Good Schools of India
Joy of Learning Weekly #49
Proud Roots. Progress for the People.
Our focus is on Reading, Reflection and building meaningful Relationships.
At the Governing Council’s foundational meeting, we adopted our Constitution.
Preamble
The Good Schools Alliance (GSA) is an association of Schools, Partners, and change-making individuals dedicated to improving education in India. Based on the belief that meaningful education comes from reading, reflection, and relationships, GSA aims to nurture holistic learning outcomes, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, character, and citizenship. This Constitution guides GSA’s vision, purpose, governance, and operations, ensuring clarity, continuity, accountability, and shared ownership across leadership generations.
Governing Council
Amrita Burman - Chairperson GSA
Ajay Singh - Scindia School, Gwalior
Anoop Seth - PYDS Learning Academy, Dehradun
Dr Arun Singh - Sunbeam School Ballia
Shikha Agnihotri - National Council for School Safety
Kartik Bajoria - Author and Soft Skills Trainer
Jugjiv Singh - Mentor My Good School
Group Captain Anil K Sharma (Retd) - Sr Vice President Reliance Industries Ltd.
Sandeep Dutt - Founder Learning Forward India Foundation
GSA welcomes everyone, including individuals, schools, partners, and anyone. Our diverse partnerships reflect our commitment to tackling educational challenges. We aspire to create a meritocratic India that values service over privilege. Our goal is to provide students with the best education in a caring environment that fosters learning, personal growth, and character development.
Since Forever
At The English Book Depot (EBD), relationships have never been transactional. People return not only for books, but for familiarity, recognition, and the comfort of a place that has grown alongside them. This bookstore stands today not only for the books it holds, but also for the people who continue to return to it, carrying its history forward.
Validity and Reliability of Academic Assessments
BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Includes Speeches by • Mahatma Gandhi • Indira Gandhi • Adolf Hitler • Martin Luther King • Arundhati Roy and many more
A COLLECTION OF GREAT AND POWERFUL SPEECHES THAT AFFECTED THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT.
The Courage To Be Disliked: Book Recap & Key Learnings
Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt
To conclude the book study on The Courage to be Disliked and transition to its sequel.
The meeting focused on the book “The Courage to Be Disliked” by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi, which explores Adlerian psychology and the importance of interpersonal relationships. Sandeep led the session, reviewing key concepts from the book and facilitating a dialogue between Gurdeep, who played the Youth in the book, and the philosopher character. Participants shared their reflections on the book’s themes, including the significance of horizontal relationships and the courage to be true to oneself. The group also discussed the connection between philosophy, psychology, and religion, and the importance of practical application in daily life. Sandeep emphasised the value of continuous learning and encouraged participants to explore related resources, including the YouTube channel and blog, to deepen their understanding of the book’s concepts.
Key Takeaways
The group concluded The Courage to be Disliked, reflecting on its core principles: all problems are interpersonal, happiness is a choice, and courage is the key to change.
The sequel, The Courage to be Happy, begins with the Youth (now a teacher) rejecting Adlerian theory as impractical after it failed to manage a classroom without praise or rebuke.
The Philosopher counters that the Youth misunderstands Adler, whose principles are severe and require courage, not just intellectual agreement.
The session paused at the Philosopher’s claim that the “stairway to understanding” Adler is “love,” a concept the Youth immediately dismisses. We will conclude next week.
Life Lessons and Problem Solutions
Learning Forward Saturday
To explore the concept of wisdom and how to integrate lived experiences into teaching.
Key Takeaways
Wisdom is universal: It is gained through lived experience, not just formal education, and is found in all people and environments.
Life lessons are a 3-step teaching tool: They can be systematically used to teach skills by (1) collecting stories, (2) extracting core values, and (3) designing classroom activities.
Old solutions fail new problems: The proverb “When water catches fire, what will you douse it with?” illustrates that past solutions (e.g., rote learning) can become ineffective or even harmful, requiring humility and creative problem-solving.
Student-led interviews are a key strategy: Having students interview family and community members fosters open-ended learning and connects classroom lessons to real-world wisdom.
Jabaaz Kishori Project - Sunbeam School Ballia
Jabaaz Kishori is a community-based project focused on understanding the challenges faced by adolescent girls in rural areas and working towards their empowerment. As a research intern, I participated in field visits across multiple villages over three days. The purpose of this report is to document the issues shared by the girls and propose an action plan based on real observations and interactions.
Meet me on the other side
It is pretty easy to judge a teacher; everyone holds an opinion on them. In fact, many people have opinions about teachers in the classroom, even though they have no experience in a school. Arthur Foot Academy’s teachers carry a lot of cultural baggage, but they bring their resilience to the school. Teaching in a village where most women are married or about to be married off or are reaching the age soon, some of these teachers are finding their way through teaching.
A lot of meaningful work! Well done GSA
So Much action and impact, La Viva GSA!