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.

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.

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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

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