dr kolbe ricks
@kolbejack.bsky.social
🛸traveler, creator. advanced academics program leader and AP Lit teacher. founder of texas women coaches club. swimming, football, and girls flag football coach. Ed.D in school improvement.
collab with me at kolbericks.com and texaswomencoachesclub.com
collab with me at kolbericks.com and texaswomencoachesclub.com
Pinned
dr kolbe ricks
@kolbejack.bsky.social
· Jul 10
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
I kind of abandoned chronicling my recovery from back surgery, but I’m committed to swimming and am aiming to go every day this holiday break. Joined a masters team and everything.
December 22, 2025 at 10:13 PM
I kind of abandoned chronicling my recovery from back surgery, but I’m committed to swimming and am aiming to go every day this holiday break. Joined a masters team and everything.
Something that I hate is that in my employee portal (massive public school district in tx) is that chat gpt&Gemini are pinned in the portal and I cannot remove them. What are my pinned apps? The grade book/attendance app, work email, professional development manager, my HR and payroll link
December 15, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Something that I hate is that in my employee portal (massive public school district in tx) is that chat gpt&Gemini are pinned in the portal and I cannot remove them. What are my pinned apps? The grade book/attendance app, work email, professional development manager, my HR and payroll link
Reposted by dr kolbe ricks
when I read a student paper that's obviously written by them
a man with long hair is sitting in front of a laptop computer
Alt: gif of Antonio Banderas getting extremely happy after seeing something on his computer screen. he closes his eyes and smiles and brings his hand to him mouth and leans back in absolutely satisfaction and happiness.
media.tenor.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
when I read a student paper that's obviously written by them
Reposted by dr kolbe ricks
"He took every Advanced Placement class he could, earned a scholarship to Brown and worked at Wawa over the summer to make enough money to buy a laptop, according to his two sisters."
Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman at Brown, had a condition as a child that required brain surgery. The experience created an unshakable ambition to become a brain surgeon, his sister said.
He died after being shot on campus on Saturday.
He died after being shot on campus on Saturday.
Brown shooting victim was pursuing dream of becoming brain surgeon
Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, was one of two people killed at Brown University on Saturday.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:56 PM
"He took every Advanced Placement class he could, earned a scholarship to Brown and worked at Wawa over the summer to make enough money to buy a laptop, according to his two sisters."
Reposted by dr kolbe ricks
If you’re telling Head Start programs they can’t say “disability”, “Black”, “female”, or “Tribal” in order to get funded—you don’t care about kids. Period.
This administration is attacking the very protections that keep children safe and supported. Our kids are not political props.
This administration is attacking the very protections that keep children safe and supported. Our kids are not political props.
December 15, 2025 at 9:49 PM
If you’re telling Head Start programs they can’t say “disability”, “Black”, “female”, or “Tribal” in order to get funded—you don’t care about kids. Period.
This administration is attacking the very protections that keep children safe and supported. Our kids are not political props.
This administration is attacking the very protections that keep children safe and supported. Our kids are not political props.
Thinking if my fellow teachers in Fort Worth ISD today. The ones doing the good and hard work who now face the litany of implications and uncertainty of their jobs, passions, and livelihoods with an impending state takeover.
October 23, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Thinking if my fellow teachers in Fort Worth ISD today. The ones doing the good and hard work who now face the litany of implications and uncertainty of their jobs, passions, and livelihoods with an impending state takeover.
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.
September 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM
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.
August 22, 2025 at 9:12 PM
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.
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.
August 13, 2025 at 3:31 AM
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.
August 11, 2025 at 2:46 AM
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!
August 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
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!
Reposted by dr kolbe ricks
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:
I wish as many people wanted to actually click on Teen Vogue stories as like a post about our work being good and important, because this post is almost at 20k likes and that would be pretty good traffic!
Washington Post: “Is fascism bad? The answer may surprise you”
Teen Vogue: “Here are three fun tips you can use this summer to disable an armored personnel carrier”
Teen Vogue: “Here are three fun tips you can use this summer to disable an armored personnel carrier”
August 6, 2025 at 11:08 PM
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:
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.
July 30, 2025 at 1:58 PM
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.
July 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
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.
July 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Ok, I’m doing it. I’m teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God this year.
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
July 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
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
July 18, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Shout out to Methodist outpatient surgery recovery room for getting me addicted to ginger ale
Reposted by dr kolbe ricks
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.
Being unhoused in public is now a criminal offense.
NEW: Houston has made it illegal to sit or lie down on a sidewalk at any time. This is a 24/7 ban on trying to survive in public. It's not camping ban; it's a pure homeless ban.
We will never arrest our way out of homelessness. buff.ly/nH2VUqt
We will never arrest our way out of homelessness. buff.ly/nH2VUqt
§ 40-352. Sitting and lying down on sidewalks., Article XVI. SITTING AND LYING UPON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS, Chapter 40. STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, Code of Ordinances, Houston
(a)
houston-tx.elaws.us
July 16, 2025 at 11:26 PM
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.
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
#edusky, join me this week for a 2 part series on student dysregulation, or a workshop on Creating Felt Safety, or a teacher to teacher networking conversation on change making - or all of it!! Https://bit.ly/ASVsummer
July 14, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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
Reposted by dr kolbe ricks
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!
For the past year, I've been talking to dancers fighting for better workplace protections for pregnancy and parenting. It's a fight experts say is "unprecedented" due to long-standing cultural and structural challenges within ballet. And it's being led by artists themselves.
Out now for ELLE:
Out now for ELLE:
How Ballet Is Fighting for Dancer Pregnancy Rights
“We’re told we should do it ‘for the love of the art form,’ but we still have bills to pay and families to raise.”
www.elle.com
July 9, 2025 at 3:20 PM
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!
July 11, 2025 at 9:54 PM
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!
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
July 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM
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
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...
"kolbe19" to get $10 off the listed price! www.kategizeboardgame.com/copy-of-kate...
July 10, 2025 at 11:21 PM
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...
"kolbe19" to get $10 off the listed price! www.kategizeboardgame.com/copy-of-kate...
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
July 10, 2025 at 2:03 AM
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
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!
July 7, 2025 at 6:07 PM
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!