Kathryn Shrader

@kmshrader.bsky.social

150 Followers 181 Following

On a journey to learn how all my teenage faves were problematic, develop healthier relationships with a load of new faves, share what I’ve learned with skeptical teenagers and keep my cats fed and happy.

A black mug from Matilda: The Musical, full of hot chocolate and a large number of small multicoloured marshmallows. There is a full layer, but you can see the hot chocolate peeking through.
MARCH TOGETHER AGAINST THE FAR RIGHT LONDON 28 MARCH 2026
THIS IS WHY WE CHOOSE THE BEAR...
A placard reading "Gilead -- Sponsored by Reform UK" with a Handmaid's Tale bonnet in the background.
Four UK Starburst: a purple Blackcurrant flavour, a green Lemon & Lime flavour, an orange Orange flavour and a red Strawberry flavour. A bag behind that claims to contain "Original" Starburst. This is a lie.
From the short story, “The Great Ruby Robbery” by Grant Allen. Such things often happen. We're constantly called in to investigate a case, when it's only a matter of a lady's care-lessness." At that Persis flared up. A daughter of the great republic isn't accustomed to be doubted like a mere European woman. "I'm quite sure I took them off," she said, "and put them back in the jewel case. Of that I'm just confident. There isn't a doubt possible." Mr. Gregory redoubled his search in all likely and unlikely places. "I should say that settles the matter," he answered, blandly. "Our experience is that whenever a lady's perfectly certain, beyond the possibility of doubt, she put a thing away safely, it's absolutely sure to turn up where she says she didn't put it." Persis answered him never a word. Her manners had not that repose that stamps the caste of Vere de Vere; so, to prevent an outbreak, she took refuge in Browning.
Clarkston 28 October 2025 4 stars The writing was fucking insufferable. A freshman comp class meets TV writing with super DRAMA!! and loads of cuts. Why the fuck were the actors screaming every line? (Because that's how you communicate FEELINGS apparently?) The real question is why the hell they got a standing ovation at the end of it. I guess I'm out of step with what audiences like. But honestly, that's fine. My guesses, pre-Google: the author has never experienced terminal illness, substance dependence or small-town poverty. If I'm wrong, I will be fucking shocked. Should have considered it a huge red flag that all three were in one play and there was no interval. • Avoid in future.
Two laminated bookmarks. One side says, “Would you like to save your progress? Yes No” and the other side says “Your progress has been saved.”
“Cats are known for their independence and mysterious nature”. Yeah, that’s how I’ll begin this piece evaluating cat foods.
A screenshot from the NEH website. It reads: What are the humanities? The humanities explore, interpret, and preserve the diversity of human cultures. ideas, practices and experiences, past and present. They are the languages, religions, laws, philosophies, and customs that make us distinct. They are our history and our cultures, the ideas and movements that have shaped societies throughout time.
Bertolt Brecht Der Radwechsel Ich sitze am Straßenhang. Der Fahrer wechselt das Rad. Ich bin nicht gern, wo ich herkomme. Und bin nicht gern, wo ich hinfahre. Warum sehe ich den Radwechsel Mit Ungeduld? English translation: The Tire Change I sit on the side of the road. The driver changes the tire. I do not like where I have come from. And do not like where I am going. Why do I watch the tire change With impatience?
The same white teenager sitting beside a river wearing black jeans, a blue t-shirt, a black scarf and a two-tone brown wool hat.
A blurry selfie of a 19-year-old white girl in front of the Seine, wearing a brown winter coat and knit hat.
A selfie of a young blonde woman smiling into the camera. She is wearing glasses, pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and an orange suit jacket.
The first page of It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis displayed on an e-ink screen. Highlighted are the passages: “…or to another war, almost any old war that might be handy.” “and of Mrs. Adelaide Tarr Gimmitch-she who was no more renowned for her gallant anti-suffrage campaigning way back in 1919” “to maintain the purity of the American Home by barring from the motion-picture industry all persons, actors or directors or cameramen, who had: (a) ever been divorced; (b) been born in any foreign country-except Great Britain, since Mrs. Gimmitch thought very highly of Queen Mary, or (c) declined to take an oath to revere the Flag, the Constitution, the Bible, and all other peculiarly American institutions.”
#EduSkyChat QUESTION 3: What tips or techniques do you have for supporting students who may be struggling, either in school or due to outside circumstances? Don't forget the #EduSkyChat hashtag!
#EduSkyChat QUESTION 2: How do you handle late or missed assessments? Does it matter if you know the student's circumstances? Don't forget the #EduSkyChat hashtag!
#EduSkyChat QUESTION 1: How do you assess student participation in your classroom? Don't forget the #EduSkyChat hashtag!
#EduSkyChat #EduSkyChat How to participate: Use the #EduSkyChat hashtag in all posts & replies Do not use OTHER hashtags when in the chat Look for the Q1, Q2, Q3 from the moderator Start a new post and respond with A1, A2, A3 Don't forget the #EduSkyChat hashtag!
#EduSkyChat #EduSkyChat Welcome! Tonight's topic is Student Engagement or Student Wellbeing? Please introduce yourself by sharing your name, position, and tell us why you're here tonight. Don't forget the #EduSkyChat hashtag!
#EduSkyChat Please join us for #EduSkyChat! TONIGHT Tuesday 18 March 5:30pmPT/8:30pmET Join us for a discussion about Student Engagement or Student Wellbeing? with moderator kmshrader here on BlueSky! Follow the hashtag #EduSkyChat on Bluesky to join the conversation!
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An orange cat with his face in focus, green eyes wide. He is exceptionally cute and needs kisses on his little pink freckly nose. Photo taken by my amazing pet sitter, making me feel like I should hire her just to come over and take photos of my cats.
A standard sized backpack made with mismatched kente cloth in red, yellow, blue and pink designs. The bag was made years ago by NeVI Impressions, currently based in the UK. A grey neck pillow is clipped to the top loop and the backpack is pictured in an empty row of standard airport seating.
A hastily-thrown together phone holder ‘add of pink yarn in double crochet and chain stitches. The phone is being suspended from an airplane screen and it shows a still image of Ally Beardsley on Dimension 20.
A half-eaten chocolate cake with thick chocolate frosting and a blueberry, fig slice and red currant on top.
Two cardboard picture books in Brazilian Portuguese. The top one is a Turma da Mônica book, a popular Brazilian children’s cartoon. The second is O Mágico de Oz, or the Wizard of Oz.
A photograph of a chunky orange cat lying belly-up on a patterned tile floor. The floor is heated and he is happier than a pig in mud. His legs are sticking in the air and brings joy to all who know of him.
The book cover of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. A narrow white strip in the middle reads Penguin Classics. Above is a spooky red and black image of a large house and below is the title and author’s name on a black background.
An image of the cover for the audiobook of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Under the author’s name at the top it says, “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize”. On the left it says, “Author of Interpreter of Maladies” and on the right, “Read by Sarita Choudhury”.
The book cover of Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price, PhD. The title is in large black text down the center of the cover, with a background of bold colored stripes (bright yellow, sunflower yellow, deep orange, red and dark pink). At the bottom is the author’s name in white text.
A very ignoble photo of a fluffy orange cat sitting on a sofa cleaning his nether regions, unaware that his human is going to try to escape.
A photograph of two legs under a rainbow crochet blanket with a chonky orange cat leaning against the knee. In the background is an out-of-focus overflowing bookshelf.
A photo of two orange terrorist cats sitting on a rainbow crochet blanket with two human legs under it. On top of the blanket is an open, mostly empty package of Haribo Happy Cola gummy candies.
A photo of two legs under a rainbow crochet blanket. Leaning on the right side of the legs is an orange cat curled up. On the left side is another orange cat with one leg stretched out, grooming himself. The legs under the blanket cannot be seen and they also cannot be felt anymore.
A close up photo of two cats on a crochet temperature blanket (a blanket that marks the daily temperature with different colored rows). The colors visible are varying shades of red, with some yellow and green in the background. The cat in the foreground is an orange fluff attacking a pink crochet hook and salmon-colored yarn. The orange cat in the background is much more chill.
A photo of two sleeping orange cats lying on a rainbow blanket over a pair of legs. They are both heavily asleep. One is curled up in the background, while the one in the foreground is showing off his white chin and cute little paws.
A photo of two curled orange cat-shaped lumps, one of which clearly has ears. The other one honestly could be anything. They are sleeping deeply on a rainbow crochet blanket and under that is my legs, falling asleep, and my belly, rumbling.
An orange cat, Bronn, tucked into a perfect loaf shape on the arm of a sofa. He’s looking up with the sweetest expression that belies his many kitty crimes. In the background is a load of clutter, which has been tactfully blurred by iPhone Portrait mode.
The book cover for Eyes Like Butterflies by Terence Hodgson. Text at the bottom of the cover describes it as, “A treasury of similes and metaphors”. The cover is white with two large butterflies with their wings extended. The top reads “Chambers,” the publisher.
The book cover for The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. The cover has a white edge but is dominated by a large red rectangle in the middle that takes up 80% of the space. Very small inside the rectangle are the shapes of two boys. One boy is moving out of the red, but the other is fully inside. Together they cast one shadow.
The book cover for a No Fear Shakespeare edition of Othello. The cover boasts “Shakespeare side-by-side Plain English” and “The play PLUS a translation anyone can understand”.
Two black hair ties in the early stages of becoming crochet scrunchies. One has approximately five rows of half-double crochet in a fluffy white yarn. The second uses the same yarn in red and has about ten rows in alternating half-double crochet and single stitch and as such is a bit fluffier.
A book cover for the Collected Works of Flannery O’Connor. The cover is black with a photo of the author in the top right corner (a middle-aged white woman). The bottom left includes a list of works in the collection: Wise Blood A Good Man Is Hard to Find The Violent Bear It Away Everything That Rises Must Converge Essays and Letters
A close-up photo of an orange tabby cat’s face. His eyes are focused on a treat (out of shot) and he looks like he might claw your eyes out if you don’t feed him right now. He received approximately a hundred kisses before this photo and is absolutely done with your shit, Kathryn.
A screenshot of a plain text list. Transcript: Teachaid.ca Perplexity NotebookLM Wakelet Napkin.ai Figma Zipcaptions.app Kami Genial.ly Diffit Goblintools Class Companion Blooket Book Creator MyShortAnswer.com
A hand holding a pack of six Oreos. In the background is a bag containing a crochet work in progress.
The book cover for The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. The cover depicts a hand reaching for a ball of red-orange fire, with a background of more fire that resembles tiger stripes.
Hardie laying on a heated tile floor with his fluffy orange belly up. He is blissed out.
A large orange floof laying on a heated tile floor. Indisputably the cutest cat on the planet.
A photo of a plate of oyster mushrooms, red cabbage, broccolini and (in a small bowl) kimchi and silken tofu. It looks delicious.
An image of a white woman cropped from neck to knee. She is wearing a black dress and over that a variegated light teal to purple shawl made with superfine yarn in half double crochet. It hangs around her neck and past the bottom of the photo.
A screenshot of an American Dialect Society Linguistics digest. It reads: There are 9 messages totaling 496 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Meme in Al: Shoggoth with a smiley-face mask (2) 2. kakistocracy (6) 3. Quip Origin: There Are More Horses' Asses Than Horses
A chonky orange cat and absolute sweetie pie flopped in a black backpack. He is not going to let you leave without belly rubs.
The book cover of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. The background is a glossy red fabric and the title is in shiny gold with a large R. In the top right it reads, “The unsurpassed modern masterpiece of romantic suspense.”
A Penguin Books copy of the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The cover is split into thirds horizontally with orange top and bottom and a cream middle. In the middle along with the title and author’s name, it reads, “The taie of a man who built himself an illusion to live by”. The bottom third has a very cute drawing of a penguin.
A blue book cover with an open contraceptive pill case centered on the cover. Inside the open top of the case is the text “American + the Pill” and in a small white text box is the subtitle “A History of Promise, Peril and Liberation”. At the bottom of the cover in black is the author’s name, Elaine Tyler May. Inside the bottom part of the pill case, inside a circle of pills, is the text: "The pill kicked off a revolution in assumptions about sex and its consequences. Elaine Tyler May's adept, succinct book makes it clear that the appearance of worry-free contraception immediately concretized the idea that choices about reproduction should be left to the individuals involved." -The New Republic
A photo of a slightly worn yellowed book, standing upright. The cover and spine show The Girl Who Owned a City in red text. The cover also reads G.T. Miller in smaller black text. The top right corner of the front cover shows a black outline of a girl standing in front of a window.
A blue and brown book cover showing a man with his arms crossed underwater and a peaceful expression on his face. The text says Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein.