Program Relaunch & Book Reading

Learning Forward Saturday February 14, 2026  •  56 mins Action Items  Share WhatsApp no and email in the Learning Forward Saturday group for submissions. Harshita Dalawat Collect teachers’ Chapter 1 reflections; publish on www.happyteacher.in Harshita Dalawat Download chat log w/ names and schools Harshita Dalawat Meeting Summary  Hosts: Brinda Ghosh and Sandeep Dutt To launch a book reading on teacher development and assign the first reflection. Key Takeaways New Book: Launched a monthly book reading using Wanted Back-bencher  & Last-ranker Teacher to explore teacher development. Program Goal: Shift the teacher paradigm from “perfect” to “relatable” by focusing on reading, reflection, and relationships, rather than just training. First Assignment: Teachers must submit a reflection on “What goes into the making of a teacher?” by next Saturday. Resource Hub: www.happyteacher.in It is the central portal for all program content, including session recordings and participant reflections. Topics Program Relaunch & Book Reading Context: The “Staff Leadership Development” program was relaunched to address low school participation, focusing on a new model. New Model: A monthly book club using Wanted Backbencher & LastRanker Teacher to drive teacher development. Rationale: The book’s depth is proven by its having been read with teachers 5 times and by its sales of ~1,000 copies. Format: One chapter per month → discussion → reflection assignment. Program Philosophy: Focus: Reading, reflection, and building relationships. Goal: Shift the teacher paradigm from “perfect” to “relatable.” Output: Create open educational resources (OERs) on happyteacher.in. Chapter 1: Conventional vs. Contemporary Management Theme: The conflict between conventional and contemporary school management, sparked by a CEO’s ad for an “unconventional” teacher. Core Concept: The “backbencher” is an idiom for the “last child in the class”—the one who needs the most engagement. Teacher’s Role: Be smarter than the smartest child to ensure everyone is involved. Engagement Tactic (from book): Teacher Roma disguises herself as a bison or plays basketball with students to build rapport. First Assignment: Reflection Prompt: “What goes into the making of a teacher?” Format: Flexible, allowing for diverse expression: Video Blog post Graphic/image Submission: Method: WhatsApp or email to Harshita Dalawat. File Type: Word document is preferred. Group Posting: Reflections can also be posted directly in the “Learning Forward Saturday” WhatsApp group. Support: Harshita Dalawat is the program coordinator, managing submissions, publishing, and certification. Next Steps All Teachers: Submit a reflection on “What goes into the making of a teacher?” by next Saturday. Post the name and school in the chat for attendance. Harshita Dalawat: Share WhatsApp number and email in the group chat. Collect and organise all reflection submissions.

Educational Activities and Learning Experiences

Learning Forward Saturday

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.