The instructional assistant is to support student learning, not to teach.

I SO want to reply, "OK," and leave it at that.
Kind of like I want to reply to the suggestion that I put MORE words into my slide deck with, "No."

I mean, they want a paragraph. "I teach the lab classes" is what I got.

The edge needs work.

"red aposematic coloration, aposematic odor, a tough puncture-resistant integument, unpleasant tasting chemicals on the integument, and exceedingly distasteful internal compounds."

😂
The J. of Arachnology, 50(2):175-180 (2022). doi.org/10.1636/JoA-...

"Overall, velvet mites appear to have no meaningful predators, likely because of their enormous suite of highly effective defensives:

"When sampled by an author, a velvet mite produced an exceedingly bitter, astringent, and spicy taste that endured in the mouth for about an hour.

Mice?

Syllabus says use of AI without disclosing the prompt is academic dishonesty.

I'm real tempted to bring down the hammer.

But maybe I should just give them disappointed teacher face this time.

Because they have no idea that they're even using AI.

Full citations? But I don't wanna read that. Meh.

Every year, someone comes up with a new, oddball response to one of the questions.

This year, I have graded 13/32 and five students have given the *same* new, oddball response. I finally Googled the question and it's the AI summary.

Which is, of course, wrong.

They need to explain the rationale for procedures they learned, and create a stepwise protocol for procedures as we teach them (because dog knows, every fucking clinic and veterinarian has their own One Right Way).

I agree with your first-quarter take. He improved as the game went on, and looked like a passable backup by the end. Huh.

The guidelines for humane treatment of research animals (nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1155...) says that cats are thermoneutral at 35-38C (95-100F).

So heck yeah she wants her warmy!

Animals are energetically neutral -- not needing to expend energy to stay warm or cool off -- in a range of temperatures that depends on species and body size.

My sympathies on your newly limited choices.

I just found out I am sensitive to rice. I can have rice bran oil, but whole rice or rice flour puts me in bed for a full day with fatigue, brain fog, weakness.

It started about 3 months after I had COVID. In 2023.