Ep 018: Teaching Personal Responsibility and Self-Esteem Through...Equipment?!

Should a pupil get a detention for forgetting their pen? Or should we just give them one and move on?

It sounds like a rather trivial question. But Pritesh & Neena argue that how schools approach missing equipment has enormous implications for pupil responsibility, organisation and character development.

We discuss why the debate shouldn't begin with sanctions, but with how we set pupils up for success. From teaching pupils how to pack their school bags, to setting up equipment shops and running daily equipment checks, we explore practical strategies that can transform pupils' habits and school culture.

Pritesh shares how he manages to check 30 pupils' equipment in just 30 seconds (yes, really), and recounts the remarkable story of a pupil with dyslexia who struggled with organisation.

We also tackle the thorny question of consequences. Is a detention for forgetting a pen unnecessarily harsh? Can holding pupils to account actually be an act of kindness? And what should teachers say to pupils when they've forgotten their equipment?

Before all of that, Neena reveals her rather intense passion for stationery shopping, while Pritesh makes a shocking confession about Paddington Bear that leaves Neena questioning his suitability to work with children.

Oh, and we hear about a teacher who demanded pupils hand over their shoe in exchange for borrowing a pen. Teaching really is a remarkable profession.

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Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma

Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.