Good Schools of India
Joy of Learning Weekly #44
Merry Christmas reflections: the myriad colours of the sunset are a beautiful reminder of the past year. The clouds and the waters evoke memories of the challenges and the distance we’ve overcome together in 2025. It was a wonderful year filled with #JoyOfGiving and helping schools build a culture of learning and trust.
With 63 Members our Good Schools Alliance continues to reach out to stakeholders to spread #JoyOfLearning, this week we were invited to write the #YearInReview post for the LinkedIn News Editors and here is a snapshot to help you reflect, see the shadows and the footprints we have left behind in the year.
*Our focus is on inspiring a love for reading, encouraging reflection, and nurturing meaningful relationships.*
The year 2025 will go down in history as a significant milestone. We have established a strong governance model and continue to pursue our goal of preparing teachers and passionate educators to help your child get ready for the world. Under the leadership of our Chairperson of the Governing Council, Amrita Burman, we will continue to enhance your learning experience with high-quality resources and support. Schools and partners collaborate with the Good Schools Alliance to build a culture of trust and learning.
What did we do the year long?
- **My Good School:** Every Sunday from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM for fun and engaging learning experiences that inspire.
- **The Teachers Academy:** Every Saturday at 3:00 PM we connected with fellow educators to support them with their professional learning needs.
- **Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt:** Every Saturday at 5:30 PM, we discovered Productive Failure and continue with our Read And Lead program
- **Brewing Knowledge:** Unearthed fresh insights every Friday at 5:30 PM and we stayed ahead of the curve.
- **GSA Squad Meetings:** Collaborated with volunteers on Mondays at 5:30 PM to reflect, strategise, and pave the way for future success.
- **My Good School Retreats:** Two exclusive retreats at Arthur Foot Academy and the Sunbeam Gramin School where new perspectives were discovered #JoyOfLearning focusing on service, skill, sport and study.
- **School Culture Transformation for Special Projects:** Embraced unique opportunities designed for helping our schools transform.
- **School Development Consulting:** Full suite for Governance, Training and Learning, along with our partners and consulting agencies to help schools deliver better.
- **Joy of Learning Menu!:** Internships, Fellowships, Weekly, YouTube Channel and much more!
Brewing Knowledge
Ghost-eye: A Novel by Amitav Ghosh
ABOUT THE BOOK
Past and present collide in a novel about a girl who might just be a ‘case of the reincarnation type’
Varsha Gupta wants fish for her lunch. Her family can’t understand it; the three-year-old has never tasted fish in her life. The Guptas are strict vegetarians and don’t allow it inside their Calcutta mansion. But Varsha claims she can remember another life: a mud house by a river where she caught and cooked fish with a different mother.
Perplexed, the Guptas turn to Dr Shoma Bose, a psychiatrist who has been investigating what are known as ‘cases of the reincarnation type’ for years. But Shoma’s understanding of the world is changed forever by Varsha’s revelations.
Half a century later, when Varsha’s therapeutic case file catches the attention of a group of environmental activists, Shoma’s nephew Dinu is drawn inexorably into their plans. And as Dinu finds himself caught up in the search for Varsha, buried memories of his own past begin to surface.
Travelling between late-sixties’ Calcutta and present-day Brooklyn, Ghost-Eye is an urgent and expansive novel from one of our greatest living storytellers, about family, fate and our fragile planet.
Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
Brewing Knowledge Friday, reading from Kamala Mukunda’s book What Did You Ask At School Today?
Neelashi Mangal led a discussion on motivation, focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The chapter highlighted Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, emphasising that unmet physical or emotional needs hinder learning. Jugjiv Singh shared a personal story about intrinsic motivation to help a family member. Minakshi Prasad discussed overcoming a fear of public speaking, which led to helping others. The conversation also addressed the impact of rewards on intrinsic motivation, suggesting that tangible rewards can diminish it, whereas verbal praise can increase it when administered appropriately. The session concluded with strategies for balancing intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in education.
Humans, actually!
Being here at EBD Bookstore has taught me so much. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that people don’t just come here to buy books.
They come to be heard.
Every day, people walk in with searching eyes, carrying a quiet mix of emotions—happiness, sadness, confusion, hope or may be all at once. And somehow, between the shelves and the familiar smell of paper, they allow it to spill.
Just yesterday, an aunty came in asking for book recommendations for her daughter—someone my age. At first, it felt casual. She flipped through covers, asking questions lightly. But soon, the conversation slowed. She wasn’t in a hurry. She lingered.
She told me her daughter loves reading but has been feeling a little lost lately. She wanted books that could feel like company. And as I suggested titles, I realised something: she wasn’t only looking for recommendations.
She really wanted to talk.
So we did. We talked about books, yes—but also about growing up, about how confusing this age can be, about how parents sometimes struggle to reach their children. She listened quietly, nodded often, smiled softly. For a moment, the bookstore stopped being a shop. It became a pause.
When she left, she thanked me—not just for the books, but for the conversation.
That’s when it truly struck me: bookstores are not just about transactions. They are about relationships—small, gentle ones. The kind where strangers trust you with pieces of their lives simply because you’re standing between stories.
I think that’s the most beautiful part of this place.
Here, books begin conversations that stay between the shelves.
-Sneha, Intern at The English book Depot
You Are Not the Centre of the World
Read And Lead - Masterclass 2026
The meeting discussed the book “The Courage to Be Disliked” by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi. We elaborated on the concept of community feeling, emphasising horizontal relationships over vertical ones. The discussion highlighted the pitfalls of praise and rebuke and advocated encouragement and gratitude instead. The session also addressed the importance of contributing to the community in building self-worth and courage. Participants shared their thoughts on applying these principles in various contexts, including education and work.
Learning Forward Saturday
Quick recap
The meeting featured a creative educational session in which teachers and students discussed projects and activities, particularly scrapbooking and classroom libraries. The session included demonstrations of how students could create scrapbooks on various subjects, with specific examples shared by teachers, including social science, Hindi, and English. Teachers exchanged ideas about incorporating creative projects into their classrooms, with particular emphasis on making learning engaging through visual and hands-on activities. The discussion also covered the importance of classroom libraries and how students could contribute to them. The conversation ended with participants sharing their thoughts on the session and expressing gratitude to the organisers.
Motivation - we all ponder over it.
The struggle that Kamala Mukunda brought in her chapter this week about 'motivation' is real. It touches everyone, each one of us. We are often afraid to say it out loud. How do we incorporate activities that organically build intrinsic motivation in students in our classroom to be curious on their own and take charge of their learning? How do we, as teachers, find ways to have fun while teaching?
Thank you Amardeep Singh
This week we completed the screening of the 24 episodes. The video is a tribute to his remarkable effort. We embarked on a journey with Guru Nanak and discovered real-world learning through the 24 episodes, which the producer graciously hosted over two years. Regardless of his location, he consistently attended the monthly sessions with the children of My Good School. Gurus like Amardeep Singh make learning engaging for us at the Good Schools Alliance and we are immensely grateful for their contributions.
Guru Nanak, an embodiment of Oneness, is a revolutionary spiritual teacher.
Born in 1469, he traversed vast geographies for over two decades to visit congregational sites of diverse faiths with a noble interest to seek and impart universal fellowship.
“Allegory - A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels”, a 24 episode docuseries, sequentially explores Guru Nanak’s life events to unfurl the deep imports of his messages. This docs series is filmed at over 150 multi-faith sites in 9 countries.
गुरु नानक देव जी के जीवन का संदेश – Lalita Pal
गुरु नानक देव जी ने सिखाया कि प्रेम और सच्चाई की आवाज़ को ऊँचा बोलने की आवश्यकता नहीं होती; यह खुद ही सबके दिलों तक पहुँच जाती है। अगर हम उनके बताए मार्ग पर चलें, किसी की मदद करें, सच्चाई बोले और भेदभाव न करें, तो हमारा जीवन सुन्दर और अर्थपूर्ण बन जाएगा।
Virtual Internship Program
I applied for the Good School Alliance Internship because my school shared meeting links for the reading sessions that were held on Sundays, and I joined a few of them. I really enjoyed these sessions as they were calm and interactive, and they gave everyone a chance to read and share their thoughts openly. Being part of such discussions helped me feel more confident and interested in reading. A friend also encouraged me to apply for the internship, which motivated me to take this opportunity.
My aim is to develop a better reading habit and improve my communication skills. I also want to learn how these reading sessions are planned and conducted. Through this internship, I hope to actively participate in the sessions, share my reflections, and encourage other students from my school to join and benefit from them.
Deen Shah Najam Sunbeam Ballia
My Good School
Webinar for My Good School (12/21/2025): The meeting reviewed a 24-episode documentary on Guru Nanak and discussed the Good School Alliance's council transition. It explored Guru Nanak's teachings on Oneness, equality, and spiritual wisdom, highlighting their relevance beyond religious boundaries to promote unity and peace. The session concluded with reflections on interconnectedness, balancing material and spiritual success, and gratitude for the philosophical insights gained.
Good School Alliance Transition Update
The meeting centred on completing a 20-month documentary series project with Amardeep, emphasising gratitude and commitment. Sandeep noted 2025 as a pivotal year for the Good Schools Alliance, highlighting the Oneness understanding, new governing council, and a CSR project in Uttarakhand. They also recognised Amardeep's patience with children's questions.
Guru Nanak Documentary and Education
The discussion focused on a Guru Nanak documentary series, with Amadi noting that his travels across Asia are recorded in ancient texts. However, modern accounts sometimes misattribute his visits to places like the Vatican. The conversation then moved to Manisha introducing My Good School, which emphasises experiential learning and features a documentary about Guru Nanak as a teacher of wisdom and inner consciousness, not a traditional guru.
Meet Ratna Manucha on 26th December 2025 at 5:30 PM, hosted by Neelashi and Sneha at Brewing Knowledge Friday online and offline.