Good Schools of India
Joy of Learning Weekly #58
How Did Your Reading Journey Start?
Sandeep Dutt speaks with Khanak, a bright student at Gyan Anant Vidyalaya, a Special Project of the Good Schools Alliance.
The video podcast features a conversation about fostering a love for reading. Dutt emphasises that the best way to get children involved in reading is for teachers to be seen reading themselves (0:15).
Key Takeaways:
Reading as Meditation: Dutt describes reading as the ultimate form of meditation, helping individuals think inwardly (0:26).
Starting the Journey: For beginners, he recommends simply having books around to create an emotional connection, rather than forcing them to read (1:11).
Beyond the Page: Reading is not just about text; it involves being observant of the world, like understanding nature or communicating with animals (2:02).
Building a Library: A library should be a comfortable, personal space rather than just a place to stack books (2:40).
Beginner Recommendations: He suggests starting with non-fiction books with small chapters (10-15 minutes long) based on your personal interests, such as Ruskin Bond or Sudha Murty (3:47).
Do listen to the podcast produced by the school students and teachers to commemorate the visit of Sandeep Dutt to GAV.
My Good School
The Sunday session covered communication skills, mainly proposal writing led by Kartik, and a reading of “What You’re Looking For within the Library” by Michiko Aya. Kartik outlined key proposal principles like understanding context, equal communication, anticipating issues, and framing proposals as opportunities. Students practised writing proposals for a visit to a tennis academy, with Kartik offering guidance. Afterwards, the group discussed the book’s themes of parallel careers, conviction, and transforming negative self-talk into goals.
Brewing Knowledge Friday
Discussing the cultural significance of Chutney and its documentation with Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal
“Chutney” is a compendium that documents the cultural, historical, and medicinal significance of Chutney, elevating it from a side dish to a central topic.
The book preserves oral history, capturing family recipes (e.g., “Nani’s Till Tomato Wally Chutney”) to prevent their loss as younger generations move away from home kitchens.
Chutney is a flexible, sustainable food made from seasonal ingredients, embodying traditional wisdom like Ayurveda’s concept of tasir (ingredient qualities) to balance a meal.
The book counters the misconception that Chutney is just the two basic restaurant types (green/brown), revealing its true diversity and role as a flavour anchor.
The “Chutney” Book Project
Origin: The book grew out of the “Indian Food Observance Days” initiative (since 2018), which has celebrated 10 key culinary themes.
Chutney Day (in September) was the only non-seasonal observance, reflecting Chutney’s year-round relevance.
Catalyst: A highly resonant 2021 Chutney Day online marathon revealed a vast, undocumented knowledge repository.
Rationale: A physical book was chosen over a digital format to provide an immersive, permanent record.
Scope: A 2-year project resulting in a 525-page, self-published book.
BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Reading “India’s Forests”
We often imagine forests as still, untouched spaces. Green, silent, distant. Something we visit, admire, and leave behind. But India’s Forests: Revisiting Nature and History, a book by Arupjyoti Saikia and Mahesh Rangarajan, unsettles that comfort. It shifts the lens entirely, revealing forests not as passive landscapes, but as places deeply entangled with power, history, and human lives.
Forests no longer feel like neutral spaces. They feel layered, marked by histories of control and resistance, shaped by decisions that extend far beyond ecology. They carry the weight of everything that has been taken, protected, fought for, and remembered.
Perhaps the most striking realisation is this: forests are not just about nature. They are about the ways we choose to see, use, and value the world around us. And in that sense, they are not silent at all. They are constantly speaking through the lives they sustain, the conflicts they hold, and the histories they refuse to let fade.
-Sneha, The English Book Depot
Author Nidhi Thakur discusses her book When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories with Sneha at The English Book Depot.
Highlights
Book’s Focus: The collection explores the NRI experience in the US from 2000–2010, a period defined by intense isolation (pre-WhatsApp) and suspicion (post-9/11).
Title Story: “When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories” is a fictional biopic of a Bollywood diva who loses her contextual fame upon moving to the US, forcing her to reinvent her identity.
Unique Structure: The book connects its 11 stories by having at least one character from each appear in another, creating a “small world” feel that reflects the NRI community.
Upcoming Projects: Thakur is compiling a bilingual poetry coffee table book and writing a historical fiction novel about a lesser-known Mughal-era woman.
Financial Literacy Program
Launch 🚀 on 14th April 2026
The launch event for the Financial Literacy Program (FLP) for school teachers will be on April 14, 2026, at the My Good School Retreat, hosted by Mayoor School, Jaipur.
Program Philosophy: Every student’s journey to success requires mastering financial literacy. Learning Forward India Foundation and the Good Schools Alliance simplify complex concepts into engaging lessons, empowering teachers to help students manage money wisely and achieve their dreams.
Mindset Barriers to Girls’ Education
Read And Lead - join us every Thursday at 5:30 pm.
Storytelling is the most effective tool for mindset change. It must be authentic, locally relevant, and delivered by an “insider” to resonate.
Relatable stories build trust and demonstrate value. Vikram’s personal story of his educated sister becoming an Anganwadi worker showed education as a practical “dowry” against health shocks, shifting a father’s perspective.
Local influencers are essential for community ownership—Vijaylakshmi’s tactic of having the headmaster counter a cultural objection publicly secured community consensus and on-the-spot admissions.
Learning Forward Saturday
To read and reflect on Chapter 3 of “Wanted Back-bencher Last-ranker Teacher” by Kavita Ghosh. Narrated by Brinda Ghosh and Sandeep Dutt
Key Takeaways
Create a “classroom without walls” by replicating the joy and positive social dynamics students show outside. It requires shifting from a rigid, fear-based environment to one that fosters engagement.
Prioritise patience over perception. Judgmental labels (e.g., “Supriya does not want to study”) are ineffective and disrespectful. Instead, treat students like your own children, focusing on their potential and providing support.
Understand the neuroscience of stress. Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” blocks memory and learning. Humiliation and fear create “test trauma,” which is a major barrier to student success.
Make reflection a daily habit. The core practice for professional growth is distinct from simple note-taking. Share thoughts in the WhatsApp group to build a reflective community.
शोर से सीख तक: बच्चों से जुड़कर कक्षा को सकारात्मक बनाना - सुनीता त्रिपाठी
आज जब मैं कक्षा में प्रवेश की तो बच्चे बहुत शोर कर रहे थे। कोई कागज की जहाज उड़ा रहा था, कोई हंस रहा था, तो कोई अपनी जगह से उठकर इधर-उधर घूम रहे थे, एक पल के लिए लगा कि मैं क्या करूं, लेकिन फिर मैंने सोचा अगर मैं उनके साथ जुड़ जाऊं तो शायद वह मुझे बेहतर समझ पाएंगे। मैंने मुस्कुराते हुए बच्चों से कहा, “चलो पहले हम सब एक छोटा सा खेल खेलते हैं। मैंने उनके साथ ताली बजाकर एक छोटा सा राइम गीत शुरू किया। जैसे लालाजी ने केला खाया। केला खाकर मुंह पिचकाया।
धीरे-धीरे सभी बच्चे उसे खेल में शामिल हो गए कक्षा का शोर अब हंसी और खुशी में बदल गया जब सबका मन शांत और खुश हो गया तब मैंने प्यार से कहा, देखो बच्चों जब हम मिलकर खेलते हैं तो कितना अच्छा लगता है इस तरह अगर हम मिलकर पढ़ेंगे तो हम और भी अच्छा सीखेंगें। उसके बाद बच्चे अब पूरी तरह शांत हो गए थे और ध्यान लगाकर बात सुन रहे थे। इससे यह सीखने को मिला कि पहले मुझे बच्चों से जुड़ना पड़ा। बच्चों के साथ जितना ज्यादा से ज्यादा समय बिताना, उनकी ऊर्जा सही दिशा में उपयोग ला सकता है।
सुनीता त्रिपाठी, सनबीम ग्रामीण स्कूल
Masterclass
To reframe violence as an immature communication strategy and advocate for student self-reliance. Reading from the book The Courage To Be Happy by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.
Key Takeaways
Violence is an immature communication strategy. It’s a low-cost, high-effort shortcut to force submission when verbal consensus fails. It includes non-physical acts, such as rebuking, which Adler called “anger that pulls people apart.”
Shift from cause to goal. Instead of focusing on who is to blame (“bad person” vs. “poor me”), guide students to focus on “What should I do from now on?” to foster responsibility and self-reliance.
Educators must foster self-reliance. The core task is to help students gain the awareness that they can accomplish things on their own. It requires a horizontal relationship, not a vertical one built on authority.
The reward is the feeling of contribution. Expecting student gratitude hinders self-reliance. True happiness comes from contributing to their growth, not from being thanked.