Twee Bat

Brandon Haskey-Valerius
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semimonthly

Twee Bat is a podcast about teaching, identity, and survival inside and beyond the classroom. Through conversations with educators, researchers, and writers, the show explores burnout, joy, and what it means to stay human in a profession that often asks too much and gives too little.

Episodes

  1. Feb 15

    1.3 TWBAT understand systemic educational racism

    In this episode of Twee Bat, we talk with Dr. Smita Weakland about how systemic racism shapes the everyday realities of teachers. What looks like routine workplace culture—hiring pathways, evaluation, authority, credibility, belonging—often carries deeper histories. When educators begin to see those patterns, it can change how they understand their roles, their risks, and their possibilities for action. Dr. Weakland offers language for experiences many teachers struggle to name and invites us to consider what recognition can open up, both individually and collectively. In this conversation, we explore: How systemic racism shows up in teachers’ professional lives Why some dynamics feel invisible or inevitable The emotional and professional stakes of noticing What becomes possible when awareness is shared This episode is for educators who want to better understand the system they’re working within—and how that understanding might shape what comes next.

    34 min

  2. Jan 15

    1.2 TWBAT Find Their Own Identities

    In this episode of Twee Bat, Brandon Haskey-Valerius talks with Annie Kiyonaga about identity, selfhood, and the quiet pressure to define ourselves through our work. Building from Annie’s recent article, the conversation explores how teaching and other care-centered professions encourage us to collapse who we are into what we do. Annie reflects on the language of productivity, success, and usefulness, and how those narratives shape not just our careers, but our sense of self. Together, they consider what it means to step back from assigned roles, sit with uncertainty, and begin the work of unlearning identities that no longer fit. This episode is about the lessons we internalize, the ones we were never formally taught, and the ongoing process of figuring out who we are when the syllabus runs out.

    30 min

  3. 12/30/2025

    1.1 TWBAT leave if they want

    1.1 TWBAT leave if they want Why Teachers Leave: Lack of Support and Classroom Autonomy In this episode of Twee Bat, we explore why teachers leave the profession. Research shows that key factors include lack of administrative support for student behavior, limited classroom autonomy, and systemic pressures that contribute to stress and burnout. We break down what these challenges look like in real classrooms and discuss strategies schools can use to better support teachers and improve retention. This episode is essential listening for educators, administrators, and anyone interested in teacher well-being and education reform. Resources & Links: Research referenced: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0742051X25003622 Follow Twee Bat for more episodes on education and teacher well-being: www.tweebat.com, or @tweebat on Instagram and BlueSky

    37 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

Twee Bat is a podcast about teaching, identity, and survival inside and beyond the classroom. Through conversations with educators, researchers, and writers, the show explores burnout, joy, and what it means to stay human in a profession that often asks too much and gives too little.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Haskey-Valerius
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All content is owned by Brandon Haskey-Valerius.
  • Show Website
    Twee Bat