dr kolbe ricks

This is my 13th year in public education and it is by far the hardest one. We’re only 7 weeks into the year and I had to take a mental health day for the first time in 12 years. I’m so worried for the rest of the year.

Got inducted to the football coaching ranks with an 18-hour workday that ended with a rain delayed scrimmage that was cancelled early due to repeated fighting. Was back at work 5 hours after I got home.

It’s also only the first day of school and 2nd day of football camp, so at least I’m realizing it early?

Ok so maybe I can’t coach 3 sports, lead a department, manage athlete academics, teach AP Lit, get my principal cert, and work a side job all at the same time. I may have set myself up for failure this year.

Somehow, all of my workday time has been taken up by meetings, so it’ll be a miracle if I’m ready to receive students on Tuesday.

I’m delusional to think that students will want to read more books now that their phones are locked up all day, right? I’m gonna keep the dream alive, and book promotion open!

The amazing work Teen Vogue publishes is 1) fact-checked (I can’t stress enough how big a deal this is!!!), and 2) not paywalled, which is all the more reason to share far & wide and click the links. Teen Vogue puts out so much extraordinary writing and reporting—many links in this thread below:

Not me being offline, popping on for an AI commentary post, and then realizing you did the same 🫠 I think that speaks a lot to what’s happening in our schools right now!

As more teachers/coaches are using AI to “save time” what are they losing in the process? Time can’t really be saved, so what is happening with what they considered the saved time? Training minds and bodies is the most important work and it is dangerous to cut corners in doing so.

This isn’t to say that they aren’t great teachers or coaches. I just wonder where is the human element in what we do? What sets what we do apart from anything else?

It feels like a disservice to other adults coming to learn from us to not use our original ideas for the content. I discovered so many other educators/coaches doing the same thing. This makes me wonder what are they doing in their classrooms? What expertise are they sharing with students?

I feel so conflicted because if the point of our presentation was to share our expertise about our sport, what we do to build an inclusive cohesive program, how does using an AI presentation make sense?

I gave a district-level presentation yesterday, and leading up to the session I collaborated with some other coaches. I started the traditional way of brainstorming with paper and pen about the topic. Meanwhile, my co-presenter asked AI to create a presentation on our topic and sent that over to me.

I’ve been doing my thing in the kitchen lately. Tonight’s dinner if gnocchi in a feta-balsamic reduction with meatballs is Michelin worthy.

Ok, I’m doing it. I’m teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God this year.

Same. It changes every year, but these things are always present!!

A picture of a quote by River Dandelion in poetry magazine. The quote reads “Not all poems are meant to be completed. Not all poems are meant to be shared.”

I love the “Not too hard to master” essays by River Dandelion in the July/August issue of poetry magazine. So much so, it’s going to be my intro to poetry lesson this year. I’ll add to this thread once I’ve integrated the work into a lesson plan! #edusky

Shout out to Methodist outpatient surgery recovery room for getting me addicted to ginger ale

This is unreal: Houston just made it illegal "for any person to sit or lie down on a sidewalk or on a blanket, stool, or any other object placed upon a sidewalk."

Being unhoused in public is now a criminal offense.

The teacher community conversations have been so helpful and I feel more hopeful about my profession afterward! Alex creates the best setting to learn. I highly recommend joining any session that @asv.bsky.social offers! #edusky

I’m sorry, what?

It's finally out! For those that don't know, I grew up in ballet, so getting to report on dancers fighting for better working conditions and protections feels like a full-circle moment. I'm so grateful for everything dancers shared—it's important. Please give it a read and click the link!

I’m finally getting a little momentum in writing my syllabus for the year. Hopefully by this time next week I’ll have our reading selections finalized and can start revising lessons!

Kolbe holding a copy of James Baldwin’s Go Tell It On The Mountain. The background is a blurred depiction of some flowers and balcony decorations

Alright, what are you reading heading into this weekend? I’m planning to finish this one today, and pull another off the surgery-recovery-TBR stack. #booksky

1. I wish grades weren’t a thing.
2. I’d rather grade my seniors on the elementary grading scale - 1, 2, 3, 4 - minimal progress, approaching, meets, exceeds. And then use some form of exam and grading cycle project to determine a numerical grade (if we still have to have GPA in this scenario).

Image of the POTL game box cover with POTL in big golden, western style letters and a characterized cowboy rhino holding th game cards. There is a subtitle that reads The card game of strategy, mischief, and a bit of luck!

Skip Amazon and support people directly! My parents design this really fun game that is a fun blend of spades, uno, and it's easy enough to take to game night! Annnnd my parents have me a lil code
"kolbe19" to get $10 off the listed price! www.kategizeboardgame.com/copy-of-kate...

Image titled Texas women coaches club. With subtext saying a new space in DFW with a picture of an open laptop showing the website home page with the background of cleats on a soccer field

Image titled a club for women coaches in k-12 athletics with an image of an open laptop on a home page showing the text for the women who aspire to coach, are new coaches, are veteran coaches, looking for connection. Next to a tennis picture

Image titled the club’s mission and subtext saying women coaches are the difference makers. An image of an open laptop with the mission text on it saying the TWCC aims to shift the dynamics in k-12 coaching to increase the number of women in coaching positions. We believe in holistic approaches to coaching and program development and that women coaches have a unique approach that is crucial to improving athlete performance and culture.

Are you a woman and do you coach or aspire to coach middle and high school sports in Texas? If so, I’d love it if you joined this new endeavor to support women in coaching! Find us on instagram at www.instagram.com/texaswomenco... or at www.texaswomencoachesclub.com

That’s such a good goal to have. I end up being pulled away by all the other books I want to read and then with so little time…I just don’t make it. I need to be more intentional. Also similarly, I am slowly making my way through Crime and Punishment!

Same. Exactly. There’s so many traditional classics that I haven’t read because I wasn’t an English major. I’ve read TONS but still missed so many.

I am begging everyone I know to please, please read some fiction. The self help books are not helping 😭 a good novel can teach you so much about the human experience I promise!