Transformative Learning: Strategies for Success

Reflection questions based on Chapter 5: Performance Scores Must Be Honest and Chapter 6: People, Scores and Outcomes from My Good School by Sandeep Dutt:

Chapter 5: Performance Scores Must Be Honest

1. How can we ensure student assessments reflect their understanding and growth rather than just test-taking ability?
   (Consider both academic and personal development perspectives.)

2. How does honest feedback, both given and received, influence the learning culture in a school?
   (Reflect on the role of trust and transparency in your teaching or learning environment.)

Chapter 6: People Scores and Outcomes

3. How can we better measure a student's contribution to the school community beyond academic grades?
   (Think about leadership, collaboration, empathy, and service.)

4. What changes can we make in our schools to shift the focus from competition to character and community development?
   (Reflect on how success is currently defined and how it could be reimagined.)

📚 My Good School Reading Session Summary

🌿 A Special Session at Khan Farm

The recent reading session was uniquely held at Khan Farm, near Rajaji National Park, offering a serene and natural setting for a meaningful gathering. The session was designed for our Special Schools and brought together participants from various regions.

The virtual meeting ran smoothly thanks to a smooth technical setup and strong coordination. The peaceful surroundings and collaborative spirit made the session memorable, highlighting the power of learning in harmony with nature.

📖 Chapter Discussion: Reflections on Chapters 5 and 6

The main body of the session was focused on Chapters 5 and 6: Performance Scores Must be Honest and People Scores and Outcomes from the reading material.
Key discussion points included:

• Self-Care and Love: A highlight was the importance of nurturing the self—connecting body, mind, and soul.

• Teacher Reflections: Sandeep Dutt encouraged teachers to reflect on their challenges and share personal stories to build mutual understanding.

• Work-life balance: This theme emerged as a crucial takeaway, emphasizing emotional well-being and balance in professional and personal spheres.

⚖️ Balancing Act: Challenges in Education

The session moved into more profound reflections around the daily struggles teachers face:

• Peer Pressure and Burnout: Discussed as everyday stressors among educators.

• Work-Life Balance: Reiterated by Seema Khare, who introduced the idea of a "Tipping Point", stressing the need to maintain harmony to prevent burnout.

• Group consensus formed around the importance of self-awareness, mindfulness, and time management.

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Self-care is not a luxury—educators need to be effective.

• Building positive connections within oneself enhances professional capability.

• Regular reflections help personal growth and create a culture of empathy and openness in schools.

• Staying connected helps maintain momentum and mutual support among educators.

🏁 Closing & Gratitude

The session concluded with a warm thank you from My Good School Retreat.
Sandeep Dutt and Manisha stressed the importance of:

• Staying connected through WhatsApp groups and other digital platforms.

• Continuing open dialogue around well-being and personal development.

I request everyone to share their learning outcomes by posting a reflection below the post or emailing it to mk@learningforward.org.in. Your thoughts and insights will be valuable to the community! I look forward to applying these strategies and growing through such learning opportunities.

Session highlights

Meeting ID

Managing Pressure, Nurturing Well-being: A PLP Session for Educators

The April 11 Special Projects Professional Learning Program (PLP) session centered on pressure and stress management for students and teachers. The session aimed to deepen the understanding of the challenges faced in educational environments and explore practical strategies to promote well-being. We are reading a book in Hindi and are committed to helping teachers of the Arthur Foot Academy, Sunbeam Gramin School and our GSA Special Projects.

👥 Introductions & Setting the Tone

Sandeep Dutt emphasized the importance of introductions and invited Reena to address the group. The tone was collaborative and welcoming, aiming to build rapport among educators from various backgrounds.

Key Takeaways

• Impact of Pressure: Pressure and stress significantly affect students' mental and physical health. Educators must remain vigilant for warning signs such as behavioral changes and physical symptoms.

• Importance of Self-Care: Self-love, self-care, and a healthy work-life balance are essential for educators and students to manage stress effectively.

• Support and Encouragement: Supporting students—by acknowledging their interests and providing even small forms of encouragement—can help them navigate academic and personal pressures.

• Reflection and Collaboration: Regular reflection and sharing among educators enhances teaching practices and stress resilience.

Discussion Topics

Chapter Discussion: Dealing with Pressure

Based on a chapter from the book Happy Teachers, Happy Schools, this discussion addressed the pressures students face, including real-life examples of stress-induced weight loss. The group explored the importance of self-love and positive affirmations and drew inspiration from Dr. Ben Carson's ability to handle high-pressure situations.

Understanding Student Stress

• Physical symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, and sleep disturbances often indicate stress in children.

• A study by Apollo Hospitals revealed that 1 in 5 children report unexplained abdominal pain linked to stress.

• Significant sources of pressure include parental expectations, academic performance, and extracurricular commitments.

Strategies for Supporting Students

• Encourage journaling for emotional expression and self-reflection.

• Promote positive self-talk to build emotional resilience.

• Create a safe, open environment for discussing stress and feelings.

• Guide students in identifying their passions and interests to build confidence.

Teacher Well-being

• Acknowledged the high-pressure demands of the teaching profession.

• Discussed the need for educators to maintain personal well-being through work-life balance and stress management.

• Emphasized the direct correlation between teacher well-being and student well-being.

Next Steps

• Monthly PLP Sessions: These will be scheduled at 5:30 PM for ongoing professional development and dialogue.

• Teacher Reflections: Educators are requested to write and email their reflections on the chapter to Manisha.

• English Enrichment: Teachers are encouraged to join additional English sessions on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

• Happy Teacher Blog: Educators can explore and contribute to the blog with their experiences and insights.

• National Reading Time: Implement designated reading time to promote a balanced student routine.

This session reinforced the importance of a holistic approach to education, where the well-being of both teachers and students is prioritized to foster a healthier and more effective learning environment.

I request everyone to share their learning outcomes by posting a reflection below the post or emailing it to mk@learningforward.org.in. Your thoughts and insights will be valuable to the community! I look forward to applying these strategies and growing through such learning opportunities.

My Good School · Special Projects PLP Session in Hindi

Responsibility and Cooperation - Sukhpreet Kaur

Responsibility and Cooperation are two sides of a coin in cooperative learning. The art of responsibility and cooperation is an ongoing journey for children, all the way into adulthood. Learning to cooperate with respect is an important skill to master, helping children develop good relationships at home and school. Successful collaboration requires students to be respectful, caring, honest, thoughtful, reflective and open-minded. 

Cooperation isn't limited to work, rather it has its roots in every action of a person. Coming together and following a common goal needs cooperation and so cooperation is one of the human resources a man has.

Schools play an important role in teaching children responsibility. By instilling a sense of order and encouraging students to be accountable for their actions, schools help children understand the importance of taking responsibility for their own lives. Through classroom rules and expectations, as well as extracurricular activities and school-wide programs, children learn how to manage their time, set goals, and follow through on commitments. As they progress through their education, children who learn responsibility in school are more likely to become responsible adults.

Responsibility is a key character trait that we focus on every year. How do we teach responsibility? Here are several key ways to focus on student responsibility. There are a ton of little things in my classroom that need to be done on a daily basis.  I give students the responsibility of some of these small tasks, like filing papers, sharpening pencils, and straightening up our library. Spread table mats for each other before lunch break. Peer learning groups-help in sharing the responsibility. 

As Benjamin Franklin once said:

“Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn”

Learning through cooperation is an instructional method in which students work in small groups to accomplish a common learning goal under the guidance of the teacher. Teacher or facilitator will set a goal and make groups. Students can discuss a question or topic, and then share with the whole class. Teachers often refer to this strategy as “think-pair-share”. Teachers who plan cooperative lessons often make groups of 4 . Students are assigned roles within the group so that they can divide and conquer the learning task at hand. For example, the reporter is responsible for sharing out the new learnings of the task. Often groups are divided into mixed skill groups. This can help students who struggle to have higher-level students mixed with lower-level students so that peer learning and coaching is incorporated. All of the mentioned techniques require planning and coordination on the part of the teacher.

As an enthusiastic teacher, all I wish my students 

• work together for a common goal

• learn to trust others through successful teamwork and collaboration

• increase their social development and interactions

• communicate their needs and listen to the needs of others

• think about the perspectives of others and show empathy

• Work through conflict with others to achieve a successful resolution

Teamwork activities always encourage one to hone their skills to work in a cooperative manner with respect.

Sukhpreet Kaur
Gyanshree School

Hope and Friendship - Magnets DGS

"A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity." Robert Hall

Everyone hopes for friendship. Hope comes with faith that the friend will be loyal, honest and trustworthy.
As children, we wish to possess certain material things- toys, chocolates or even good marks. As adults, our wishes may change to more materialistic things like cars, houses, etc. A wish may push you to work aggressively towards it.

Hope is a dream, a desire, a belief that helps you stay calm and peaceful. Hope is accompanied by faith. You hope for a happy and peaceful life, good health, family and friends. You enjoy the company of your friends. The friendship that develops during school days lasts forever. You may not meet each other regularly after leaving school, but the bond is always there. The various alumni associations are proof. There is no age bar in friendship, an eight-year-old and an eight-year-old may get along well. A strong bond of friendship and understanding may be witnessed even with a pet. Good friends are honest and loyal; they stay with you, accept you, regardless of the circumstances. True friends give you honest advice and correct you when you are in the wrong. Mutual respect and admiration strengthen the bond of friendship between friends. Hope and friendship are important for mental health.

दोस्त शब्द में गूढ़ अर्थ छिपा है ,
जो दोस्तों के दोषों को अस्त कर देता है ,
वही सच्चा मित्र बन अपना धर्म निभाता है |
न कोई शिकवा न कोई आशा होती है ,
बस स्वेच्छा से त्याग की भावना होती है |        
                   दोस्ती में हर रोज़ मिलना जरूरी होता नहीं ,
                   बस एकबार दिल से रिश्ता जुड़ जाए
                   तो दोस्त कभी जुदा होता नहीं  |
                   एक सच्चा दोस्त कभी अपने दोस्त के
                   रास्ते में आता नहीं  ,
                   अगर एक गलत हो तो दूसरा हाथ पकड़
                   कभी छोड़ता नहीं |  
प्रेम और त्याग की डोर से जुड़ी एक “ विश्वास ” है दोस्ती ,
क्योंकि दुनियाँ के सभी रिश्तों में बड़ी “ खास ” है दोस्ती |
इतिहास गवाह है इस बात का कि...................
मित्रता में कोई जात-पात या ऊँच-नीच नहीं है होता ,
बस प्रेम , त्याग और विश्वास निभाया है जाता |
श्री कृष्ण –सुदामा के रिश्तों को कौन भुला है पाया  ?
बिन आशा और शर्तों के , राज-पाट मित्र सुदामा पर लुटाया  |
                  महाभारत के धर्म युद्ध में , कर्ण - दुर्योधन से
                  नि:स्वार्थ मित्रता देख ,सबने मान लिया लोहा उसका | 
बस अंत में इतना कहना है कि मित्रता में आशा रखना स्वाभाविक होता है और एक मित्र का दूसरे मित्र की आशा को पूरा करना उसका दायित्व होता है ||

Magnets DGS: Kiran Juyal, Manju Srivastava, Mezhu Chopra, Pooja Sharma and Renu Sundriyal

The Doon Girls' School, Dehradun

Simplicity and Trust - Dynamic DGS

When the sparkling water bubbles bedazzle you more than diamonds, then you know the joy of simplicity. When the fragrance of wet mud after the showers enthrals your soul more than the expensive perfume, then you experience the beauty of simplicity. When the swing on the tree looks more inviting than a drive in the car, then you embrace simplicity. When you have it all and don't flaunt it, stay rooted and treat all alike, then you wear simplicity like a heritage ensemble that tells a story about your good upbringing. Simplicity is throwing pebbles in a pond and enjoying the ripples. Simplicity is being yourself and enjoying the simple things of life.

Simplicity is to be happy with what we have and not want things just because others have them. Simplicity can mean different things for different people. I am not sure if simplicity can actually be taught; we learn by observing others. Children are born simple, but sometimes we as adults don’t let them remain that way. We feel we need to follow our peers or not fit in or be cool enough.  Life is simple and easy, we complicate things.

We have often heard that trust is the key to every successful relationship. Trust also gives a sense of security. We must trust children for them to trust us. We form opinions and brand them. For example, we feel a naughty and disobedient child is never honest, and we don’t give them a chance to explain themselves.

Trusting people is essential but not very easy. Trust is the base of most relationships, and trust comes with time. We trust people when we know we can be honest with them, and we are not being judged.  For children to trust us, we need to be trustworthy and make sure we do not discuss what the child has shared with us. Sometimes a child trusts us and shares their thoughts with us, and we betray their confidence. Trust works both ways we need to trust children too.

Dynamic DGS @ THE Doon Girls School, Dehradun - Reena Gusain, Reah Sikand, Meenakshi Panwar, Shilpika Pandey, Rachna Bharrdwaj & Sumali Devgan

Important Gift For Oneself Is Being Honest - Kavitha Devda

Courtesy: beaninspire.com

What do you mean by ‘To be honest to ourselves’?

 Why one should be honest to themselves?

 

Being honest with ourselves is actually a great thing. If we will not be honest to ourselves then how can we expect from others. When we lie to others or if we cheat them then they will not know at that time but we ourselves know the wrong thing done with them. After doing anything wrong if we regret or apologize even then it makes us feel guilty and ashamed. Though we can hide from others but cannot hide anything to ourselves. 

In life, you can cheat others by fooling them but when it comes to cheating yourself, it is quite impossible. You cannot hide anything from yourself, as your inner person will remind you of all your mistakes. We can imbibe many values in us at any age. It is never too late to do anything or anything in life. It is not difficult to say that I am honest or I never lie, but when you try to do that it still makes you feel think. 

“The most important thing is always to be honest with yourself without hesitating about things that matter a lot”

Kavitha Devda 

The Fabindia School 

kda@fabindiaschools.in

Honesty and Respect- Visionary JMMS

1. Honesty and Respect                   

                                                                                   

Usually, it is seen that children make excuses when they are afraid of being scolded or insulted in front of the class. Children usually tell a lie when they do not do their homework and the other day they make an excuse that they have not brought their notebook to the school, when asked the reason most common replies are “ ma’am I was doing my homework and I forgot to keep it in the bag”. In such cases, the child needs counselling and believes that he will not be insulted if he tells the truth and in return, he will approach the teacher with respect. 

2. Please adults around                 

There was a boy in kindergarten who would love to tell stories. One day the class was asked to complete the worksheet. The boy left half of the worksheet and submitted it to the teacher, by saying “I have completed my work”. The teacher witnessed he leaves half of his worksheet just to get full time to play with his friends and get praised by the teacher. As students love to be appreciated and praised in front of everyone and they too love to please the teacher. It’s important not to overreact to these kinds of behaviour. Just accepting that this is one way of the child to express them, sometimes that’s what they really want from us. Here the child becomes dishonest. The teacher focuses to help the child by conveying the value of honesty, through stories and role-plays in the class. We should always solve our student’s problems by finding the solution through our thoughts of how can we make the situation better. 

3. Gain attention of others             

  

The child was famous for his misbehaviour and rough attitude towards his classmates, although the child was studious and responsible. He had no friends and would spoil the games of other children too. It was found out by the teacher that the child needs attention as his parents couldn’t spend time with him and he was the only child of the family, so he wanted to gain attention in the school. The teachers gave him different responsibilities and appreciated for his efforts. This changed the behaviour of the child.

Respect is earned not given. These are the words rightly said. Grownups have a misconception that the younger ones should always respect them as it is their duty to do so, but they forget that one must give respect to earn respect. The concept of respect is different for different people belonging to different age, culture and social backgrounds. For a six or seven-year-old child the concept of respect is not clear because we can teach them manners but not respect which grows with the course of time. To be a role model for students it has a lasting impact on the students. Teachers can inspire students with their actions and thoughts.

When the child wishes the teacher, he or she should respond generously with a smile and showing respect to the child. This will develop a respect for the teacher in the heart of a child.

Many times when we ask for any help from a child we should always request the child, showing respect towards him and when the work is done we should be thankful to him. Using the magic words like please and thank you by the teacher will automatically add to the child’s dictionary. 

- Visionary JMMS @ John Martyn Memorial School, Salan Gaon, Dehradun -  Ambika Gurung, Parineeta Negi, Manmohan Kaur and Bharti Dangwal

Honesty and Respect - Dynamic DGS

According to ‘Science of Honesty’ psychology study, telling the truth in a situation where one is tempted to lie, can significantly improve a person’s mental and physical health.

Honesty is not just about telling the truth. It’s about being real with yourself and others about who you are. It’s the easiest thing you can practise to be happy and get respect.

Respect is not a gift. It has to be earned! It is also reciprocal. What we give is what we get. When we respect humanity, we automatically respect humans.

While all of this is true, both these values hold different meanings for different people in varied situations.

As part of one of the school’s inter-class competitions, we change the class display board every month to increase general awareness and encourage creativity. Students participate actively and work hard to make their class boards attractive. A few years ago during one such competition, a teacher reached the school early morning and was shocked to see that the display board had been tampered with. The damage was huge! The items were torn and thrown on the ground. The same incident repeated itself the following day. This upset her a lot. That’s when she thought as to who could be behind all of this and why? She had a word with all the classes and asked them to confess. Nobody admitted anything; instead, the children started accusing each other. Once again, she discussed the matter and promised them that whosoever admitted the truth, would not be punished. Later that day, one student came and confessed. He felt that this board made by the other class was better. He wanted his class to win as they had never won before. She asked him why he had not spoken the truth earlier? He replied that he was naturally afraid of being punished. But when he was honest about it with her, he realized his mistake. The teacher respected the child for revealing the truth, and he too felt better.

 

In a similar incident, a student spoke bad words about a teacher as the latter was stern with her. Instead of scolding, the teacher had a relaxed conversation with the child about the situation and tried to understand her emotions. It was this respect for another person’s views that the child finally apologized and could trust the teacher even better.

As adults, we do not give a chance to the children, to be honest. We react, not respond!

 

Another teacher’s experience with RESPECT was wonderful. At her workplace, the seniors respect everyone’s opinions, are approachable at any time of the day, and are open to changes. This has changed her approach to work in a positive way. The way humans speak, listen, and react, determines the respect quotient from the opposite side.

 

Respect can be taught to children by being good role models. When adults respect their choices, sit with them, and explain things, good things can happen. This is how the child’s abilities to do better can be improved. The elders can magically change their mindsets and let them blossom into beautiful humans. Age is never a factor as far as respect is concerned. It is for all, and it’s unbiased. Respect is an echo.

 

Dynamic DGS @ The Doon Girls’ School, Dehradun - Shilpika Pandey, Reena Gusain, Rachna Bharrdwaj, Meenakshi Panwar, Reah Sikand & Sumali Devgan.

Inspirational‌ ‌Messages‌ ‌For‌ ‌Students‌ ‌From‌ ‌Teacher‌ - Manish Jaiswal ‌

Dear‌ ‌Students,‌ ‌always‌ ‌believe‌ ‌in‌ ‌yourself.‌ ‌You‌ ‌have‌ ‌the‌ ‌ability‌ ‌to‌ ‌do‌ ‌any‌ ‌kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌work‌

‌whether‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌easy‌ ‌or‌ ‌tough.‌ ‌So‌ ‌be‌ ‌confident‌ ‌and‌ ‌work‌ ‌hard‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌your‌ ‌dream.‌ ‌‌Be‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌human‌ ‌who‌ ‌helps‌ ‌everyone.‌ ‌Be‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌partner,‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌friend,‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌soul‌ ‌who‌ ‌is‌ ‌honest,‌ ‌trustworthy‌ ‌and‌ ‌responsible.‌ ‌Happiness‌ ‌will‌ ‌find‌ ‌you.‌

 ‌

You‌ ‌are‌ ‌the‌ ‌person‌ ‌who‌ ‌can‌ ‌change‌ ‌the‌ ‌world.‌ ‌You‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌big‌ ‌responsibility‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ better.‌ ‌I‌ ‌know‌ ‌you‌ ‌can‌ ‌do‌ ‌this‌ ‌very‌ ‌well.‌ ‌So‌ ‌work‌ ‌hard‌ ‌and‌ ‌achieve‌ ‌your‌ ‌success.‌ ‌In‌ ‌your‌ ‌life,‌ ‌you‌ ‌will‌ ‌face‌ ‌many‌ ‌bad‌ ‌and‌ ‌hard‌ ‌times.‌ ‌Never‌ ‌lose‌ ‌hope‌ ‌in‌ ‌your‌ ‌bad‌ ‌time.‌ ‌After‌ ‌the‌ ‌heavy‌ ‌rain,‌ we‌ ‌can‌ ‌see‌ ‌the‌ ‌sunshine.‌ ‌Always‌ ‌be‌ ‌positive.‌ ‌

You‌ ‌all‌ ‌are‌ ‌very‌ ‌brave‌ ‌and‌ ‌active.‌ ‌Always‌ ‌keep‌ ‌this‌ ‌spirit‌ ‌up.‌ ‌Be‌ ‌a‌ ‌student‌ ‌as‌ ‌long‌ ‌as‌ ‌you‌ ‌still‌ ‌have‌ ‌something‌ ‌to‌ ‌learn,‌ ‌and‌ ‌this‌ ‌will‌ ‌mean‌ ‌all‌ ‌your‌ ‌life.‌ ‌Study‌ ‌like‌ ‌there’s‌ ‌no‌ ‌tomorrow‌ ‌because‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌keep‌ ‌putting‌ ‌off‌ ‌your‌ ‌studies‌ ‌for‌ ‌tomorrow,‌ ‌you’ll‌ ‌probably‌ ‌be‌ ‌too‌ ‌late.‌ ‌

Manish Jaiswal

The Fabindia School

mjl@fabindiaschools.in

Thoughtfulness & Understanding - Penta BHIS

Rediscovering Values

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, A smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around" ——Leo Buscaglia

Everyday life around us is filled with actions - some momentous, a lot barely noticeable.  As we watch life go by, we understand and value the little, often subtle, actions that punctuate our days. This is an attempt to acknowledge and appreciate others' thoughtfulness.

Please listen to our podcast, prepared with thoughtfulness and understanding!

Penta @ Billabong InternationalHigh School, Thane

- Jeeji Sanjeev, Sanika Joshi, Arpita M.G., Muskaan Menda, Radhika Anand, Supriya Naravankar & Bhavani Swamy.

Hope and Friendship - Engaging Minds BHIS

A friend is the hope of the heart...

Good friends help you to find important things when you have lost them…..

Your SMILE, your HOPE, and your COURAGE.

‘Oft hope is born when all is forlorn’

In 2015, a grade 10 student Sachin lost his father to suicide due to financial crisis. His father had hung himself to the ceiling fan of their living room when everyone in the house was fast asleep.  He had left a handwritten note to Sachin’s mother, which read “I m sorry …but I can't face it any more”.  

Sachin, who was the only child to his parents, his entire life was shattered. He himself was an introvert but a smart child, having only one friend Sunny. He used to share almost everything with him about what he was going through. After a months’ time, when he came to school, he was trying so hard to overcome all his emotions. That sudden loss of his father who was his hero had broken him completely.

Sachin shared a good bond with his class teacher, Mrs Paul but somehow he was reluctant to open up with her as well. Mrs Paul spoke to Sunny and got to know that Sachin was not in a good mental state and has tried to harm himself on several occasions; he had lost hope in life. Mrs Paul then called Sachin and tried speaking to him. Sachin initially was reluctant but then told her “ Whenever I see my dad’s photo I feel how selfish he was to run away from his problems and put us in this grave situation where my mother is struggling every day to arrange basic needs”. He further said he is not comfortable with his classmates as they all belonged to rich families and he found himself out of place.

On hearing this Sunny immediately held his hand and told him money never comes between friendship and he is always there by Sachin’s side. They both hugged each other and cried a lot. Mrs Paul sowed a seed of Hope in Sachin by saying, “ In the midst of any turmoil of life, just remember there is always a ray of light waiting for you on the other side of the dark tunnel and you should walk towards the light“. She convinced him to be optimistic in his life and look ahead as he had to take care of his family. After lots of counselling by his teacher, over a period of time, Sachin was finally looking to a better life and eventually was academically stronger.

Today after 5 years, when Mrs Paul met Sachin he was totally a changed person full of hope and optimism with Sunny by his side. Sachin thanked Mrs Paul for igniting the hope in him and Sunny for his friendship.

Sometimes all you need is a strong FRIEND to hold you in your difficult times and an educator to guide you towards that ray of light called HOPE.

A friend gives hope when life is low, a friend is a place when you have nowhere to go, a friend is honest, a friend is true. A friend is precious, a friend is you….

Engaging Minds @ Billabong High International School Thane 

- Ginny Franklin, Yojana Suryarao, Ishita Thakkar, Kiran Pandey, Nilka Gandhi, Geeta Mali, Meenaz Khan.

Respect and Honesty: Kusum Sharma

Respect and Honesty both the values are very important for keeping a healthy relationship

with anyone. Honesty creates peace of mind and promotes trust... It is not only about telling the truth but to care for someone without thinking about the profits. A girl who is studying in my class always sits quietly and I observed that she is more comfortable in school rather than at home. But she was not at all interested in studies.

She always brought a tiffin box without any vegetables. I don't know but I felt some special attachment with the girl and was curious to know about her.  One day those class students were asked for notebooks corrections, as usual, the girl refused to submit the notebook. I got a chance to talk to her. I called and asked her about her problem.  

Firstly she could not speak a single word but when she felt affectionate to me she burst out and told her story that she was living with her mother and paternal uncle, who was a drunkard and used to abuse her for small mistakes. She didn't get respect from anyone at home, so she was not honest with anyone. When she felt good, respected, then started trusting others and now the girl has completely changed in behaviour and studies as well.

Kusum Sharma

The Fabindia School

Honesty wins Respect: Ajay Vijayvargi

Honesty cannot be  associated with monetary transactions alone, it is required in every

aspect of human life. For example, an honest factory worker will report on time, leave on time and will not waste precious work hours in gossip or doing non-productive work, not getting involved in any type of politics etc will always gain respect from his seniors, colleagues and subordinates. Now take another example of a country leader working long hours, taking decisions in the interest of his nation and people only, decisions on time, no scams and so on will make him win respect from countrymen and internationally.

As an individual, we need to be honest with our family, friends circle, society, workplace and nation and we will be winning respect from everyone. Being honest with your students will win you their respect, lot many times an educator come across a situation when a question asked by a student cannot be explained or answered or if explained, students are not able to understand, so an educator must honestly say that okay student we will try again /let me think today and will discuss it tomorrow, definitely, students will be impressed by your honesty and will start respecting you even more.

Respect is to be earned and cannot be gained forcefully.

*Honesty is the best policy*.

 Ajay Vijayvargi

The Fabindia School

Honesty and Respect - Adapters SHS

Honesty Earns Respect

Honesty and respect are like two pillars of a strong relationship. What were to happen if lying was the norm?

There would be no trust among people. Patients would not be able to trust their doctors, passengers would not be able to trust their drivers, a child would not feel the same trust and security towards his/her parents and no two individuals would be able to build a beautiful relationship if honesty and respect do not form their foundation.

Honesty means believing in oneself and everything that one represents, however, dishonesty may mislead us from our beliefs and values. Life continues to teach us lessons in every twist and turn of this journey that we embark, it may be trivial incidents or moments in our lives that somehow go unnoticed but they always have a way to show us the right path. Such an incident that taught four college friends about the importance of earning respect through honesty.

Riya, Anu, Sweta and Pari were a tightly knit team of thriving, blooming and fun-loving group of college friends. They were, however, the ‘’Noted’’ set of girls in their university who were known as the ‘’trouble makers.’’ There wasn’t a day where one of them was not summoned by their University Dean for their daily dose of confrontation where the girls were quick to come up with valid and factual excuses. The entire University staff along with the other students were tired of their everyday shenanigans.

 The first semester of their second year in the University was to begin the next day when Pari came up with the idea of skipping their first paper. The others were keen on agreeing with her and in fact, Anu came up with a ‘’valid reason,’’ for their absence the next day. She told her friends that they would state the idea of being held back due to a tyre puncture. The four girls satisfied with this excuse, head out for a long drive not worried about the consequence of their carelessness.

The next day, as expected, the girls were asked to meet the Dean after their morning prayer. Knowing that these girls would surely have an excuse, yet the Dean asked them to explain the reason for their absence. On hearing their ‘’unfortunate incident’’ about the previous day, the Dean did not react as expected. He seemed to be calm and collected, he simply asked them to sit for their exam, but to their surprise, in separate classrooms.  The girls received their question papers and were shocked to see the questions.

Question1. Where exactly did your car get punctured?

Question2. Which tyre of your car get punctured?

Question3. At exactly what hour of the day did it get punctured?

As expected the four girls had different answers to the same the situation that they claimed to have stopped them from coming to the University. This made them realize how the Dean had taught them a valuable lesson about being honest not only with others but also with oneself. Honesty in itself earns the respect of many hearts.

- Shraddha Dewan <shraddhadewan425@gmail.com>  for Adapters at Sacred Heart School Siliguri