Good Schools of India
Joy of Learning Weekly #77
Welcome to edition number 77!
The number 77 holds different meanings across numerology, spirituality, and religion, most commonly symbolising intuition, inner wisdom, a major spiritual awakening, and divine alignment. And we saw all this come alive, with wonderful stories of people with differing abilities who are changing the world, one story at a time. In April 2026, Priyanka Agarwal scripted history by becoming the second visually impaired Indian woman (and the first from Karnataka) to complete the gruelling trek to the Everest Base Camp (EBC) in Nepal.
Key Details of Her Historic Journey
The Expedition: A 43-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru, Priyanka accomplished the 110-km trek over nine days, navigating up to an altitude of 5,364 metres.
The Challenges: Navigating with approximately 10% vision due to progressive retinitis pigmentosa, she endured sub-zero temperatures dropping to -20°C, unpredictable hailstorms, and narrow, boulder-strewn pathways.
Support System: The expedition was part of India’s largest inclusive trek to EBC, organised by the Tinkesh Ability Foundation. She completed the trek alongside her husband, Dimpesh Bhatewara, making them the first Indian interabled couple to reach the milestone.
The ABLE Conference—hosted by ScooNews as the 10th-anniversary edition of the Global Ed-Fest—was a landmark three-day summit held at Clarks Amer, Jaipur, from August 6 to 8, 2026. The event marked India’s first education summit entirely dedicated to disability inclusion in mainstream schools. Moving away from traditional charity or sympathy, the “ABLE” theme asserted that individuals are not disabled or differently-abled, but simply ABLE. The summit convened over 500 school leaders, policymakers, assistive tech innovators, and changemakers to build a practical roadmap for inclusive education.
The ScooNews Memorial Awards 2026
The ScooNews Memorial Awards highlighted the summit by honoring educators whose work carries on the legacy of eight educational pioneers. In a unique tradition, families of late educators personally felicitated the awardees, symbolizing the passing of the torch. Key 2026 recipients included notable figures like Dr. Aditi Misra, Dr. Anirudh Gupta, Lina Ashar, Brinda Ghosh Dr Geet Oberoi, Dr Anju Chazot & Pascal Chazot, and Kamaljeet Yadav with awards presented at The Royal Ed Gala hosted by Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar.
Key Takeaways from the Event
Inclusion as a Mindset: True inclusion is a structural and cultural shift, not merely building physical infrastructure.
Dignity-Driven Technology: The event showcased innovations like “Annie,” the world’s first self-learning Braille device, emphasising that assistive technology must empower users with independence.
The Willingness Project: ScooNews launched this initiative to distribute adaptive prosthetic hands, showcasing a commitment to tangible, life-changing community support.
Systemic Change: Beyond the classroom, the summit initiated efforts to make Jaipur’s public spaces more accessible through civic audits.
AI- and tech-enabled learning is giving humans an edge to overcome the challenges of different abilities and experience the joy of learning.
My Good School is en-ABLE-ed!
Read with us every Sunday.
My Good School online, which launched on October 1, 2021, is always there to give our Good Schools Alliance members access on Sundays. Encouraging reading helps create a world where we take a moment to think before we judge, listen before we react and try to understand first. Let’s help everyone fall in love with stories and develop empathy.
Can you picture children missing out on the joy of reading? It’s not just about reading less; they lose a key tool for understanding others. Books spark our imagination by showing us the lives, feelings and challenges of people we don’t know. They help us connect and understand by teaching us to accept emotions that aren’t our own. Without this, it can be harder to care for people who are different from us.
BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Learning Forward Saturday discussion on the final chapters of a book, “Wanted Back-bencher & Last-ranker Teacher,” and applying its lessons to teaching.
Key Takeaways
Roma’s Departure: On her last day, substitute teacher Roma feels unappreciated by students and colleagues, despite her significant impact on their learning and teamwork skills.
The “Tom & Jerry” Analogy: Staff room discussion frames teaching as a “Tom & Jerry” dynamic, where teachers (Tom) relentlessly chase students (Jerry) to ensure learning, with both emerging smarter.
Lifelong Learning as a Teacher’s Duty: Principal Kapoor and Roma advocate for teachers to maintain a “youthful spirit” by continuously learning new skills (e.g., calligraphy, driving, drumming) to stay adaptable and empathetic.
New Book Projects: Sandeep announced two upcoming books: “The Happy Teacher in the Classroom”, from the Happy Teacher blog; and “Experiencing the Joy of Learning” from the blog Joy Of Learning Diaries.
Roma’s Departure & Disappointment
On her final day, Roma feels unappreciated by students and colleagues.
Student Reaction: Students are focused on their own activities, with no farewells. Roma’s favourite students, Surya and Supriya, are absent.
Colleague Reaction:
Principal Kapoor: Delivers a perfunctory goodbye, confirming no recommendation letter is possible for temporary teachers.
Vijay Lakshmi: Expresses only personal inconvenience, stating she must “start all over again with the new teacher.”
Roma’s Internal Conflict: Despite the perceived lack of appreciation, Roma realises she has fallen in love with teaching and dreads returning to her corporate HR job.
Roma’s Impact: Group Work & Teamwork
A conversation with Mrs Choudhury reveals common group project flaws:
Inequitable Contribution: Some students are excluded, or parents do the work.
Skill Gaps: Students lack training in presentation skills and effective teamwork.
Roma’s students report success with her “corporate planning method,” which prioritises skill over friendship in team formation.
Outcome: Students learn to value competence, discover hidden talents (e.g., Anthony’s PowerPoint skills), and bond with non-friends.
Staff Room Discussion: Teacher Mindset
“Tom & Jerry” Analogy: Teachers are “Tom,” relentlessly chasing students (”Jerry”) to ensure learning, with both emerging smarter.
“Youthful Spirit” vs. Age:
Shrikant Sir: Argues teachers need a “young spirit” to match student energy and adapt to teenage behaviour.
Ranjita: Claims learning is harder with age, citing her own extensive childhood learning.
Pramila: Counters that difficulty comes from failing to “forget the old stuff,” not from an inability to learn.
Principal Kapoor’s Challenge: Asks teachers what new skills they’ve learned recently.
Ranjita’s Example: Reveals she is unfamiliar with Excel, causing a delay in submitting marks.
Roma’s Example: Shares her experience learning drums at age 18.
Struggle: Felt embarrassed and struggled with rhythm alongside younger students.
Motivation: Encouragement from students and a 65-year-old peer learner inspired her to persevere.
Success: Performed “Dance of Eternity” at Hard Rock Cafe after 10 months.
Insight: Being a learner reminds teachers of the student struggle, fostering empathy.
Learning Forward Initiatives
New Book Projects:
“The Happy Teacher in the Classroom”: A book based on the 15-year-old Happy Teacher blog, featuring stories put together by the “Snehlata Prize” awardees.
“Experiencing the Joy of Learning”: A book of student diaries.
Learning Forward Retreat:
An immersive 2-day retreat in Dehradun for teachers, focusing on “Reading, Reflection, and Relationship.”
Learning Forward India Foundation covers all costs for Special Project participants except travel.
Invitation: Sandeep invited Seema Khare to send 4-5 teachers from the Sunbeam Gramin School.
Learn, Give and Grow
Good Schools Alliance invites you to experience the Joy of Learning
Discover the joy of learning through reading, reflection, and relationships - the 3Rs that define My Good School.