Good Schools of India

Joy of Learning Weekly #43

1st AGM of the Good Schools Alliance

Mrs Amrita Burman, Chairperson, Good Schools Alliance

AGM of the Good Schools Alliance on 9th December 2025:

We have determined that our Governing Council is central to furthering the organisation’s mission to transform school culture and foster dynamic, collaborative learning environments. Its committed members are essential in leading influential initiatives and programs, including the My Good School Retreat, My Good School, and The Teachers Academy.

The Good Schools Alliance Governing Council Meeting reviewed the organisation’s progress and plans. Key points included classifying projects into Special Projects (5) and Changemakers (20), with a focus on the former. The Alliance has reached 30 schools over the year, with a total membership base of 63 schools, partners and projects we support. The next My Good School Retreat in April 2026 will be at the Arthur Foot Academy, centred on service, skill, sport, and study. The 13 Member EC of the Governing Council will be chaired by Amrita Burman for a year, with representatives from various schools, special projects, partners and independents. The meeting ended with plans for an in-person EC meeting in January 2026.

Members of the Governing Council

• Chair: Amrita Burman (Sunbeam Educational Group of Institutions)

• Dr Kunwar Arun Singh (Sunbeam School, Ballia)

• Dr Anirudh Gupta (DCM Group of Schools)

• Naman Kandoi (Mayoor School Jaipur)

• Brinda Ghosh (Gyanshree School)

• Priya Dixit (Akshar Arbol International School)=

• Asad Khan (Athur Foot Academy)

• Anoop Seth (PYDS Learning Academy)

• Shikha Agnihotri (Right Side Story)

• Ravi Santlani (ScooNews)

• Deepak Ramola (Project FUEL)

• Peter Kaye (Australia)

• Heather Lageman (USA)

• Jugjiv Singh (India)

It has been a beautiful five years since January 2020, during which we built an organisation with the support of a visionary Board under the leadership of Mr RP Devgan and dedicated members from around the world. We are grateful to each one of them, and they will always be our guiding light—a big thank you to everyone.

With the new Governing Council, led by Mrs Amrita Burman, and inclusive representation from all our stakeholders, we reaffirm our 🔟 Commandments and pledge to deliver #JoyOfLearning with the true spirit of #JoyOfGiving.

On behalf of everyone at the Secretariat in Dehradun, we assure the GC and all that we will never let your trust down.

Thank you,

Sandeep Dutt

Founder and Managing Director, Learning Forward India Foundation, find out more at www.LearningForward.org.in

Our Ten Commandments

1. Keep the Dream Alive: Stand as guardians of the GSA vision—that every child learns with joy and every educator leads with purpose. Champion schools as spaces of wonder, growth, and belonging for all learners.

2. Lead with Heart and Wisdom: Let compassion guide decisions and courage shape actions, remembering that true leadership springs from service. Place the well-being of children and educators at the centre of every choice.

3. Champion Integrity in All Things: Speak truthfully, act reasonably, and decide transparently. Recognise that trust is the cornerstone of our Alliance and the foundation of the 6Cs (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Character and Citizenship) framework that guides our work.

4. Honour the Power of Together: Build Reading, Reflection, and Relationships—the 3Rs that unite us. Celebrate collective wisdom, listen deeply, collaborate openly, and find unity in diversity of thought.

5. Inspire and Empower: Trust the Learning Forward India Foundation team to turn vision into action—nurture, guide, and uplift rather than direct or demand. Create space for innovation, experimentation, and the courage to embrace productive failure.

6. Be Accountable Stewards: Steward time, talent, and resources as sacred trusts. Ensure every decision serves the greater good of learners and educators alike, with special attention to expanding access for underserved communities through our #JoyOfGiving initiatives.

7. Celebrate Curiosity and Lifelong Learning: Embrace the 6Cs framework—cultivating continuous learning and trust in every interaction. Encourage innovation, welcome change, and never stop learning. Let every challenge spark reflection and renewal #JoyOfLearning.

8. Serve with Humility: Sit at the table not to rule, but to listen, to guide, and to learn. Education leadership begins with empathy and deepens through genuine connection with students, teachers, and communities.

9. Build Bridges, Not Walls: Reach out generously to members, partners, and the broader education community. Strengthen the community service ecosystem, weaving a network of hope and shared progress that extends from Sunday My Good School to international collaborations.

10. Create a Living Legacy of Light: Leave behind a council remembered not just for governance, but for vision, courage, and transformative action. Build a movement that proves good schools can create a better world—one joyful learner, one empowered educator, one thriving community at a time.

- Thank you, Heather Lageman and all the members of the Governing Council.

Freedom and the Fear of Dislike

Reading from The Courage To Be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi. To explore Adlerian psychology’s concepts of freedom and community.

Books Of The Week

The Pumpkin Spice Café :It’s The Season to Fall in Love...

by Laurie Gilmore

Knowledge transfer, IQ, and intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation in education.

Brewing Knowledge Friday

Reading from Kamala Mukunda’s book What Did You Ask At School Today?

Key Takeaways

• The Problem of Transfer: Expertise is domain-specific; students struggle to apply skills (e.g., graphing) across subjects (e.g., math → science) without explicit training.

• Explicit Strategy Training: Programs such as “Informed Strategies for Learning” (ISL) teach metacognitive skills (e.g., “read for understanding”) using memorable analogies (e.g., traffic signs) to enhance transfer.

• Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation (e.g., curiosity) is critical for deep learning, but schools often rely on extrinsic rewards/punishments, which can undermine genuine interest.

• Schooling’s Impact on IQ: Regular schooling is associated with a modest increase in IQ (~2 points/year) by preventing decline, but this effect remains unproven in India due to substantial quality differences.

The Stack That Stayed

The stack of books that never left the bookstore...

Brewing Knowledge Friday: Reading from Kamala Mukunda's book What Did You Ask At School Today? We explored metacognition and its importance for self-understanding and productivity, including discussions on knowledge transfer and teaching strategies. The group examined educational programs and research studies focused on improving reading comprehension and metacognitive skills, with particular attention to how students can apply knowledge across subjects. The conversation ended with a discussion of educational motivation, addressing both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence student engagement and learning, and included plans for future student discussions.

Learning Forward Saturday

The meeting focused on teaching strategies for complex topics in English instruction, especially for young learners. Teachers shared creative methods, such as visual aids, storytelling, and interactive exercises, to teach spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. They emphasised making learning fun through activities like counting on fingers, creating stories from images, and using visual tools to engage students. Methods for teaching complex concepts such as number lines and question framing were discussed, with a focus on visual aids and hands-on activities. The session ended with teachers sharing experiences and strategies for classroom integration.

The Power of Positive Thinking and Reading - Sunbeam School Ballia

Sunbeam School Ballia students reflected on their book-reading habit on a peaceful Sunday morning. Reading is a meaningful way for them to spend Sunday, immersing themselves in stories and ideas that calm and inspire their minds. It helps start their day positively with curiosity and joy, turning an ordinary Sunday into an enriching experience.

Reading about motivation...

Are there moments in your day when you think of what your motivation to do anything is? Do teachers, with all their identities and teaching jobs, have the time to reflect on their intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?

My Good School

The Sunday My Good School session began with Manisha discussing upcoming reading sessions and introducing a discussion on animal communication, sharing research findings and personal experiences about animal interactions. The group explored philosophical perspectives on the existence of the soul in humans and animals, with participants sharing their insights. The session concluded with plans to read and discuss Gerald Durrell’s works, followed by a reading and discussion of Ruskin Bond’s storybook “The Whistling Schoolboy,” and an invitation for students to submit their reflections.