The Retreat was a treat!

Over three days of The Learning Forward Retreat, I had the opportunity to spend time with teachers and educators from different schools from different backgrounds and experiences, we were brought together by three simple ideas 3Rs

Reading, Reflection, and Relationships

Our journey began with reading the book, Is Your Child Ready to Face the World? during the YES Workshop, we explored chapters on humility, honesty, goals and other values. Every teacher had a different story to tell and reflected on their years of teaching and listening to these experiences made me realise that a book is never read in the same way by two people as they had their teaching reflections, and i had reflections from my student life, The discussions encouraged me to pause and ask questions like, do my actions match my values?

Coming to the second day, it was dedicated to reflection where we all worked together to create flip charts based on our learning from the book and being together, it may sound like a simple activity, but what stood out to me was seeing teachers become students again. We spent time deciding how to present our ideas, discussing colours, drawings, words, and layouts.

I had fun watching experienced educators carefully sketching, colouring, and debating which illustration would best match a sentence. It reminded me that creativity doesn't belong only to children, sometimes adults just need the opportunity to use it again. We listened to one another, and built on each other's ideas. We didn’t do reflection alone but together.

The final day was about relationships, we visited Aasraa Trust, a shelter home for underprivileged children. It was a chance to connect with people whose lives are very different from ours. Spending time with the children reminded me that everyone carries struggles we cannot immediately see yet despite those challenges, they welcomed us with warmth, curiosity and joy.

The retreat also helped me build relationships with the educators around me. Whether it was chatting over lunch, exchanging ideas after a session, and thats how every conversation added a new perspective and every person had something valuable to teach.

As I look back on these three days, I realise that the three Rs are deeply connected. Reading opened my mind,  reflection helped me understand what I had learned, and relationships gave those lessons a human meaning.

- Sneha, The English Book Depot

Youth Engagement and Professional Relationships

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

Masterclass on work, relationships, and the philosophy of “The Courage to Be Happy.”

Key Takeaways

• Trust vs. Confidence: Work relationships are transactional (confidence-based), grounded in conditions like collateral. Friendships are unconditional (based on confidence) and are rooted in belief in a person’s human worth.

• Work as Survival: Adler viewed work as a survival strategy—a necessary “division of labour” to compensate for human physical inferiority. This makes cooperation a non-negotiable, not a choice.

• Worth is Attitude: A person’s worth is defined by their attitude toward work, not their profession. All work is honourable, as a community’s diversity of roles is its strength.

• The 3 R’s are a Triangle: The relationship between Reading, Reflection, and Relationships is triangular. A strong relationship can spark reflection, which then motivates reading.

Topics

The 3 R’s & The Courage to Be Happy

• The 3 R’s (Reading, Reflection, Relationship) are a core framework for personal and social development.

• The masterclass series, based on Adlerian philosophy, aims to help youth “find their voice” and build identity.

• Key Concepts from “The Courage to Be Disliked”:

  • True worth is self-reliance.

  • All problems and joys are interpersonal.

  • Happiness is an internal choice.

  • Problem behaviour is a “cry for help.”

Trust vs. Confidence

• The book defines two distinct relationship types:

  • Trust: Conditional and transactional, based on collateral (e.g., a bank loan).

  • Confidence: Unconditional belief in a person’s human worth, without collateral.

• Application to Life Tasks:

  • Work Relationships → Trust: Condition-based, driven by vested interest (e.g., a shared company goal).

  • Friend Relationships → Confidence: Unconditional, driven by intrinsic motivation (“I like this person”).

Why Work is a Life Task

• Adler’s psychological view of work contrasts with economic theories.

• Work as Survival: Work is a direct link to survival in a harsh natural world.

• Division of Labour: Humans compensate for physical inferiority by forming groups and specialising. This is a non-negotiable survival strategy.

• Societal Purpose: Society exists to facilitate this division of labour. Living, working, and building society are inseparable.

• Adam Smith’s Economic View: Self-interest drives specialisation (e.g., a bow-maker trading tools for game). This creates a rational economic order where individual pursuits benefit the collective.

The Honour of All Professions

• Worth is Attitude, Not Profession: A person’s value is determined by their attitude and integrity in their role, not the role itself.

• Community Diversity: All professions are honourable because they are necessary for the community. A job’s continued existence proves its value.

• Danger of Judgment: Upholding a “mediocre justice” that labels jobs as good or bad is dangerous. It leads to a uniform, unfree society by failing to recognise the value in diverse roles.

Next Steps

• Sandeep Dutt: Meet an author at the Book Cafe/Brewing Knowledge Group.

• All Participants:

  • Join the Book Cafe/Brewing Knowledge Group for updates.

  • Consider applying to Learning Forward Foundation, which is hiring for its new team.

Notes by FATHOM AI

Emotional Intelligence - RP Devgan

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one's emotions. It also involves recognising the feelings of others with compassion. Most children today are unprepared to face the challenges they encounter and give up far too easily. This results from the environment in which they grow up, their exposure to social media, peer influence, and feelings of insecurity.

To be emotionally strong, one must confront occasional failures and setbacks. Those who rise above the odds succeed in life. How does one cultivate emotional intelligence? 

Participating in team games, project-based activities, and solving problems together helps build self-esteem. Team games and activities are essential because they teach us to cooperate, plan, and share ideas. In the event of a match loss or setback, the team comes together to strategise on overcoming weaknesses. The sense of togetherness fosters strong relationships, providing a feeling of security while helping to combat challenges.

Sportspersons are generally emotionally intense because they have learned how to cope with losing. Failure is a great teacher. Losing a match or being unsuccessful is not the end of the world. One must be tough and resilient to get up once again and overcome the odds. This teaches us to manage our emotions both in victory and defeat, and emphasises respecting others' feelings.

Compassion, humility, kindness, and helpfulness are the virtues of an emotionally intense person. In today's world, where people tend to be self-centred, relationships and friendships play a crucial role in building confidence and a sense of security. These life skills help to develop emotional strength and prepare one for any setbacks.

RP Devgan is the Chairman of the Learning Forward India Foundation and a lifelong teacher with experience leading schools worldwide. He advises schools and serves on the board of a residential school in India.

Embracing Change - Sunbeam Annapurna Production

"Embracing Change" offers a clear and practical demonstration of how positive peer pressure can be harnessed in a professional setting to foster growth and innovation. Peer pressure, typically viewed negatively, is redefined here as a supportive and motivational force encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones and embrace beneficial changes.

In the faculty lounge, Diksha introduces a new project-based learning approach. Priyanka and Uma immediately express their support, embodying openness and enthusiasm for innovation. They emphasize the benefits of this teaching method, which enhances student engagement and critical thinking. Their positive reactions create an encouraging atmosphere that paves the way for constructive dialogue. Shivangi, initially sceptical and cautious about deviating from traditional methods, represents a common reaction to change. However, rather than dismissing her concerns, her colleagues address them empathetically and constructively. Uma acknowledges Shivangi's apprehensions, stressing that growth comes from trying new things. Diksha reassures her by outlining a clear plan for a smooth transition, including training and support, which helps alleviate fears of a steep learning curve. Positive aspects of peer pressure:

• Supportive Environment: Enthusiastic peer responses create a sense of comfort and acceptance.
• Constructive Dialogue: Concerns are addressed respectfully and practically, demonstrating peer support.
• Shared Goals: Emphasis on student benefits unites the team, reinforcing the positive influence of peers.
• Gradual Integration: Starting small reduces perceived risks, making peer encouragement more effective.

Shivangi's eventual agreement to try the new method demonstrates how positive peer pressure, applied thoughtfully, can lead to meaningful change and collective growth. This scenario shows that mutual support and open communication among peers can help teams embrace new ideas and improve practices for the benefit of all, highlighting the powerful and beneficial role of peer pressure in a collaborative environment. Masterclass 2024 team Sunbeam Annapurna.

Unity and Caring - Sukhpreet Kaur

The significance which is in Unity is an eternal wonder. – Rabindranath Tagore

Unity or teamwork occurs when diverse abilities and insights join together to achieve a common goal. It is sustained by concentrating energy, accepting and appreciating the value of the array of participants and the unique contribution each can make and remaining loyal to one another and the task. It inspires more substantial personal commitment and more extraordinary collective achievement. The nature of society is different. Each individual who grows up is separate, unmixed and non-repeatable.

Unity:-

In Grade V, I conducted one activity on The United Nations (UN) based on Unity. Students were divided into 5 teams. Students researched various works of the United Nations in India. Topics for the teams were:- 

TEAM-1 Poverty and Urbanisation

TEAM-2 Health, Water, and Sanitation

TEAM-3- Education and Employability

TEAM-4 Gender Equality and Youth Development

TEAM 5 Climate Change, Clean Energy and Disaster

Each Team was divided into roles. Buzz (Team), Affinity (Questionnaire), Teach and talk (presenting conclusion) and Critics.

The task was given to them during winter vacations. The presentation was in the second week of January. I was happy to see the work presented by them. Even I asked them what they learnt from this activity? I would like to share the learning shared by a few participants of Team -2:

It was a great acTeamty. I learned about how the United Nations manages Health, Sanitation and water for needy people worldwide. I discovered my team member's hidden qualities and learned to manage them together. I learned how to work in Unity, also. This was my best activity in 5th grade. Thank you, Ma'am, for giving us such a great activity!

Thank you, Ma'am, for this activity. I liked the group work and how Parvi properly managed all of us. I would like to be in Parvi's Team in future, also. I learned when people me shouting how to manage them politely from Parvi. And thank you, Ma'am, for this united activity.

I was excited to hear about our topic when we presented the activity. I found this activity to be unique because of its Unity. I learned that Unity makes our work easy too. Thank you, Ma'am, for this great activity.

As a facilitator, I guided my students about the topics and explained the value of a team. Students worked well in the Team. I was amazed to see the handholding of each Team during the presentation. Students who were critics used their power and role for the betterment of everyone. With maturity and self-reflection, more research work will happen in future. I would like to share one quote from Rabindranath Tagore "Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time."

Caring:- 

Indeed this quote speaks the truth of life. The picture was my assignment for the students. I displayed this picture, and I felt silence in my class. Suddenly one student wrote the word kindness on the whiteboard. This was the trigger for our discussion. While discussing values in my class, I observed different views and opinions. Then I shared another picture which was related to success.

I asked what is most important to them– achieving at a high level or achieving at a high level and caring for others. I received mixed responses. I did this survey with the age group of 10-17 years old children. I was distraught to see the result when I observed 75 per cent chose to achieve at a high level, and 25 per cent decided to perform at a high level and to care for others.

The 25 per cent age group was 10-12 years old children. So it is essential to inculcate values from the initial phase of life. I would like to end with the English proverb - As you Sow, So Shall you Reap. Sukhpreet Kaur
Gyanshree School, Noida Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Unity and Caring - Rishona Chopra

Unity is working together as a group. We can understand this by looking at a few puzzle pieces. Imagine those pieces are you and your friends who you are working with. Then you join those pieces together to form something beautiful, and in the same way, you are your friends work together as a team and make something marvellous! 

To be able to work in a team united in Unity. To be connected, you first must learn to cooperate and have a good relationship with them to avoid getting into too many fights.

Our body works in Unity; what could have happened if both legs didn't coordinate? One leg would move towards the right, take continuous circles, and manage all movement, while the other would do something similar. By now, we would have fallen and gotten a fracture! Our body cooperates and works in Unity. Because of this teamwork, we can move, breathe, see, hear and whatnot?

In a classroom, Unity plays quite an important role. It is respect for differences and variety. It is rightly said by J.K Rowling that "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."

We all must have heard about Caring. Caring is helping someone, right? Yes, but we can do much more if we have a wide heart. We could heal emotions too. 

We should always do it with an open mind, dedication, and love when we do something. Similarly, when we care for someone, we should always do it with a kind heart because if we aren't, then we aren't watching, and maybe we are hurting them too.

Caring is shown out of friendship, compassion and selflessness. A caring classroom is where students feel positively connected to others. Unity and caring are connected, as Unity is caring.

"While educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts."

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Responsibility and Cooperation - Welham Boys School

 Cooperation

Definition

The verb cooperate is originally from the combination of The Latin prefix co-, meaning "together," and operari, meaning "to work." The term "co-op" is a shortening of cooperative and is used when people work together (or cooperate) to run a preschool, health food store, etc. It develops the quality of Teamwork. To rely upon others for the completion of the Task. It builds team spirit. Creates bonhomie.

Cooperation is the spirit that makes people or organisations work together to achieve the same result or a common goal. The goal can be economic, social, cultural, personal, financial, or general good to Society or humankind. The list is exhaustive. Cooperation brings diverse people of different talents and facets to reach a common target through team building, consensus decision making, shared Responsibility and collaborative work. 

Responsibility is an essential factor or ingredient for cooperation. Without individual Responsibility, cooperation cannot be achieved.

Types: Cooperation can be Voluntary, Unintentional, or as part of duty/commitment like Official work. It can also be coerced. Reasons and situations define the nature of cooperation.

Advantages: It reduces unproductive competition. Enhances knowledge sharing, Fosters good communication, and Makes achievement of common goals feasible and achievable. Build trust and team spirit.

MANY A LITTLE MAKES A MICKLE. OR ONE FLOWER DOES NOT MAKE A GARDEN.

Disadvantage: Individual sometimes lacks motivation. Subdues individual brilliance. Poor management can impact results. Internal conflict is a serious impediment.

AND sometimes what can be achieved by sheer individual talent cannot be achieved by making many cooperate together.

Responsibility

Definition – The state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management. Or simply put, it is an obligation or duty.

For us, it's to Respond Sensibly.
Be yourself, but always your better self.
Quality of being dependable.

It can also have negative connotations. Like being liable, culpable, etc. What is the difference between Accountability & Responsibility?

Although both terms are often used as synonyms, several characteristics separate them. Responsibility refers to the obligation to perform or comply with the rule; Accountability implies answerability for the outcome of the Task performed. In Corporate World, mostly Responsibility ends/merges with Accountability. However, we feel Responsibility is more internal … self in nature. Accountability is more external … for someone else to scrutinise.

Activity - Give the above explanation and ask students to share examples from their experiences.

Importance - Accepting Responsibility is crucial for success because it helps you work/learn through your strength, weakness and mistakes. It builds strength of character as a person becomes better at admitting they are not perfect.

A safe environment that supports Responsibility is positive and fulfilling. By accepting Responsibility, we become more action-oriented and gain confidence. The responsibilities we accept in our lives contribute to the type of person we become.

Types - Responsibility can be broadly divided into self and Society. The division can be classified further into several subcategories, like individual Responsibility, parental Responsibility, Social Cooperate Responsibility, Environmental Responsibility etc.

Responsibility isn't just doing chores; it's following through with one's commitments, answering for their own actions, being reliable and trustworthy, using good judgment, taking care of their affairs and not procrastinating.

HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON            , 

(AND FEEL GREAT!)

• When you agree to do something, do it. If you let people down, they'll stop believing you. When you follow through on your commitments, people take you seriously.
• Answer for your own actions. Don't make excuses or blame others for what you do. When you take Responsibility for your actions, you say, "I am the one who's in charge of my life."
• Take care of your own matters. Don't rely on adults to remind you when you're supposed to be somewhere or what you're supposed to bring. You take Responsibility.
• Be trustworthy. If somebody trusts you to borrow or take care of something, take care of it. If somebody tells you something in confidence, keep it to yourself. People need to know they can count on you.
• Always use your head. Think things through and use good judgment. When you use your head, you make better choices. That shows your parents they can trust you.
• Don't put things off. When you have a job to do, do it. Doing things on time helps you take control of your life and shows you can manage your own affairs.

Neelima Parmar, Vandana Sahay & Monika Gupta
Welham Boys' School
Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Happiness and Tolerance - Welham Boys' School

Reflection pieces 

1. An Unhappy Student

A while back, I came across this “unhappy student”, who I want to stay anonymous, so let’s call him X; clearly, the math teacher in me never fails to keep hidden. X’s parents recently separated, and he was living with his father, stepmother, and a step-sister who was almost as old as him.

X used to come around like a miserable, troubled kid who preferred to stay alone. He often cried and complained that he didn’t have friends and wanted to go home. Repeatedly refused to have food and acted stubborn as he was pampered by his grandparents at home. After discussing with his parents, we learned the scenario and that he felt unwanted and unloved because he was sent off to a boarding school whilst his stepsister wasn’t. Whereas his father just wanted him to have a better future, a higher sense of independence and self-awareness. Instead, his parent’s divorce created emotional turmoil and insecurity for him.

I felt the best way of overcoming this emotional barrier was through communication and creating an atmosphere where he felt wanted and comfortable sharing his feelings. That was not enough; we had to channel his energy into different things so that he could get distracted and becomes emotionally healthy again. We enrolled him in several activities like guitar and vocal music, which were his interests. That opened up various opportunities to perform on stage and build up confidence.

Love, care, patience, and empathy have made him a happier kid than he was initially. He has not opened up about his feelings yet, but I respect that and give him space, to grow more confident and content and time to reflect upon himself. It wasn’t just me battling against his emotional demons. It wouldn’t be a fair fight; it was a united team effort of the House-Mother, teachers, tutor, House-Masters, and parents, who did everything to mend and give direction to him.

2. An Intolerant Student 

Bob Keeshan was right when he said, “Parents are the ultimate role models for children. Every word, every movement, and action affects. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than a parent.”

Children who witness violence between parents may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships, and it becomes a part of their personality. I had seen such a case myself. 

Keeping the kids’ identity hidden and calling him Y, he had joined the school on a particular recommendation in the middle of the term, which was very unlikely. That was enough to draw attention to him, but he still managed to do that, as he used to hit and abuse other kids. He was a challenging child and had significant anger issues. By addressing this issue and taking the parents in the loop, we discovered that Y’s behaviour resulted from the domestic violence that used to take place at his house. 

The school took this sensitive matter very seriously, and firstly, his hostel was changed until he was comfortable and settled. Secondly, they changed the faculty that dealt with him to those staff members who knew and understood the matter in depth. Everyone showed patience and calmness, which slowly changed him, and even a little of his good behaviour was encouraged and appreciated. 

His way to cope with his anger was to hit people, i.e., he let his feelings out ‘physically’; now, our challenge was to channel his anger and frustration and give it direction. Thirdly, we introduced him to drums; this turned out as an excellent escape for him, gave him something to focus on, distracted him and in the end, he turned out to be one of the best drummers and became an asset to the school. 

During all this, Y was regularly undergoing professional counselling offered by the school, which helped him deal with his behavioural issues and anger management. 

After a slow, steady progress and baby steps over 5 years, we successfully taught Y how to make friends, manage his anger, balance his studies and lastly, WE transformed him from an intolerant student to a ‘tolerable’ one.

Neelima Parmar, Vandana Sahay & Monika Gupta
JOL Cohort 2022

An Encounter With Metacognition - Nibbrati Rathore

 “I cannot teach anyone anything. I can only make them think.” - Socrates.

If you could trigger thinking in children, you have introduced them to the first step of metacognition. Mostly the thinking process is concealed because people have little understanding of how they think. Concisely we can say - thinking is an internal conversation weighing up different viewpoints. And learning is just a consequence of thinking.

Here is a little story on how metacognition can help and how we are already using it in our classroom. Certainly, we can refine and improve our strategies.

CHAPTER: SHIVA

A student named Shiva took admission in grade 3 under the mentorship of Ms Priya. Shiva was a quiet and shy child. He was a loner, and to make him sit at a place was a nightmare for Ms Priya. He used to score low in almost all the subjects. But could solve grade 7 algebraic expressions on the board.

Does he remind you of Einstein?

Ms Priya thought and devised a roadmap to bring change in Shiva.

1. Connect with the Parent:  Despite her repeated efforts, Ms Priya could not make Shiva gain any interest in studies or sports. Sensing some family problems, Ms Priya invited his father, Mr Raman, for an interaction. Mr Raman came with his bullets ready, to which Ms Priya chose simply to listen and observe. She sensed a disruption in the family which led Shiva caged into his thought bubble.
2. Name it to tame it- Ms Priya started spending time with Shiva during lunch breaks, talking and sharing. When she felt Shiva has started opening, she took his storytelling sessions. Shiva used to set a narrative to which Ms Priya gave names, slowly Shiva started naming his feelings and emotions. And then he started illustrating the incidences which made him upset. Ms Priya knew that Shiva was running away from his feelings to stay normal, but this eventually made him rigid. The whole-brain approach of Ms Priya helped Shiva to connect with his inner unknown feelings and develop horizontal integration between the right and left brain. - By term 2, Shiva started becoming friends with his classmates.
3. Ringa Ringa Roses:  As Ms Priya could not get enough help from Shiva’s parents, she took other subject teachers and the H.M into confidence and shared about Shiva, H.M and all the subject mentors held each other’s hands, sat, and discussed ways to help Shiva. Keeping an account of Shiva’s work, his illustrations, his behaviour with peers and every minute detail was penned by the teachers as anecdotes. This gave teachers enough to support planning their strategies. And now it worked better. - A team is always stronger than an individual.
4. Responsibility – The day Shiva heard his name as “The Word Wall Monitor”, his face lit with joy. This was the first time Ms Priya could see all his teeth and a spark in his eyes. She understood, children need encouragement and validation. By now, Shiva has understood how he can make friends, why sharing lunch is so much fun, how to ask for help, and how to help someone with his homework. Also, by now, he could analyse that he could not understand few topics because of how they were taught.  - She learned that he understands best by writing. So he started taking notes, and that helped.
5. Budding scientist – Shiva made a model on the flow of electricity using conductors in grade 3. This amazed every teacher, and he was lauded for his work. Slowly Shiva realised that he can understand everything which has logic. - He started connecting even grammar topics with examples and logic. 

And slowly, we saw a bud unfurling and blooming.

Now Shiva is in grade 5, and the genius is scoring satisfactory grades but doesn’t leave a chance to amaze the audience with his writings and models. He loves to write now and can express and manage his emotions well. 

Our HM, Ms Priya, the subject mentors, didi - bhaiyya, and even Shiva’s classmates have contributed. 

Reflection
The way that we learn information is determined by the processes that we put in place, and if you are analysing how you are learning the information or how you are thinking about it, you are there. Here if Ms Priya had employed her strategies in any random fashion, it wouldn’t have worked. So for every child, there is a unique formula, which either he knows, or you may know, decoding the formula by the child is metacognition.

- Nibbrati Rathore is an educator at the Gyanshree School, Noida