Every week is most beautiful for us, and Sunday is the excitement that we crave. My Good School, our flagship program now in its fifth year, grants us the joy of giving and learning. Reading with children and adults—ranging from 9 years to 90—makes our Sunday School very special.
Imagine children missing out on the joy of reading! It’s not just about less reading; they lose a vital tool for empathy. Books boost imagination, exposing readers to others’ lives, feelings, and challenges. They foster connection and understanding by helping us accept emotions not our own. Without this, caring for those different from us is harder.
Promoting reading nurtures a world that pauses before judging, listens before reacting, and seeks to understand first. Let’s ignite a love for stories and build empathy in every child!
Neenu engages in reading sessions with individuals and small groups, and I enjoy participating in reading activities alongside teachers and students from schools across the country #JoyOfLearning. For us, experiencing a life filled with the joy of giving is perhaps our greatest fortune, for which we are deeply grateful to all our readers and supporters.
Brewing Knowledge Friday
Dr Anupam Sibal discussed his journey from childhood to becoming a paediatrician, emphasising the importance of values like humility, gratitude, and forgiveness. He stressed the importance of mindful parenting, highlighting the need for collaboration and open communication between parents and children. Dr Sibal noted the challenges of preparing children for a future dominated by AI, advocating for teaching values that remain constant. He suggested strategies for fostering empathy and compassion in children, and proposed creating tools to enhance parent-teacher engagement. The session concluded with a call for continuous learning and adaptation in education to prepare children for the future better. Watch the whole session on our YouTube Channel.
Key Takeaways
• Values like compassion, humility, and gratitude remain crucial for raising children, even as technology rapidly changes society
• Deeper parent-teacher engagement is needed beyond formal PTAs to support children holistically
• Time management, creating a positive environment, and teaching forgiveness are key habits for children’s development
• The current generation faces unique challenges with impatience and mental health due to the instant gratification culture
A tribe of parents, teachers and children
Every once in a while, at Good Schools Alliance (GSA), we are reminded of the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” The saying sounds like a symphony, but it is difficult to implement at every step. We all try our bit during the week with our small but thoughtful sessions to bridge a dialogue, raise questions and find answers from our collective that is growing each day. Two of the many sessions of GSA during the week are Brewing Knowledge Friday and Learning Forward Saturday.
Children are like buds, and they need thoughtful nurturing, pruning and play (not on the phone). The teacher and the parents have to be each other’s allies to make the childhood more joyful. If parents and teachers could join the cohort together to read, ask questions and find answers in this space created by both, it would be both a doable and a practical way to move forward in learning together.
Read the full post by Neelashi Mangal on The Teachers Academy Blog.
My Good School
My Good School on Sunday session began with Diwali greetings and discussions about gift-giving alternatives before welcoming communication expert Kartik Bajoria for a series of sessions on communication skills. Kartik conducted a comprehensive workshop on various communication forms and listening techniques, using practical examples and exercises to demonstrate their importance in both personal and professional settings. The session concluded with discussions about mass communication careers, internships, and the role of social media in professional life, followed by a review of the internship application process. Finally, Manisha read the chapter in Hindi from Ruskin Bond’s book The Whistling Schoolboy.
Read with us every Saturday on Zoom.
In the course of the year, we read two books: “The Courage to Be Disliked” and “The Courage to Be Happy” by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi, which are based on Alfred Adler’s individual psychology.
The first book relates to the Youth in the book who is doubtful, questioning, angry, and struggles with an inferiority complex and a tendency to people-please. The authors conclude with the three main ideas for achieving freedom and happiness from the first book:
1. Self-Acceptance: Accepting oneself as an ordinary person who does not need recognition.
2. Building Horizontal Relationships: Seeing people as comrades, not in a power hierarchy, which enhances one’s value and contribution.
3. Moments of “Now”: Focusing on living earnestly in the present.
The second book, “The Courage to Be Happy,” expands on these ideas, clarifying concepts such as empathy versus sympathy, discussing the concept of love, and advocating for removing oneself from a victimhood mindset (" That Bad Person and Poor Me”).
Three years after their first conversation, the young man finds himself disillusioned and disappointed, convinced Adler’s teachings only work in theory, not in practice. However, through further discussions between the Philosopher and the young man, they deepen their understanding of Adler’s powerful teachings and acquire the tools necessary to apply them to the chaos of everyday life.
The Youth is now a teacher and meets the Philosopher for the second time to find out the meaning of life and living. He must learn to manage his students and develop his interpersonal skills.
We’d love for teachers and anyone who loves reading and thinking deeply to join us every Saturday at 5:30 PM for a yearly fee of Rs 3000. We’ll be acting out stories on Zoom. Gurdeep will be the Youth, and Sandeep will be the Philosopher, and we promise to have some great conversations and #JoyOfLearning.
Learning Beyond Words: A Day of Inspiration and Growth
My Good School, Sunday the 11th of October 2025
Today’s session was truly inspiring and informative. In the first part of the session with Jugjiv Sir, we learned how to pronounce words correctly and use punctuation marks effectively through reading reflections and the book “The Door-to-Door Bookstore” by Carsten S Henn. The reading session and discussion significantly improved my vocabulary and communication skills.
The second part of Sunday, My Good School with Manisha, Ma'am, was equally enriching. She read us the story “चार पंखुड़ियां” (Four Petals) written by Ruskin Bond. The story revolved around four friends who were mistaken for kidnappers while trying to care for a small child. We also enjoyed an engaging quiz that deepened our understanding of Ruskin Bond’s works. The session was truly interactive and fun.
One key takeaway that resonated with me was the importance of avoiding impulsive decisions, especially when we are emotional. This valuable lesson has left a lasting impact, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to learn.🌸
Thank you, Manisha Ma’am and Jugjiv Sir, for such a thought-provoking session.💫
— Ifra Wahid, Class IX F, Sunbeam School Ballia
Books of The Week
THE EMPEROR’S GENERAL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RAJA MAN SINGH OF AMBER by Rima Hooja. Drawing on chronicles, bardic traditions, and architectural evidence, The Emperor’s General, a portrait of an age told through the life of an indispensable general, is a definitive narrative that restores Man Singh to his rightful place as a titan of Indian history. Rs 599/-
