Ecological Wisdom and Its Application in the Classroom

Learning Forward Saturday and the Wisdom Mandli with Project FUEL

To explore ecological wisdom and its application in the classroom.

Key Takeaways

• Wisdom is "passed around," not "passed down." Insights come from all ages and experiences, not just seniors or experts.

• Project FUEL collects ecological wisdom from everyday life (e.g., cooking, gardening) to create lesson plans that strengthen children's connection to nature.

• A breakout room activity failed due to technical issues and participant confusion, prompting a shift to a main-room discussion.

• Teachers are assigned homework: collect 2–3 ecological life lessons from their students and post their own lesson on a shared platform.

Topics

Project Fuel's Philosophy: Wisdom is "Passed Around"

• Project Fuel (PF) collects life lessons from people of all ages and backgrounds.

• Core Belief: Wisdom is "passed around," meaning valuable insights come from anyone, not just seniors or experts.

• Goal: Use these real-world lessons to create classroom materials that make the world a "classroom."

Initiative: Collecting Ecological Wisdom

• PF's current focus is collecting "Paryawranian Wisdom"—ecological insights from daily life.

• Rationale: To counter children's growing disconnection from nature, which is caused by urban living and convenient services like food delivery apps.

• Goal: Collect one million ecological lessons from women to build a resource that strengthens children's relationship with nature.

Activity: Ecological Wisdom Flashcards

• Objective: Share personal ecological experiences using prompt cards.

• Execution: A breakout room activity failed due to technical issues and participant confusion.

• Pivot: The session shifted to a main-room discussion of the prompts.

• Key Insights Shared:

  • Kitchen: A space for creativity, family connection, and stress relief.

  • Stars: A source of wonder and a reminder of childhood memories.

  • Flowers: A metaphor for the life cycle (growth, bloom, fade).

Application: Bringing Wisdom to the Classroom

• Challenge: How to teach ecological wisdom beyond textbooks.

• Ideas Generated:

  • Storytelling: Create narratives from nature's perspective (e.g., a flower's autobiography, a mountain's history).

  • Hands-on Experience: Involve children directly with nature to build empathy.

  • Rituals: Connect daily life to nature (e.g., enjoying the first rain after summer).

Next Steps

• Teachers:

  • Collect 2–3 ecological life lessons from students.

  • Post one personal ecological lesson on the shared platform (link to be sent via WhatsApp).

• Project Fuel:

  • Share the link and instructions for the ecological lesson platform on the WhatsApp group.

• All:

  • Reconvene on January 24th to review the lessons learned and brainstorm classroom activities.
    
    Notes: Courtesy FATHOM AI

Detach Yourself From Past Experiences - Read And Lead: Masterclass 2026

Reading the book The Courage To Be Disliked by Kishima and Koga with Gurdeep Kaur and Sandeep Dutt, on the 1st of November 2025.

From the session, I understood that when we avoid doing something due to insecurity or fear, we often deceive ourselves psychologically. Our mind and body are deeply connected, and such avoidance can manifest physically in the form of headaches, stomach cramps, or other discomforts.

In my personal experience, whenever I am afraid of doing something, I start shivering. I am usually aware of the reason behind this fear, which makes me realise that I need to consciously reframe my thoughts. By convincing myself with a strong and positive belief that "I am confident about this"—and truly feeling it rather than merely saying it—I can overcome the anxiety that holds me back.

I also learned that this practice can be applied to many situations in life. By detaching ourselves from past experiences and focusing on the present with confidence, we can develop greater emotional resilience and self-assurance.

Shalu Sharma

Sunbeam School Bhagwanpur

Our past does not control our present. We have the power to decide what meaning we give to our past experiences.

Change is always possible.

Everyone can change and become better — if they choose to.

Trauma is not the end. It may influence us, but it does not determine our future. We decide how to move ahead.

We often create excuses without realising it. Sometimes fear and anxiety are created by us to avoid things we don't want to do.

Anger can be a tool.

Often, we use anger to dominate others or force them to listen to us.

Happiness is a choice, not a gift.

We don't wait for happiness to come — we create it through our thoughts and actions.

Self-pity blocks growth.

When we continually feel inferior or compare ourselves, we stop recognising our own strengths.

Courage comes from accepting ourselves. Loving who we are — even if others disagree — is the real courage.

Akanksha Pandey, 

Sunbeam School Mughalsarai

Why not join us?

If you are a passionate educator, grab this opportunity, open to teachers and individuals who want to enjoy reading and reflection every Saturday at 5:30 PM, for only Rs 3000 annually.

https://pages.razorpay.com/LearningForward

Use the link to sign up for the Program.

Recording of the last book reading session

Reflections: Masterclass Saturday- 23rd November 2024

Chapter 2 -A Meeting of Mind

1. Student-Centric or Teacher-Centric: Which school system is sound and why?
2. Why do we require a tree house for education?
3. Compare and contrast between A Tabula Rasa and A Child.
4. Why is faith required in a relationship?
5. What could be the risks and challenges in a school?
6. What is a teacherly ability, and how will you use it in class?
7. How has the education system changed over time in India?
8. Your beliefs shape your reality- Comment

Looking forward to seeing your wonderful and thoughtful reflections!      

Email your reflections to mk@learningforward.org.in.

The Teacher's Academy (11/23/2024

Here are the essential action items from the Masterclass:

• All participants to read Chapter 1 of Shomie Das's book if they haven't already done so.

• All participants to join the Good Schools Alliance WhatsApp community if they haven't already.

• All participants are to reflect on the question "Why do we experiment with our teaching methodologies?" and share their thoughts in the WhatsApp group.

• Sunbeam Schools to prepare for upcoming visits from Jugjiv and Sandeep in December, including live YouTube sessions.

• All participants are to consider attending the next My Good School retreat in April.

छात्र-केंद्रित या शिक्षक-केंद्रित:

1. कौन सी स्कूल प्रणाली अच्छी है और क्यों?

2. हमें शिक्षा के लिए ट्री हाउस की आवश्यकता क्यों है?

3. ए टैबुला रासा और ए चाइल्ड के बीच तुलना और अंतर बताएँ।

4. रिश्ते में विश्वास क्यों ज़रूरी है?

स्कूल में क्या जोखिम और चुनौतियाँ हो सकती हैं?

5. शिक्षक की योग्यता क्या है और आप इसे कक्षा में कैसे इस्तेमाल करेंगे?

6. भारत में समय के साथ शिक्षा प्रणाली में क्या बदलाव आया है?

7. आपकी मान्यताएँ आपकी वास्तविकता को आकार देती हैं-

टिप्पणी करें।

Summary

Establishing a School and Success Factors

In the meeting, Sandeep discussed establishing a school in 2000, focusing on understanding what makes a school successful. They visited various schools, including The Doon School, founded by Satish Ranjan Das, to nurture future citizens of a free India. The Doon School's colonial architecture and atmosphere of industrious serenity left a lasting impression on everyone. They also reflected on the contrast between The Doon School's resources and their own school, which caters to more people with limited income and resources.

Exploring Collaboration With The Doon School

Naga and Raj, two young entrepreneurs, meet Shomie Das, the grandson of Satish Ranjan Das, who founded the prestigious The Doon School. Shomie Das was the former headmaster of The Doon School and is now helping establish new schools. His colonial-style house impresses them, which exudes an intellectual and cultured atmosphere despite not being ostentatious. The meeting piques their interest in collaborating with Das for their educational venture.

Building Relationships for School Support

The NP and Raj discussed their experiences with Shomie Das, who played a significant role in their journey to establish a school. Initially, Shomie hesitated to engage with them, but after several interactions and visits, he agreed to become an advisor. NP and Raj also shared their experience with Shomie Das, who was initially reluctant to join their project but eventually agreed after a visit. They emphasized the importance of personal interactions and visits in convincing these individuals to support their school project.

Promoters' Unique Skills and Partnership

NP and Raj shared their experiences, which differed from those of others they had met. Despite initial doubts about their ability to build a school, the speaker was impressed by their earnestness, dedication, and appetite for risk. The two individuals, Shomie and Raj, had a unique combination of skills, with Shomie being good at sizing up people and Raj being adept at picking up new ideas. The two also recounted a story that encapsulated their partnership, highlighting the importance of trust and belief in their success.

Trust as Core for Successful Learning

In the meeting, Sandeep discussed the importance of trust in education and how it can lead to successful learning. He emphasized that trust is the core for any learning to thrive. He shared an anecdote about how two young people trusted their gut and approached a consultant, Shomie, who eventually became a crucial figure in their educational journey. Sandeep also highlighted the significance of developing trust in a class, even in a virtual setting. Carol agreed with Sandeep's points, emphasizing that trust is essential for building relationships and sharing thoughts and feelings.

TheTeacherApp Development and Trust

Sandeep discussed the development of TheTeacherApp, which is now available on various platforms. The app, developed in collaboration with Bharti Airtel Foundation, will provide content and allow users to join webinars. Sandeep also shared his experience working with the Bharti Airtel Foundation, emphasizing the importance of trust, hard work, and expertise in achieving success. He used the example of building a treehouse in a school to illustrate this point. Initially seen as a joke, the treehouse symbolised the team's shared belief in education and commitment to creating a nurturing environment for children.

Exploring Good Schools and Teaching Methods

In the meeting, Sandeep discussed the concept of a good school, emphasizing the importance of nature, size, and nurturing relationships. He also reflected on the previous week's discussion about experimenting with teaching methodologies to cater to students' varied learning styles and intelligences. Carol agreed with these points and shared her experiences with parent forums and student feedback mechanisms. The team decided to meet every Saturday to discuss one chapter and create thought points, encouraging reflection and post-processing. The goal is to make the process easy and manageable for everyone.

Transition to Whatsapp and Retreats

Sandeep discussed the transition from Telegram to WhatsApp for communication within the Good Schools Alliance. He explained how to navigate the Whatsapp platform, including joining the Teachers Academy, contributing to the Joy of Giving project, and participating in the Impact team. He also mentioned the upcoming Good School Retreats, scheduled for November 14th and April 14th, which will celebrate the birthdays of Nehru and Ambedkar. Sandeep encouraged everyone to express their preference for communication through WhatsApp or Telegram, as the team aims to engage with all members effectively.

Admitting Participants and New Programs

In the meeting, Sandeep discussed admitting participants and the importance of maintaining a culture of trust and learning. He also introduced a new program for their visit in December, which includes a live master class on YouTube and a "My Good School" program. The aim is to benefit all Sunbeam schools, with the visit scheduled from the 12th to the 16th. Sandeep also mentioned that the broadcast will be hosted from Lahartara and Bhagwanpur, with each event having a different learning outcome. He encouraged the focus on late middle years and interns for the "My Good School" program and welcomed all teachers to participate.

Communication Shift and Upcoming Events

In the meeting, Manisha informed the team about a shift from Telegram to WhatsApp for communication and encouraged everyone to join the WhatsApp group. She also announced that December is the visitor's date, and the subsequent retreat is in April. Sandeep suggested that team members could post their thoughts and reflections on the flagship, and Manisha agreed to pick them up and post them. The conversation ended with no further questions or concerns raised.

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What is in it for me? - RP Devgan

For me, it is the opportunity to make a difference. I am the blessed and the chosen one to take care of children, the future of our society. If I look at the enormity, the seriousness of my job, it is quite frightening. I have been bestowed with the trust and responsibility of the school and the parents to guide children to grow up into successful and endearing individuals. I have been given and I have taken on the responsibility of nurturing young impressionable minds. To do so I have to be a role model myself. 

Years of experience with children, especially ones who are a challenge for various reasons,  has taught me that nothing succeeds like affection and understanding. Children are very good judges of educators. They take their time to see whom they can trust and confide in. The minute they are sure of trust,  they need to know if the concern of the educator is genuine. Once the children feel that the educators genuinely care for their well-being, it is only then that they open up and are uninhibited. Children must feel that the educators ‘care' for them.

With information and knowledge available on the internet, the role of a teacher more than anything else is of ‘Pastoral Care’.The children should be brought up with the right values and empathy. This starts right in the early years in a primary school. Students are most impressionable when they are in primary and middle school.

Going back to the educator and the question: ‘What is in it for me?’

The Educators must realise the important role they play in guiding children in shaping their opinion, beliefs and convictions. Living up to principles in the teen years needs courage and willpower. This is the time students need to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.

To carry out this onerous task the educators need to grow and change with the times. Their self-development must not be for themselves alone but for the benefit of the students. The self-development of educators is often associated with ambition and many believe that this self-development should lead to climbing the ladder and winning awards. Educators must stick to their jobs and realise that ambition can lead to frustration. Successful educators are those who follow their passion for educating children and not look for awards and rewards. They must be selfless and work for the good of society.

Today, an educator needs to be versatile and open-minded. Teaching in the classroom and online is not enough. Educators need to spend time outdoors, in a natural environment, to be more effective. Students are far more responsive to suggestions and advice when they are in a free and comfortable environment. Educators who are musicians, sportsmen, who direct plays or spend time with children outside the classroom are far more successful in getting through to them and winning their attention and trust. That is where holistic education steps in.

Students who are achievers, if guided properly, turn out to be good human beings without any effort. This is what the world today needs; students who pass out of school as achievers and yet are compassionate and caring human beings.

Unfortunately, this is not happening in most schools. Children are graduating from school confused and with the wrong values, unable to distinguish between right and wrong. An example is for all to see in the current pandemic crisis; black marketeers of medicines and oxygen cylinders today, a real shame to the society we live in. 

What can educators do today?  The answer is that they can make a difference to the lives of hundreds of children they come in contact with and make our society and the world a better place.

All educators should be proud of the profession and proudly say ‘I make a difference.'

RP Devgan, Chairman Learning Forward India
With near five decades of experience as an Educationist and having served as a School Leader for schools in India and overseas, Mr Devgan brings in rich experience as an administrator, sports person and champion for teachers.

HOPE FOR THE BEST - Byju Joseph

Being human beings there are lots of dreams which we want to fulfil in our life. We want them to fulfil at the earliest. But in reality, sometimes we fail to achieve them yet there are so many opportunities. It is because of lack of attention and hard work. Former President of our country APJ Abdul Kalam says, “Dream, Dream Dream, Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.” We are thinking beings. So think more and then all possible ways will surely open for us and do work hard accordingly. Napoleon Bonaparte says, “Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.”

The very first thing is to believe and have patience for it. Everything has a perfect timing to happen. But before that we lose our hope, we doubt on ourselves and that is what it kills our belief at first hand. Never underestimate ourselves. We are always more than what we think. Everything lies within us, first we need to seek it within ourselves and we will find everything which is needed for us whether it is the strength, love, motivation, courage or the power. No one else could ever give us like we give it to ourselves.

There is nothing wrong in having high ambitions, along with that we must have a strong faith to achieve them. The power is always within us. We just have to realise and make use of it. It is true that our thinking makes our reality. So always try to find something positive in everything, we need to focus on the brighter side and then the negativity will blur out. Hope for the best and work for the best.

BYJU JOSEPH

The Fabindia School

bjh@fabindiaschools.in

Courage and Patience - Aspiration JMMS

Patience: The quality of being able to stay calm and not get angry, especially when there is a difficulty or you have to wait a long time. 

Courage: The ability to control fear in a situation that may be a dangerous or unpleasant situation. 

Definitions from Oxford Dictionary

 साहस और धैर्य 

साहस वह है, जब हम कोई भी कार्य बिना किसी डर के करने की हिम्मत रखते हैं और अगर हमारे मन में धैर्य होगा तभी हम किसी भी कार्य को साहस के साथ कर सकते हैं।.                   

It was our school trip to Mumbai. The teachers and the students were excited for the trip. We reached Mumbai, it was late in the evening, so we decided to take the children to the park so that they could play after a two-day long train journey. After about 45minutes, we told the children to stand in the line; headcount started. We found that one child was missing, we counted again and again and were tensed. We asked the students whether they knew where their friend is? Some of them said he went to the 

washroom whereas others said he went behind the bushes. 

We all waited patiently but he did not return. Worst he had even left his identity card next to his water bottle, so one can imagine how fearful we were. Now children started to call out his name loudly so that he would hear and come back. Some children started praying to God. The situation became critical because it was getting darker and lights in the park were computerized and it went off. People around us such as the evening walkers, the park guards, vendors who sold golgappa, chat, vegetables etc. became concerned and started helping us in searching the child. Leaving the children with the principal ma’am, teachers went to look for the child in different directions.  We looked for him everywhere, but he could not be found. We called the police but their search was in vain. We, teachers, felt helpless and angry, on our decision to take the children to the park. 

Principal ma’am was composed; she said, “Nothing, wrong will happen, God is with us”. When we all got impatient and scared, she stood firm in her belief and encouraged the children and the teachers to be positive. She was fearless and did not get angry. 

It was 9 pm, we suggested principal ma’am that two teachers with the children should go back to the guesthouse and give them dinner, and others can look for the child. So as one of the teachers reached the park gate, she saw two teenagers with a child holding their hands. Her heart skipped a beat. It was dark; she could not see their faces. She asked her colleague to look closer. The other one screamed with joy. It turned out to be our child. We ran towards his and hugged him tightly. We asked the child where he was in those hours, he told us that he found no one in the park, so he went out of the park looking for us. Those two teenagers were like angels who brought back our child. They found the child wandering on the streets. They helped him to find the way back to the park. On that day, we all witnessed the power of being positive in a negative situation. Ma’am tried to give us emotional courage by being positive. As Abdul Kalam says, “Patience is more than just having the ability to wait. It's about your attitude while you are waiting ". 

Aspiration JMMS@John Martyn Memorial School, Salangaon, Dehradun - Renu Raturi, Sandhya Thadani, Sonali Sharma, Asha Bhandari 

In Search of Myself - Shivani Rao

Aarav Solanki/ LKG

Have you ever thought about who you are? What you stand for? You can be a friend, son, father, brother/sister, but these are just an aspect of you. Your inner self is who you really are. To know your inner self you must acknowledge your purpose values, your visions, goals, belief. Not what you have been told by others. You need to spend time with yourself. 

The biggest adventure of our lives is discovering inner you. In order to be the most valuable person in the world around you, you have to first know who you really are. Introspection and self-awareness are highly required.

If you are not connected with who you really are, you are probably just living your life for others. Pursing others goal and living up to other expectations rather than what you really want.

'All the wonder you want lies within you.'

Shivani Rao
The Fabindia School
sro@fabindiaschools.in

Quality and Love - Ajay Vijayvargi

Quality means a degree of excellence. Quality, when discussed in terms of attributes, is a distinct

attribute / characteristic possessed by an individual. Also means the goodness of the heart of a person. Quality, when talked about in terms of life, is level of enjoyment, comfort and health in some one’s life. Quality can be abstract, aesthetics or it can be artistic. In Physics we discuss quality as the standard of something as measured against something of a similar kind.

A lot of times in school we discuss that a particular student exhibits leadership qualities or that student has artistic qualities. What does this mean – by this we want to say that the student either excels in that field or has an inclination towards a particular subject or field. When an educator is keen in understanding his student's potentials, his capacities guide him to the best of his knowledge and experience and develop a relationship with each student in a class – a relation of love and understanding.

In our day to day life we often give a gift to someone, use golden words like please, sorry thank you etc, we appreciate others, help them in times of need, and sometimes forgive them too –this is all that love is. Love is a complex phenomenon or attribute which comes out from all values we studied in various sessions of the Joy of Learning. 

It can be defined as Emotions+Behaviour+belief associated with affection, protectiveness, warmth and respect for someone. Some may define extreme feelings of need, attachment and affection. Some others may define sudden dramatic feelings of attraction and respect. It can also be defined as acceptance for others as they are, and other definitions are helping, respecting, and caring for others.

All of us may define love differently but love is the thread that binds together all the values in a garland for an individual. 

  

Ajay Vijayvargi

The Fabindia School

avi@fabindiaschools.in   

Simplicity and Trust - Byju Joseph

Simplicity means simple in all aspects and it is the way to live in a society. It is a precious quality to be possessed by each one of us. It is the humble nature of a person. The person who leads a simple life is always humble in his actions. We can find it not only in his appearance but also in his entire behaviour. He always considers others and gives chances to others without thinking of his own profit. He always tries to avoid luxurious life and satisfies with the basic essential resources.

It is not an easy thing to be simple at every time for everyone. Self-control and strong will power are needed to be simple. At the same time, courage and patience are also essential to lead a simple life. Simplicity leads to kindness. Our former Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri was famous for his simplicity. Although he had all facilities and power he never used his office car for personal purposes. He took out a loan to buy a car for his family. The life of our former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is another example of simplicity. He never wished to earn money and properties. His last belongings were some clothes, a watch and books only.

Trust means a strong belief in someone. It is the base of a relationship. Each and every relationship is built on trust. Being human beings we have relations with others. To make the relationship strengthen, trust is very important. Friendships, families, companies, institutions or any such firms exist on trust. It is time-consuming, it takes much time to be created but it takes a moment to be destroyed. So it should be taken care of. In any way, if it breaks, everything will be in vain.  So it is very important to build trust among all stakeholders and it should be strengthened day by day by our actions in an effective way.

Simplicity is an integral part to develop and nurture trust everywhere. Trust among each individual in a firm is very important for success. As an example, in a school, the principal has the trust of each teacher and that’s why he/she designates each teacher for a particular class to teach. Students and their parents also have trust in teachers. Trust is a bonding and it is developed among students, parents, teachers and management. This bonding becomes stronger by the attitude, behaviour, hard work, dedication, understanding etc. of the stakeholders.

As role models, if teachers show simplicity at all times, students will follow and practice it. This simplicity gradually leads to the formation of trust and the same will help the students for their character formation. Teachers’ satisfaction lies in their students' bright future. So let us work hard to achieve the same.

Byju P. Joseph, The Fabindia School 

Responsibility and Cooperation - Prakash Dangi

Responsibility is one of the most important aspects of human nature and personality. It is “doing the

right thing”. Doing the right thing means living a life where every move or decision you make is all your own and you do things that will not harm others. It is a moral belief that as individuals we must behave ethically and be accountable for our actions, and be conscious of our decisions and the impact it has on society. Responsibility is the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. Definitely, people are not born with a sense of responsibility. It's obtained automatically when we complete any task. It plays an important role in a teacher's life as without responsibility teachers' career cannot shine. Responsibility changes human behaviour. 

When we take responsibility for doing any work, we will definitely get success easily. It develops many other values such as patience, love etc in human nature. In the classroom, we can build the responsibility in our student by making a separate group of the student and then assigning them any task to complete. Since everyone has certain responsibilities: responsibilities of family, of school, of the nation, of work and so on. Every parent tries to raise the sense of responsibility in their child. It means caring for others. I will give an example of a cricket match. When 2- 3 players are left while playing in a team, they don't understand the value of responsibility. But when the last player is left, he takes full responsibility and plays very well, that is a real responsibility. Co-operation is one of the most important fundamental things in our life. Cooperation means working together. In other words, we can say cooperate with each other. No society can exist without this. 

Cooperation means working together for the achievement of a common goal. Co-operation is the process by which an individual or group combines their effort, in a more or less organised way for the attainment of common objectives. Co-operation is a form of social interaction wherein two or more persons work together to gain a common end. Cooperation is a key interpersonal skill which all students should develop and enhance in order to succeed in a future professional environment. So, educators have introduced cooperative learning within the classroom improving the whole student learning experience. Cooperation promotes a good working environment, encourages peace, and builds humanity. It is essential for a school because everyone plays a huge role in cooperation and increases the schools' graphs. When we talk about any games, without the player's cooperation we cannot achieve our goal and when all the players cooperate and work as a team, they definitely win. Today, the most common example of cooperation we can see is a doctor, nurse, police, people, etc. They all are working hard by understanding their own responsibility with the cooperation of people against COVID19 and with their efforts, we will win the battle against COVID19 and live our life like before. So responsibility and cooperation both values go hand in hand. 

- Prakash Dangi, The Fabindia School

Responsibility & Cooperation - Optimizers BHIS

Raj, a young boy, was very intelligent and was always ready to help his friends. There was another boy named Smith, who struggled with his studies and scored poorly in his exams.
Due to his academic performance, Smith was made fun of by his classmates and this often demoralized him.

Co-operation

Raj disliked the behaviour of the others with regard to Smith and he wanted to do something to change it. Smith's parents were also worried about his education.

Raj hit upon a plan. He felt that if he could help Smith with his studies, the latter may fare better. So after, school Raj would visit Smith's house and to with him.

Raj had a belief that if he could help Smith and motivate him positively, he would surely progress. The good Samaritan also told his classmates not to bully Smith and encourage him. In addition, the class teacher also encouraged him to study hard with innovative teaching methods so that he felt an interest in studies.

After 15 days of efforts and cooperation from his classmates, Raj and the class teacher, Smith was truly prepared for his exams. He cleared his exams with flying colours. Smith's parents were immensely happy and highly appreciated everyone's efforts.

This was all Smith needed - a realisation that he could do it! Since then Smith became a responsible child and he understood that only hard work and determination can guarantee success in life. He was very thankful to his class teacher and Raj, as without their cooperation he would not have got a chance.

Be Responsible, Be Respectful

Optimizer @ Billabong High International School Thane

- Kshama Rajgor, Kalyani Chaudhari, Madhubala Saji, Momita Banerjee, Rupal Trivedi, Ajita Bhoir, Sanket Patel

Positive Attitude Develops Positive Thinking- Rahul Kumar Thakur

I would like to share my views on “Positive Attitude Develops Positive Thinking”
All the stories of great failures had their ability to bounce back in terms of time to become successful.

You don’t lead your life; your patterns are leading your life.

You don’t take your decisions; your patterns are influencing your decision.
From where do you get motivation, what is the real source of motivation, how a human being should remain always motivated. 

If money was the motivation then organization which is giving the highest salary should have zero employee turnover but even their people are living, money is not the highest motivation.

If success is your motivation, whenever success will come in your life you will remain motivated but when you will not get success from where you will get motivated.
Motivation should not be outside in. It should be inside out.

The real source of motivation is ‘Belief System’. Your belief system is the right way to stay motivated

Arunima Sinha was pushed out from a running train by some robbers in 2011; as a result, her legs had to be amputated below the knee. Rods were put in her legs and there were multiple fractures in the spinal cord. She felt that she had become disabled for her whole life. While sitting in the hospital she said if God has saved me then definitely to create history. Now her aim was to climb each of the continents highest peaks and hoist the National Flag of India. She contacted Bachendri Pal, the first Indian women to climb Mount Everest and signed up for training under her, and you know not only Mount Everest, one by one she climbed all the seven peaks of the world. She was awarded the Padma Shri Award. This was only possible because of her belief in herself.
This mind is very powerful.

It can break you, it can make you.

You can become strongly mental or you can become mentally strong.
You can have a hopeless end or you can have an endless hope.
So, be positive and the result will be always positive. 

Rahul Kr. Thakur

Our belief taking Learning Forward

The Professional Learning Program (PLP) aligns with the mission of Learning Forward, the world's largest body of individual educators, with a vision of excellent teaching and learning every day. The Learning Forward India Academy is working to build the capacity of leaders to establish and sustain highly effective professional learning. Professional learning means a comprehensive, sustained and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement.

Our belief is:
The purpose of professional learning is to ensure a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement.

• Professional learning strives to go beyond standardised testing to promote authentic learning experiences and the application of knowledge and skills. 
• Professional learning is aligned with rigorous student academic achievement standards, as well as related affiliation standards of state and central boards and guidelines for school improvement goals. 
• Professional learning regularly assesses the effectiveness of achieving identified learning goals, improving teaching, assisting all students in meeting challenging academic achievement standards and is used to inform ongoing improvements in teaching and student learning. 
• The success of the students is affected by sustained professional learning conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by well-prepared school principals and/or school-based professional learning trainers, coaches, mentors, master teachers, or other teacher leaders. 
• Professional learning is a continuous cycle of improvement, which evaluates the student, teacher, and school learning needs through a thorough review of data on teacher and student performance. 
• Effective professional learning honours differences in student and adult learners by using various approaches to learning and assessment.  
• Educators have the right to expect excellence in their professional learning and have the power to achieve it. All educators share the responsibility for their own individual growth as well as that of their organisations.
• Professional learning is most effective when supported by an organisational culture that fosters learning for all. Professional learning must be embedded in the organisational structure for systemic change and may be supported by external assistance. 
• Collaboration and fostering collective responsibility for improved student performance within the school community is essential for school improvement and student success.
• All professional learning should be of high quality and aligned with the best standards for professional learning. 

The term professional learning means a comprehensive, sustained and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement. School improvement will happen only when the School Board and the Management support the principal in creating an environment that nurtures excellence, trust, risk-taking and creativity.

www.LearningForward.Org.IN
Learning Forward India is an affiliate of Learning Forward

Dr Tazeen Siddiqui: Faith or Belief, what leads to spiritual strength?

The Child's mind is a set of thoughts that they absorb through experiences, books, peer learning, Teachers, parents etc.

The beliefs that we give our kids in our legacy helps in building spiritual strength and true faith. If we grow our kids with the belief that if a black cat crosses your way it turns out to be unlucky will imprint the false beliefs in their minds and heart, which will shatter the true faith of honesty, hard work, dedication and commitment.W e need to teach children the real faith that encourages and strengthen spiritual bonding.

Every Faith begins with the concept of honesty, hard work, Dedication and love. Once we inculcate these true faith in children they tend to build a strong spiritual bonding with a great trust in Giving, sharing and loving everyone in this world.

False beliefs shatter true faith while true faith, strengthen spiritual bonding to do the right and understand the concept that consequences are the results of our actions and if we do it with true faith, it turns into excellence and if done by false beliefs it leads to ignorance. It's important to turn thoughts into a true faith which in turn encourage true actions.

We need to grow up children with the thought that our actions have to be channelized with right thoughts of gaining knowledge, sharing and rising together with excellence as coded in the holy books.

Bhagwat Geeta Verse #1:
"Karmanye vadhika raste,
Ma phaleshu kadachana;
ma karma phala he tur bhuh,
ma te sangvasta karmani".

To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment to inaction. There is no substitute for hard work and hard work eventually pays.

Quran
Man will not get anything unless he works hard surah al najm 53:39

There is no doubt about the fact that man cannot make any progress without efforts and hard work. for example, one who studies wholeheartedly becomes a scholar similarly a farmer who ploughs the farm, sows seeds in it and waters them, is soon rewarded with crops.

When we make our children strong with these true faith we create a great generation for the future to create history with peace in the world and knowledge in every heart and mind.

Dr Tazeen Siddiqui, Email fortazeen@gmail.com