Explore every episode of the podcast Operation Education

The loudest pupils can often take up most of a teacher's attention. What can we do in the classroom to ensure that no pupils are overlooked, whilst maintaining a high bar? Pritesh and Neena explain their suggestions.

Timetstamps:

0:22 First Lesson Disaster
5:34 Optimising Seating Plans for Attention
11:26 Is it Mean to Separate Friends?
14:01 Tick Sheets in Action
18:41 How to Notice Quieter Pupils
19:59 Crowning the Shining Star of the Lesson
26:35 Scenario for next time... Exit Routines?

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One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

How can teachers tackle passivity, apathy or unwillingness to participate in the classroom? How do you move a class culture from compliance to genuine buy-in? Pritesh and Neena break this down into 'winning hearts' and 'winning minds'.

As teachers, we all want hands flying up, enthusiastic contributions from ALL pupils, not just some, and we want pupils to buy-in to our schools. Whilst there are many elements to this, Pritesh and Neena zoom in on the use of warm, specific, named praise. The power of voice, connecting with pupils and genuine motivation are discussed. We also cover what kind of behaviours to praise, adapting praise for different ages and ponder over how we can ensure we praise quieter pupils.

Timestamps

0:07 Wedding Vibes and Classroom Buy-In
3:07 Compliance or Motivation?
5:17 Winning Hearts with Praise
7:42 Warm, Specific, Named Praise
12:48 The Power of Warmth
16:04 Why Specific Praise Works
23:13 Praise Effort, Not Attainment
27:56 Tailoring Praise by Age
30:09 Praise and Healthy Competition

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

Welcome to the very first episode of Operation Education, the brand new podcast discussing all things pedagogy, classroom culture, school leadership and the wider educational landscape.

In this week's episode:

It's not just what you say to your pupils but how you say it that matters. Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma discuss the power of voice in the classroom at getting attention. This leads to a discussion about teacher authority and joy in schools.

Time stamps:

0:28  Launching Operation Education
4:39  Cultivating School Culture
9:00  Why Attention Matters
17:29  Crafting Clear Call Signals
22:15  Voice Shapes the Cue
30:39  Authority in the Classroom
37:58  Scanning and Praise
39:10  Next Episode Scenario

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

When and how did Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma come up with Operation Education? Who was the catalyst behind its launch? How many teachers and leaders will hit subscribe?

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

How can we safeguard against pedagogical fads? Is 'engagement' pupils getting up, having experiences and teaching each other? Or does 'engagement' describe pupils enthralled through teacher exposition and questioning, and engaging in lots of practice? Pritesh and Neena explore.

Timestamps:

0:10 Seduced by Teaching Ideas
2:27 Blu Tack Lesson Reflections
5:08 Ofsted Panic and Teacher Talk
7:54 Activities Versus Content
12:28 Building the Knowledge Web
17:51 Rehearsal, Feedback, and Practice
22:48 Engaging Explanations Matter
26:15 Voice, Pause, and Story
30:43 Intentional Teaching Delivery
37:26 Thinking Hard to Learn
41:21 Next Episode’s Reward Debate

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

Silent debates, video lessons for bottom sets, poster lessons for cover, market place activities, posters around the room... Pritesh and Neena take a trip down memory lane, recalling classroom practices we were all seduced by earlier in our careers, but have abandoned now.

Timestamps:

0:04 Seduced by Fun Lessons
4:02 Macbeth Witches Activity
7:32 Silent Debate Setup
12:26 Photosynthesis By Experience
18:09 Posters and Peer Teaching
24:07 Winning Minds, Winning Hearts

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

Whilst Pritesh exemplifies each element of a classroom exit routine this week, Neena leans into her alliteration addiction: 'pack up and praise'; 'authority and anticipation'; 'power of pause'. Somebody stop her, please.

Teachers often rush their exit routine. The bell goes. The teacher abruptly ends the lesson. Kids fly out of the door in a mad rush. Pritesh and Neena explore strategies to change the rush at the end of lessons into not only something calmer, but also something that builds a joyful sense of team in the class. 'Culture building never stops, never sleeps'.

Timestamps

0:02 Best Classroom Gifts You Have Ever Received
4:40 Scenario: How Can We Not Rush an Exit Routine?
6:04 Setting Alarms
7:54 Narrating the Story of the Lesson
11:49 Instruction Sandwich
19:14 Goldilocks Countdowns
21:52 Model Instruction Sandwich
25:48 Scenario for Next Week: Seductive Ideas

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd

So many schools have a system where pupils can trade points they earn for rewards. Is this genuinely improving pupil culture and winning hearts? Or are there unintended consequences? Are there alternatives? Pritesh and Neena discuss!

Swap 5 points for a pen. Trade 10 points for a chocolate bar. 50 points might get you a voucher for a high street retailer, or a raffle for a bigger prize! We discuss the difference between reward points as a currency, and emblems like badges and certificates. But before we even get into that discussion, are the fundamentals of praise points in place? Hopefully, listening to Episode double-0 seven will help schools and teachers Bond with their pupils better... [it had to be done!]

Sign up now to receive the weekly Operation Education Briefing:
One practice. One pitfall. One principle.

bunsenblue.com/briefing

Launches Tuesday 1st September 2026.

Hosts: Pritesh Raichura and Neena Sharma
Operation Education is a Bunsen Blue production.

For high quality CPD from Pritesh, visit www.bunsenblue.com/cpd