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Ep 015: How to Teach Pupils to Work Hard

October 22, 2026 · 51 min

Show notes

Telling kids to work hard doesn't work. So what does?

And can hard work actually be taught?

In this episode, Pritesh & Neena get stuck into one of their favourite topics: character education! They explore the surprisingly powerful difference between two ways of setting exactly the same homework. How can the words we use inspire pupils to go above and beyond? What should we do when pupils don't meet our expectations? And just how excited should a teacher get about a beautifully completed piece of homework?

Pritesh shares a recent classroom encounter with a pupil who flatly refused to participate. Was he right to send her out? And what happened when they spoke after the lesson?

Along the way, we discuss how to make hard work a habit, why celebrating effort matters, and why holding pupils to account is every bit as important as showing warmth.

Expect dramatic homework narrations, a few strong opinions and some questionable Christmas vocabulary…

If you're enjoying Operation Education, we'd love you to leave us a five-star review on Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen. It makes a huge difference in helping us reach more teachers. Thank you for your support!

Read more about character here:

Becoming Better People: https://bunsenblue.com/2024/12/23/becoming-better-people/

Building Culture: How to shape character through daily interactions: https://bunsenblue.com/2024/08/20/building-culture-how-to-shape-character-through-daily-interactions/

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One practice. One pitfall. One principle. Supporting teachers to sharpen their teaching and build extraordinary school culture.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

For high quality CPD from Pritesh (INSETs, school visits, including teaching lessons for staff to observe, coaching with groups of teachers), visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma

Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

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