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Mattrkay

@mattrkay.bsky.social
874 followers 1.7K following 107 posts

Girl Dad, Educator, and Author

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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
My latest column 💯 www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
ascd.org
Protecting Productive Struggle in Writing
At the beginning of this school year, our staff set out to craft a fresh AI policy. We found that our existing plagiarism policies didn’t cover certain situations. For instance, how should students ha
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
Latest ❤️
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
You make fantastic points
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Appreciate you!
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Larry Ferlazzo @larryferlazzo.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
A post worth reading
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
My latest column for EL Magazine ❤️ "We can’t have it both ways: School systems can’t both retain and infantilize expert teachers." ascd.org/el/articles/... Image
ascd.org
Are We Giving “Pros” the Respect They Deserve?
If we want to keep our best educators, let’s treat them like the professionals they are.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
It’s so helpful for teachers to have a *pre-fussing* gear that’s not hostile. “Hey! Now LOOK at you. I wrapped up all this pretty work time and gave you a gift and you just THREW it away! I’m CRYING over here.” 🤪 In other words, “Do your work, freshman.”
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
really should be a celebration animation that plays when you get to the end of a class of grading cmon canvas hype me up
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
On a commercial, I just heard “Speak with a *real* therapist , NOT AI!” as a selling point (yikes!) … and I’m wondering how common/ effective/crucial that claim will become for a brand. Be taught by a *real* teacher! Listen to a *real* band! Written by a *real* author!
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
This year I’m only about grown-up conversations (like this) about public schools. No time - or energy - for temper tantrums. practicaltheory.org/blog/2025/08...
practicaltheory.org
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…
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Thank you! It was a great chat!! 💯
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Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
If you have 5 minutes this weekend, listen to this clip of @mattrkay.bsky.social walking through his guidance towards teachers who are hesitant about facilitating more-challenging discussions in their classroom. (Also: this is why we need to listen to teachers.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8p...
youtube.com
Talking About What Matters with Matt Kay
YouTube video by Broken Copier
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Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
"We're there to be humans in the room with other humans talking about ideas" The case by @mattrkay.bsky.social in this conversation: never more than now have classroom discussions been needed, in both quantity and quality. (And that quantity and quality? Not an easy thing.)
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Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
"Everything I love about teaching is represented in coaching." Cannot wait for this conversation to come out tomorrow! So much of what @mattrkay.bsky.social said resonated with me (example: teaching as a type of coaching!) but also pushed me to imagine better for the upcoming year 🙏
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Is this the year that ELA teachers need to authentically plan for a post-essay world?
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
School in a year (or so): watching our computers talk to each other, then hopefully asking kids what they’ve learned from the exchange.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Enjoy!
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Aw I appreciate that!
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Hope you find it useful!
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Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
1. This book is one of those rare education books that almost immediately became transferable to my classroom practices (Like: immediately!) 2. I was super fortunate to be able to pick @mattrkay.bsky.social's thinking, too—cannot wait for that conversation to come out in a couple weeks!
"Prompting Deeper Discussions" by Matthew R. Kay
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
The voting on squid game feels like last november End the game or play the game. It’s on the nose
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Jennifer Orr @jenorr.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
I can't believe this book has been out in the world for two years. I will be forever grateful to @mattrkay.bsky.social for inviting me into this work and for sharing all of his wisdom and the energy he'd put into Not Light, But Fire.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
As we end another school year, here’s a gentle reminder that the way things end (that last sweet conversation, that last snarky quip) matters. A lot. Let’s agree to let each other go out easy plz www.ascd.org/el/articles/...
ascd.org
Confronting Inequity / Getting the Endings Right
A psychological theory on the power of endings offers lessons for educators, especially this year.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
“If you were more interesting, little boys wouldn’t turn into sudden incel murderers” is… a leap We just tryna teach, man. C’mon. Every failure in society ain’t us.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
I mean… I know what they were going for… but I feel like you coulda had *one* classroom in Adolescence that wasn’t an abomination. “All they do is show movies.” Not sure why teachers had to catch strays. What WE do?
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Hey thanks!
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Again, I can’t imagine giving up the joy - and in this case, the agony - of reading authentic student work. My god 😢
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
“We haven’t broken / We are learning how to bend.” Ok kid! Idk how any teacher would willingly give up authentically reading students’ work. That instinctive happy grunt, that “oooh,” that “oh I see you.” Why would we *ever* give that up? Keep schools human.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Followed, of course, by us explaining what a theme is. Gotta admit, after chuckling at the cuteness, both of her teacher parents thought about how many places - according to the kids - actually do what they say they do.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
7 yo: (Putting on school T-shirt.) “Everything at my school says ‘joyful learning.’ Me: “Yeah.” 7 yo: “But we are learning about frogs.” My wife: “Are you having a good time learning about frogs?” 7 yo: “Of course!” Me: “There you go.”
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timothymboyle.bsky.social @timothymboyle.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
All of the time you take, you take. The charge to take time with meaning and for reasons is such an excellent charge.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
I like it!
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
❤️❤️❤️
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Jennifer Orr @jenorr.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Short thread here from Matt, but worth recognizing. I have this problem with physical stuff and have to learn to pull back.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Great thing about being a vet with some curriculum autonomy is you see connections to it everywhere. Exciting stuff. Worst thing? You’re tempted to use all of it
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
So many lessons now have “condensed” or “shorter version” tags
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Most of my classroom successes this year came from doing *less* than last year. A couple less slides on the slideshow, one less film clip, a few less activities, more time to read, more time to write, more time to talk
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isteofficial @isteofficial.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
Let’s not always chase the shiny new thing! @mattrkay.bsky.social reminds teachers to have patience and stick with a new strategy before deciding it doesn’t work.
ascd.org
Give Teachers a Chance to “Get Good”
Mastering new teaching practices requires patience, persistence, and room to grow.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Teachers are not mercenaries you hire to fight the name battle for you.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
It's weak to insert teachers into a domestic dispute you're having about your kids' name. *Especially* when this kid is just about grown. I know ya'll got a fight going on - but I'm just trying to do my job and get your kid to read a book and maybe write something thoughtful.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
(I know, yes, empathy should never be "aside.") Formally, my job as an ELA teacher in PA is to teach "reading, writing, listening, and speaking." Not teaching a kid what their own name is. You'll not find that on any state standards. I'm going to do my job.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Empathy aside, I call kids whatever they want to be called because, as a pro, I need kids to engage the work. If kids spend their energy in class being mad at me, hating themselves, or crawling in their skin because of the name I used, they probably won't do the work to the best of their ability.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Aw thanks!
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Jennifer Orr @jenorr.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Spring break means I finally slowed down enough to read @mattrkay.bsky.social's newest column for @ascdofficial.bsky.social's Educational Leadership. I am so grateful for the opportunities to "get good" in my 27 years of teaching. I wish that for all teachers.
ascd.org
Give Teachers a Chance to “Get Good”
Mastering new teaching practices requires patience, persistence, and room to grow.
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Handy visual I just gave students who asked where I was in my teaching career
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Mattrkay @mattrkay.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Me to yawning 10th graders: “Hey! I know it’s the last week before spring break… I am willing to go 70-30 on the energy, even 80-20. But right now, you’re making me go 98-2. We’re not gonna do that, ok? Work with me.” To their credit, they rallied. Close to 50-50 even 😊
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