Everything ties back to being a teacher; this "Friday@ EBD" was another thread. We had invited Neha Negi, author of When Birds Talked, to our Meet-and-Greet. An artistic activity was designed in which Neha asked participants to observe and describe mundane objects around them using five adjectives or phrases. Participants shared their observations. There were beautiful connections and observations made by people. It is true, we do forget the mundane. The mundanities that surround us are constant. We discussed a powerful paragraph from her prologue, which noted that we tend to know more about distant lands than about the nature immediately available to us. I was thinking about whether I know more bird names than just crow, maina, pigeon, and bulbul. I do not.
For me as a teacher, this is a powerful message that I'd like to take to my classrooms and teacher training. In the chaos of learning the alphabet and numbers, we forget the gifts we have received from nature. Can we bring this back to our classroom? It is also a reflection of how little we care or bother. As a result, we can destroy it because there is less connection and affection for it.
This week, as in any other, reflections continue, and there is a wonderful group of teachers who meet at Learning Forward on Saturday, where there is an invisible love for teaching, dialogue, and shared realities. I'd like to invite my group to think of all the names of the birds and trees around us before we discuss phonetics and its difficulty.
Discuss happiness, contribution, and the pursuit of being "special."
Key Takeaways
Happiness is the feeling of contribution. This subjective sense of being useful is the antidote to the most significant unhappiness: not liking oneself.
The desire for recognition is a trap. It creates dependence on others' approval, sacrificing freedom for a fleeting, external validation of worth.
Problem behaviour is a "pursuit of easy superiority." Children seek attention (good or bad) to feel special, often because they feel unheard or can't meet parental expectations.
The "courage to be normal" is the solution. Accepting one's ordinary self is the first step to self-acceptance, freeing one from the need for external validation.
Topics
The Problem: Unhappiness & The Pursuit of Being "Special"
The most significant unhappiness is not liking oneself.
The pursuit of being "special" (via "easy superiority") is a common coping mechanism.
Goal: Gain attention and feel important without healthy effort.
Method: When being "especially good" fails, one becomes "especially bad/terrible."
Examples: Classroom disruptions, delinquency, and even a shut-in's withdrawal.
Why it persists: Rebukes provide the very attention the child craves, reinforcing the behaviour.
Root causes:
Feeling unheard.
Inability to meet parental expectations.
A societal system that constantly ranks and appraises.
The Solution: Contribution & The Courage to Be Normal
Happiness is the feeling of contribution.
This subjective sense of being useful is the key to self-worth.
Crucially, the contribution's visibility or others' acceptance doesn't matter; the internal feeling is what counts.
The "courage to be normal" is the path to self-acceptance.
It's the antithesis of the "pursuit of easy superiority."
Rejecting normality because it's equated with being "incapable" is the core issue.
The Youth's Objection: This philosophy appears to discourage ambition and the emergence of geniuses such as Napoleon or Einstein.
Context: Masterclass Rebranding & Logistics
The Masterclass is rebranded to align with the "Youth Engaging Society" program.
New Website:schooleducation.com → "Masterclass" page.
Rationale: The book's youth-philosopher dialogue directly addresses the program's goal of building schools in which youth engage with society.
Partnership: Learning Forward has partnered with the Holy Sai Group of Schools to expand the Good School Alliance.
Process:
Participants are encouraged to email reflections for inclusion in the weekly newsletter and blog.
The weekly newsletter is a significant effort (6–8 hours) involving multiple writers and a final editor.
Next Steps
All Participants: Email reflections on happiness, contribution, and the "courage to be normal" for the weekly newsletter.
Sandeep Dutt: Complete the current book in the subsequent two sessions, then begin the sequel, The Courage to be Happy.
Thanks to Vasudhara Rishi of Sunbeam School, Mughalsarai, for the reflection:
Today's reading session prompted me to reflect on how happiness is connected to self-worth. It clearly shows that true happiness begins when we start contributing in ways that feel meaningful to us, not just in ways that please others. When we act from our own values and inner purpose, satisfaction naturally follows. However, before reaching this stage, it is essential to free ourselves from the constant need for others' validation and recognition. This is not easy because we are raised in a system where appreciation from others often becomes the measure of success.
Many of us believe that unless people acknowledge our efforts, our work has no value. But once we stop seeking approval and start trusting ourselves, we gain freedom. That freedom allows us to contribute honestly and confidently. And when our contribution comes from within, happiness becomes a natural outcome. I also agree that it's a continuous process to trust yourself by reminding yourself, " what I am doing is right and meaningful."
Reviewing educational findings and planning new teaching strategies.
Key Takeaways
Shift from feedback to "feedforward" to guide students on how to improve their work, not just mark it wrong.
Systematically teach reading using two methods: phonics (sound-symbol association) and sight reading (recognising whole words like "the").
Move beyond copying to foster creativity by having students compose original stories, even from pictures, to demonstrate proper application of learning.
Launch "Wisdom Mandali" next year, a teacher-led initiative to share stories and lead sessions, with Neelashi M in a supporting role.
Topics
The Problem: Ineffective Feedback & Reading Instruction
The session began with a review of prior findings on effective teaching.
Ineffective Feedback:
Current practice (e.g., Saroj's) is real-time correction during class.
Drawback: This creates idle time for students while they wait for the teacher, reducing productive learning.
Ineffective Reading Instruction:
The group identified a need to move beyond simple decoding.
Rationale: Reading comprehension requires more than just sounding out words; it involves understanding context and meaning.
The Solution: "Feedforward" & Systematic Reading Instruction
"Feedforward" for Improvement:
Brinda introduced "feedforward" as a more effective alternative to simple feedback.
Principle: Guides students on how to correct mistakes and improve work, rather than just identifying errors.
Implementation: Use rubrics to set clear expectations and empower students to self-correct.
Systematic Reading Instruction:
Brinda outlined a two-pronged approach for compelling reading:
Phonics: Reinforce sound-symbol association (e.g., the letter 'A' makes the 'ah' sound).
Sight Reading: Teach students to recognise high-frequency words as whole units (e.g., 'the') to build fluency.
Action: HP will lead a dedicated teacher training session on these methods.
Application: Fostering Creativity & Engagement
Writing Beyond Copying:
A key recommendation is to move beyond copying exercises to give students opportunities to compose their own texts and express ideas.
Rationale: Original composition is the ultimate test of applied learning.
Creative Storytelling:
Gulabee's "market" activity showed how open-ended questions can spark student stories.
Brinda's Suggestion: Provide broad prompts (e.g., "Write a story about this picture") instead of leading questions to encourage greater imagination.
Thematic Learning:
Sunita Tripathi requested new, time-efficient ideas for small classes.
Brinda's Suggestion: Use a single theme (e.g., "Winter Season") for 10–15 days to integrate activities across subjects (English, Science, Math) and maximise learning time.
Future Initiative: "Wisdom Mandali"
Neelashi M announced a new initiative for the upcoming year: "Wisdom Mandali."
Purpose: A teacher-led forum for sharing stories and leading sessions.
Role: Neelashi M will provide background support, empowering teachers to take the lead.
Next Steps
Minakshi: Send adolescent mapping printing work to Neelashi M.
Brinda: Plan and lead a dedicated teacher training session on phonics and sight reading.
Neelashi M: Plan a future session with HP to provide teachers with concrete, implementable pedagogical methods and samples.
Masterclass 2025, cohosted byGurdeep KaurandSandeep Dutt, focused on reading, reflection, and building meaningful relationships with teachers from 15 schools. We brought insights from the book "Productive Failure" by Manu Kapur into our classrooms, engaging educators from theSunbeam Group of Educational Institutions,The Doon School, and ourGood Schools Alliancemembers, prompting them to think critically.
In The Doon School classrooms, we were inspired by a community-based initiative that explored Productive Failure and addressed a common question among educators: How do we design it collaboratively, week after week? TheGood Schools Alliance(GSA), a network dedicated to joyful and rigorous learning and teacher agency, established The Teachers Academy to tackle this question. Every Saturday evening, educators from GSA schools convene for a focused 45-minute master class—not to follow a script, but to explore ideas collaboratively. This series began with a shared reading of "Productive Failure" and has evolved into a community of practice in which teachers read, experiment, reflect, and adapt the concept to their unique contexts. The guiding principle is straightforward: try tomorrow, stumble safely, learn publicly. From this community, three micro-cases emerge, each demonstrating how a slight design adjustment can transform confusion into competence. For more details, visitwww.HappyTeacher.in Read more in the Indian Edition of the book by DrManu Kapur.
Reading from the book The Courage to Be Disliked and discussing Adlerian psychology on trust, confidence, and community feeling.
Key Takeaways
Trust vs. Confidence: Trust is conditional (e.g., a bank loan), while confidence is unconditional belief. Unconditional confidence is the foundation for deep relationships, as it shifts the burden of betrayal from the believer to the betrayer.
The Community Feeling Cycle: A virtuous cycle of self-acceptance, confidence in others, and contribution to others. Self-acceptance enables confidence, which enables contribution, which in turn reinforces self-worth and self-acceptance.
Contribution as Self-Worth: Contribution is not self-sacrifice; it's how we realize our own worth. The goal is to feel "I am of use," which is a self-serving act that creates a positive atmosphere and invites others' participation.
Workaholism as a "Life Lie": Workaholism is a "life lie"—an excuse to avoid other responsibilities (family, hobbies). It reflects a lack of "harmony of life" by focusing on a single task (work) and judging the whole person by it.
Topics
Trust vs. Confidence
The discussion distinguished between trust and confidence, framing them as the foundation of relationships.
Trust: Conditional belief based on security (e.g., a bank loan requiring collateral).
Confidence: Unconditional belief without security.
This is the basis of Adlerian psychology for deep relationships.
It separates tasks: the believer's task is to believe; the other person's task is whether to betray.
The goal is to build relationships, not to be naive.
The Danger of Doubt: A foundation of doubt creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, where one finds "evidence" to confirm pre-existing suspicions.
The Community Feeling Cycle
The three key concepts form a circular, interdependent structure for achieving a sense of belonging.
1. Self-Acceptance: Accepting oneself "just as one is."
2. Confidence in Others: Unconditional belief, which shifts one's view of others from enemies to comrades.
3. Contribution to Others: Action taken for the community.
This is not self-sacrifice; it is how one realizes personal worth by feeling "I am of use."
Example: Washing dishes with joy creates a positive atmosphere that invites help, unlike grumbling, which pushes people away.
Workaholism as a "Life Lie"
Workaholism was presented as a "life lie"—an excuse to avoid other responsibilities (family, hobbies).
It reflects a lack of "harmony of life," where one focuses on a single task (work) and judges the whole person by it.
The 10-Person Rule: In any group of 10, one person will dislike you, two will be close friends, and seven will be neutral. A lack of harmony means focusing only on the one person who dislikes you.
Stammering Example: Stammering is not the root problem; it is a symptom of self-consciousness and a lack of harmony, where one focuses on the single person who might mock them.
Q&A: Adaptability and Change
Khushie asked why Adlerian psychology suggests it takes 20 years for a 40-year-old to change vs. 10 years for a 20-year-old.
Reason: Younger people are more adaptable and have not yet developed rigid patterns.
Analogy: Soft clay is easier to mold than hardened clay.
Analogy: Digital natives learn new tech faster than older generations.
Next Steps
Khushie: Post remaining questions in the WhatsApp group to invite discussion from the entire group.
Shalini: Share the intended comment via WhatsApp voice note due to poor audio quality during the meeting.
