Kate Roberts
@teachkate.bsky.social
Educator helping connect the realities of actual classroom teaching to the ideals of pedagogy, research, and common sense. My new book, The Heart of Fiction: Reading for Character, Theme, and Craft, is out now at kateandmaggie.com
We advocate for reading and writing in authentic ways because we know that control and lock step and excerpts and demands don’t work beyond (maybe?) a test that tests weird things. These pedagogies often stifle everything good and human about the classroom. We will not stop. I will not stop.
November 21, 2025 at 3:10 PM
We advocate for reading and writing in authentic ways because we know that control and lock step and excerpts and demands don’t work beyond (maybe?) a test that tests weird things. These pedagogies often stifle everything good and human about the classroom. We will not stop. I will not stop.
Wait. It’s past mid November? What is happening? What is time?
November 21, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Wait. It’s past mid November? What is happening? What is time?
I like em dashes. Am I AI? Maybe I’m AI.
November 21, 2025 at 11:44 AM
I like em dashes. Am I AI? Maybe I’m AI.
Someone else’s curriculum will (almost) never be exactly right for your students.
Your personalized curriculum you crafted this year will (almost) never be right for your students next year.
We will always need to tweak, prune, fit, adjust, bend, switch, and add.
#Unboxingthecurriculum
Your personalized curriculum you crafted this year will (almost) never be right for your students next year.
We will always need to tweak, prune, fit, adjust, bend, switch, and add.
#Unboxingthecurriculum
November 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Someone else’s curriculum will (almost) never be exactly right for your students.
Your personalized curriculum you crafted this year will (almost) never be right for your students next year.
We will always need to tweak, prune, fit, adjust, bend, switch, and add.
#Unboxingthecurriculum
Your personalized curriculum you crafted this year will (almost) never be right for your students next year.
We will always need to tweak, prune, fit, adjust, bend, switch, and add.
#Unboxingthecurriculum
Reposted by Kate Roberts
"There's never a charge to maintain fidelity to children, there is only fidelity to the curriculum."
There's no responsiveness because it's clear the purpose isn't to teach kids, it's to "get through" the curriculum.
There's never a charge to maintain fidelity to children, there is only fidelity to the curriculum.
There's never a charge to maintain fidelity to children, there is only fidelity to the curriculum.
November 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
"There's never a charge to maintain fidelity to children, there is only fidelity to the curriculum."
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Look if you're trans, you have to live. Do whatever you need to do to make it.
November 14, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Look if you're trans, you have to live. Do whatever you need to do to make it.
Reposted by Kate Roberts
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Reposted by Kate Roberts
The weirdest thing about this discourse is that states with shorter school closures have the same amount of learning loss! I keep waiting for all the punditry on this to catch up with basic facts
Every time Covid and learning loss hits the news, people act like the only factor is folk staying home and learning online, rather than… Living through a global mass death event.
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
The weirdest thing about this discourse is that states with shorter school closures have the same amount of learning loss! I keep waiting for all the punditry on this to catch up with basic facts
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Every time Covid and learning loss hits the news, people act like the only factor is folk staying home and learning online, rather than… Living through a global mass death event.
November 14, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Every time Covid and learning loss hits the news, people act like the only factor is folk staying home and learning online, rather than… Living through a global mass death event.
Reposted by Kate Roberts
teaching kids about reading and writing is too important to outsource to corporations
October 27, 2025 at 1:59 AM
teaching kids about reading and writing is too important to outsource to corporations
Reposted by Kate Roberts
These Supreme Court oral arguments on conversion therapy are going to be painful. No matter what is said, know that trying to force someone to be what they're not is psychological torture with measurable negative consequences, and anyone trying to defend such efforts is a bigoted monster.
October 7, 2025 at 1:47 PM
These Supreme Court oral arguments on conversion therapy are going to be painful. No matter what is said, know that trying to force someone to be what they're not is psychological torture with measurable negative consequences, and anyone trying to defend such efforts is a bigoted monster.
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Folks, you can't report the United States to its manager. There's no superhero coming to save us.
We don't need one giant act of heroism. We need millions of small acts of solidarity. Help one person in your community for nothing in return. Then, do it again. And again.
That's the revolution.
We don't need one giant act of heroism. We need millions of small acts of solidarity. Help one person in your community for nothing in return. Then, do it again. And again.
That's the revolution.
September 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Folks, you can't report the United States to its manager. There's no superhero coming to save us.
We don't need one giant act of heroism. We need millions of small acts of solidarity. Help one person in your community for nothing in return. Then, do it again. And again.
That's the revolution.
We don't need one giant act of heroism. We need millions of small acts of solidarity. Help one person in your community for nothing in return. Then, do it again. And again.
That's the revolution.
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Tried out Grammarly's AI grade predictor. Didn't want to use actual student work, so I had ChatGPT write a paper for one of my assignments and gave that to Grammarly. Grammarly promises to use publicly available info about your instructor to predict what they will say. The advice was *not* what I /1
August 20, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Tried out Grammarly's AI grade predictor. Didn't want to use actual student work, so I had ChatGPT write a paper for one of my assignments and gave that to Grammarly. Grammarly promises to use publicly available info about your instructor to predict what they will say. The advice was *not* what I /1
Reposted by Kate Roberts
ICYMI - This week's post: Build, Don't Burn
Some folks are arguing that school is irrevocably broken.
But if we burn it all down, where is the will or the way to build anything new in it's place?
practicaltheory.org/blog/2025/08...
Some folks are arguing that school is irrevocably broken.
But if we burn it all down, where is the will or the way to build anything new in it's place?
practicaltheory.org/blog/2025/08...
Build, Don’t Burn
The problem with building a thing is that, once it’s built, folks will try to burn it down. Burning down seems to be in vogue these days. We are seeing, in real time, institutions that have i…
practicaltheory.org
August 13, 2025 at 11:49 PM
ICYMI - This week's post: Build, Don't Burn
Some folks are arguing that school is irrevocably broken.
But if we burn it all down, where is the will or the way to build anything new in it's place?
practicaltheory.org/blog/2025/08...
Some folks are arguing that school is irrevocably broken.
But if we burn it all down, where is the will or the way to build anything new in it's place?
practicaltheory.org/blog/2025/08...
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Today is the last day of my first (and I keep hoping only) fundraising campaign and as of today, I'm just about 4/5ths of the way there. I am enterally grateful to everyone who donated, signal boosted, or reached out with encouragement.
I've written many drafts of this post with the goal of being as cool as @katmabu.bsky.social in her campaign ads but alas!
The dilly: Today is 50 days from my 50th birthday. My goal is to raise $5K for my campaign for town board.
secure.actblue.com/donate/jennb...
Steve! is here to help.
The dilly: Today is 50 days from my 50th birthday. My goal is to raise $5K for my campaign for town board.
secure.actblue.com/donate/jennb...
Steve! is here to help.
June 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Today is the last day of my first (and I keep hoping only) fundraising campaign and as of today, I'm just about 4/5ths of the way there. I am enterally grateful to everyone who donated, signal boosted, or reached out with encouragement.
Hey Northeast educators - We are running our summer institute again this year, partnering with Milford CT to offer three days of focused, problem solving PD around our most urgent topics. Plus a day for coaches! Sign up and join us:)
April 25, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Hey Northeast educators - We are running our summer institute again this year, partnering with Milford CT to offer three days of focused, problem solving PD around our most urgent topics. Plus a day for coaches! Sign up and join us:)
Reposted by Kate Roberts
The people that I get to meet - and share car rides with - is the joy of this job, and the time with you two one of the peaks of @TCTELA. Yall are inspiring✨
#latepost @teachkate.bsky.social
I still think back to this moment. Your words. Thank you. Thank you for joining us! Thank you for sharing a space with us. Thank you for letting us drive you to the airport. The phrase never meet your heroes doesn't apply here. I feel so blessed that we did
I still think back to this moment. Your words. Thank you. Thank you for joining us! Thank you for sharing a space with us. Thank you for letting us drive you to the airport. The phrase never meet your heroes doesn't apply here. I feel so blessed that we did
March 24, 2025 at 11:13 AM
The people that I get to meet - and share car rides with - is the joy of this job, and the time with you two one of the peaks of @TCTELA. Yall are inspiring✨
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Just thinking about what the US looked like before the EPA existed
March 13, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Just thinking about what the US looked like before the EPA existed
Reposted by Kate Roberts
We can still prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion if we look to the work of Zaretta Hammond, @teachbk.bsky.social, @gholdym.bsky.social, @jamiladugan.bsky.social, @nqcliteracy.bsky.social, @novakeducation.bsky.social, Shane Safir, & Common Sense Media.
www.cultofpedagogy.com/dei-under-at...
www.cultofpedagogy.com/dei-under-at...
How to Keep Teaching Well When DEI is Under Attack | Cult of Pedagogy
You may be able to keep much more than you think.
www.cultofpedagogy.com
March 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM
We can still prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion if we look to the work of Zaretta Hammond, @teachbk.bsky.social, @gholdym.bsky.social, @jamiladugan.bsky.social, @nqcliteracy.bsky.social, @novakeducation.bsky.social, Shane Safir, & Common Sense Media.
www.cultofpedagogy.com/dei-under-at...
www.cultofpedagogy.com/dei-under-at...
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Same. Download all data now before everything disappears. This is not a drill.
I’ve heard from an extremely reliable source that the entire National Center for Education Statistics is **gone**
New — Absolute bloodbath at US Dept. of Education in light of today’s Reduction in Force (RIF) announcement.
Hearing from department sources that offices in Dallas, Boston, New York, SF, Philly and Cleveland have all been shut down. Some staff in remaining offices fired, too.
Hearing from department sources that offices in Dallas, Boston, New York, SF, Philly and Cleveland have all been shut down. Some staff in remaining offices fired, too.
March 12, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Same. Download all data now before everything disappears. This is not a drill.
Reposted by Kate Roberts
Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests
ICE arrests Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests, attorney says | CNN
Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University’s student protest movement demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, was arrested Saturday night by federal immigration author...
www.cnn.com
March 10, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests
Reposted by Kate Roberts
really wish a literary critic would write about what it means for so many children to be reading the exact same books with the exact same worksheets all across the country, year after year
for profit
for profit
if Wit and Wisdom is compatible with ed policy across blue and red states and it steamrolls teachers’ autonomy, is that book banning?
February 24, 2025 at 9:29 PM
really wish a literary critic would write about what it means for so many children to be reading the exact same books with the exact same worksheets all across the country, year after year
for profit
for profit