomes with my flipped classes. My in-class time was mostly hands-on and a good chance for students to get help right away. I know my university is going in this direction for more and more classes each year so I suspect it will become pretty common.

I'm so sorry for everyone who has been through this. Thanks for sharing. It sounds like there is little potential for trauma for the cat? That is my biggest concern. We don't have at-home options here, which I would very much prefer. Trips to the vet are the very worst thing ever for my poor kitty but I think she is sick/weak enough to not really know what is going on.

My sweet 20 yo kitty is nearing the point that we will need to put her down, probably early next week. We have never done this before. Can anyone tell me what to expect and if there is anything we can do to better prepare ourselves or kitty?

Winter squash seeds, pulp, and skins, chard stems, garlic, parsley, leek greens, celery root, lettuces. I also add nutritional yeast and a little tomato paste for flavor. I stash the squash parts, chard/parsley stems, and leek greens in bags int he freezer and pull them out for my annual broth canning weekend. Between that and the carrots/onions/celery from my garden, I get away with buying almost nothing. I avoid cabbage, kale, broccoli, radishes. I have added potatoes before but that was a mistake. It resulted in cloudy broth.

Is there an expected release date for that one?

Thanks! That is very helpful. I am going to skip Kolbe for the time being. And I will pick up a SM as well. I'm not worried about it being super thorough as I could solve most of the AoPS problems without referencing the SM. But it will be helpful to have if I get stumped or when dh is on homeschool duty.

OP, is there any chance SIL has mild dementia? My own mother had what seemed like decreasing interest in my dd (her only grandchild) over the years. I was puzzled at first but it turned out to be the beginning signs of Alzheimers. My mom was very into dd when she was born and always asking about her and sending gifts. When dd was around 6, mom started asking less and less about her and the gifts went down in number and were usually not age appropriate. For instance, mom sent my at-the-time 13yo board books for Christmas. By that time we suspected a bigger issue as there were other signs of trouble but for the first few years I really thought she just was not interested. Some people, including my mom, are quite good at masking this sort of trouble. They avoid subjects where they might say something that makes it clear they don't remember details. Since kids change quickly and their interests and activities constantly evolve, it is one of the hardest threads for someone who is suffering from declining memory to navigate. It is now to the point that mom cannot remember that she now has additional grandchildren, she has no idea how old my dd is or what she is into, and she cannot even remember what I do for a living or when I last visited her. But I can often have a whole 60 minute phone conversation with her when this would not be apparent because she always directs the conversation back to "safe" (for her) topics like the weather, what she ate for meals, and yes....her cat. If she didn't often go back to the same weather conversation 10+ times within a single phone conversation, most people would not realize that is what she is doing. Just another possible factor.

Did you use the separate solutions manual for the book?

I have ordered the book so we can at least get started ASAP. But meanwhile, I am trying to decide about the Kolbe option. And/or also the solutions manual. The textbook is supposed to include tests? Is this true? That would be the only real reason for me to consider the Kolbe plan, to have tests (with solutions, I hope....but cannot verify this). If the book does indeed have tests, then I see no reason to deal with the Kolbe plan. Also, is the Foerster solution manual something I should consider? I gather that the book has the answers but not the solutions?

Dd stopped doing the challenge problems mid-way through Intro to A. They were eating up way too much time. So, no, it is definitely time to move away from AoPS for now.

I'm really appreciating the input here. Thanks everyone! This is probably a reach, but did anyone have a kid that completed all of the AoPS Intro to A book then move to Foerster? I am mid-discussion with dd at this very moment as she is arguing to keep going with AoPS. She enjoys the approach even though she is also recognizing that she is in over her head with this book. But another contributing factor to her resistance is feeling like she is starting all over again. And she wants to be able to get to the trig topics. I don't want to mis-speak as we discuss but I think, just by looking at the table of contents for Foerster that some topics were already covered in AoPS Intro to A. Dd completed the entire book and was pretty solid conceptually. I think some topics will be review and might go faster than she thinks. She may very well get to the trig sections. I don't want to say that if that is way off base. Anyone know? In the end, it really doesn't matter. It all needs to be covered and done so thoroughly, even if it takes more than this year. Dd knows this. And she also knows it is simply not happening with AoPS anymore. It is what it is. At this point, I am just try to frame the transition as accurately as possible.

That is comforting.

I think I have it narrowed down to Foerster and DO. This is the point now where I will present those options to dd and see which direction she wants to go. Any advice on either of these programs or transition advice would be welcome. Dd is very unhappy about putting AoPS aside for now so anything I can do to make this smooth and drama-free will only help.....I hope.

I have heard that the A Fresh Approach geometry is different than the others. There is just not enough information out there for me to be willing to risk it. If this were a brand new year and I had wiggle room to change direction, I might be more inclined to give it a go but am feeling like I need to pick something rock solid at this point.

I wish they had some descriptive info on their website. Anyone use this?

Ah. Sneaky. Good to know. I wondered about ALEKS. I have read that some people have used it stand-alone but even if that were the case, I think the all-online is a no-go for dd anyway.

Is that still true? Dd took Physical Science through DO and that was the case then but I don't see that option on the website anymore.

Thanks to those that have chimed in thus far. After combing the resources here and taking into account input so far, I am considering the following: ALEKS Algebra II: A Fresh Approach Derek Owens Foerster Lial Saxon We have used nothing but Singapore Math 1-6 and AoPS so all of this is brand new to me. Dd has played around with other programs that we checked out of the library in the past but I did not get a good look at them. I have been looking at the tables of contents for each and I am realizing that dd has already covered much of the content in each of these programs during AoPS Intro to Algebra. Because DO is an actual class, dd would have to complete each homework assignment even on topics she has already mastered. OTOH, she could go the honor's route with DO which might make it less tedious? I don't know what to think about ALEKS but put it on the list because it appears it might be the easiest to tailor on the fly based on mastery. I wish I had all the time in the world to get my hands on books and do a thorough review but I am feeling the clock ticking here.

I have made the decision to switch 15yo dd out of AoPS Intermediate Algebra. She has completed AoPS PreA, Intro to A, and Intro to Geometry. She is bright and motivated but math is not her strongest subject. Halfway through Intro to A and on through Intro to Geometry, she was unable to do most challenge problems. Dd has chosen AoPS as she really likes the discovery approach but Intermediate Algebra has been a fail. Her success rate at the end of chapter review questions has been very low. She has only covered 4 chapters thus far. There are some extenuating circumstances outside of her school work that has made this year especially difficult and those factors are likely to get worse as the year continues. I am looking for fast advice in three parts: 1. I need curriculum suggestions. Dd is considering several STEM paths in college so it has to be rigorous but given our stress level, having only 3/4 of an academic year left to complete the subject, and the fact that dd is feeling a little dejected over her math experience thus far this year, I am hoping to find a happy medium between rigor and success. I am quite competent in math so I can help but dd would like a program that teaches to the student. She prefers no video component but I am still considering Derek Owens and am willing to consider other options that include video. I think this is a given, but any curriculum we use needs a solid solutions manual. And it would be lovely to have actual tests included. And more than anything, I think a full-on swing to kill-and-drill or get-it-done would not be a good choice for dd. Online classes are off the table unless they are not live and have flexibility like DO. 2. I need transition suggestions. While dd has struggled this year, I feel she is conceptually strong. She almost always has the correct approach to even the toughest problems but tends to lose it in the computation. She is prone to simple mistakes that usually snowball. I know that some of the topics she already covered in the AoPS intro series show up in normal Algebra II. There are likely topics that we will be able to cover quickly or maybe even skip if I have a solid assessment tool to make that determination. For those familiar with AoPS, can you give me an idea of typical Algebra II topics that might fall under this category? We will need to make up time. Dd will need to finish this subject by the end of the academic year for reasons I won't bore you with. We can devote more time daily to the subject as needed so I am not terribly concerned but it would be good going in to have an idea of what subjects will be review and what will be brand new. Any other tips on how to make a smooth transition would be helpful. 3. There is a very good chance that dd will only do math for half of a year in 11th grade. It is a long story that again, I won't bother you with. But one thing I am considering is revisiting AoPS Intermediate Algebra during that half year to delve more into topics or to cover topics that were not covered in whatever program we end up using. If I were to do this, can anyone suggest what that might look like on a transcript? It would be a half credit but I struggle with what to call it or if it is even appropriate to give additional credit for something like this.

I am 5'8" and very thin so have always struggled to find jeans. There is one brand that I come back to every time, going on three decades now. Express. You will likely have to order online but they have different cuts, including boot, in 0 and 00 in long lengths. They run about $80 but almost always have a deal of buy one, get one half price. They hold up very well. There can be a pretty big variation in fit between different cuts so I almost always order each pair in 00L, 0L, and 2L then return the ones that don't fit. They have a good return policy so this works well for me. No other brand has worked for me consistently. I might get lucky with a pair here and there, but ultimately I know when I NEED a pair of jeans, Express is the only one I can count on.

I'm so sorry! I sit here with my deaf 19yo cat in my lap who has also been a central part of our lives and is STILL bitter about the hairless kitten that appeared in her life 15 years ago. I commend you for knowing when it was time and being able to do the right thing. I hope I can do so when the time comes.

I have talked to social workers everywhere! The hospital social worker was the first one. My mom was on vacation when she was hospitalized so things were quite tricky. The social worker was so very helpful. I soon learned that they are everywhere and to ask for one whenever I can. Her primary care physician has one as does her neurologist group and the retirement community (which includes her current place and the assisted living she will transition to). I have a running list of questions and several surround transitions within the community and what, if any, supports they might have for the move we are looking at now. They did tell me they assist with moves within assisted living but I am pretty sure that is not the case from independent to assisted. At they very least they may, as you say, have suggestions. Luckily my only child is a teen and more than willing to help. As is my dh. Assuming they are available when this all goes down. I am hoping this will be a planned move but if mom lands in the hospital again, we may have to transition her with no warning. Sadly, part of the calculus is biding our time until it is not winter AND I can accrue enough vacation time to be gone long enough to get the job done. Seriously bad timing.....

She did set much up ahead of time that I am just now learning about. Even though there are a lot of things she didn't think of that I have had to figure out, I am so very glad about the things she did set up because I would not have known this is what she wants now. She is not very coherent or consistent now so I never know when we discuss things if I am getting her true wishes. She is consistent about her desire to stay where she is but until I learned that she arranged for her future housing, I did not think it was even possible for her to stay there. I was afraid we were looking at some very bleak options.