Getting Educated - Introduction to the book "Educated" by Tara Westover

Learning Forward Saturday with Brinda Ghosh

To introduce the new book, Educated, and its author, Tara Westover.

Key Takeaways

1. The group will read Educated, Tara Westover’s memoir of overcoming a fundamentalist upbringing to earn a Cambridge PhD.
2. The book’s core theme is the transformative power of education, framed as a universal story of self-creation rather than a religious critique.
3. Participants must purchase the book before the next session; Kunal will assist with procurement if needed.
4. Sandeep’s reflection prompt: Identify a personal "turning point” that changed your life’s trajectory.

Topics

1. New Host Introduction

Shuchi Sharma, an expert in school policy and documentation, was introduced as the new co-host. Her role will include active participation in future book discussions.Book Introduction: Educated

      2. The group will read Educated, a memoir by Tara Westover.

• Setting: Rural Idaho, USA, in the late 20th century (1990s–2000s).
• Family: A Mormon family with a scrap-dealing father who distrusted formal education and modern medicine.
• Father: Believed public schools were corrupting and prepared for the Y2K apocalypse.
• Mother: A self-taught midwife and herbalist who homeschooled the children.

Author’s Journey:

• Received no formal schooling until age 17.
• Self-studied to gain admission to Brigham Young University.
• Earned a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, an MPhil, and a PhD in Intellectual History from Cambridge University.

Why This Book?

Sandeep Dutt recommended the book for its universal themes, which resonate far beyond its specific setting.

Core Themes:

• The true meaning and value of education.
• The environment required for personal growth.
• The process of self-creation and achieving success.
• Sustainability and minimalism.
• Universal Story: The narrative of rural vs. urban life and the pursuit of knowledge is relatable to experiences in India and elsewhere.

Author’s Note & Reflection

• The author’s note clarifies the book’s focus: "This story is not about Mormonism." It is about the human experience, not a religious critique.
• Pseudonyms are used for all family members to protect their identities, as the events are recent.

Reflection Prompt (Sandeep Dutt):

“pehle zindagi ko dekhiye aur souchiye ki kaise moor aya aur aap mudgayay.”

Meaning: Reflect on a “turning point” (moor) in your life that changed your trajectory.

Good Schools Alliance (GSA):

Sandeep Dutt noted the GSA’s growth over 15 years to nearly 60 institutions.

Purpose: A collaborative platform where schools invest in special projects, not a regulatory body.

Next Steps

All Participants:

• Purchase Educated (hard copy or e-book) before the next session.
• Reflect on the prompt: “Identify a personal turning point (moor) that changed your life’s trajectory.”

Kunal Rajpurohit:

Assist participants with book procurement if requested.

Brinda Ghosh & Shuchi Sharma:

Lead the next session, starting with the book’s prologue.

Students are Host, not Hostages

According to the present day system of education, teachers are under the pressure from Board, Management and Parents, and its effects will reflect on children. The participation of the students is very important in the classroom by the practical method. If they are allowed to do things in a different way then they will be more excited and participate actively. When a teacher enters the classroom there will be a specific planned topic in his or her mind, but student’s reaction may be different. They may say, Sir, don’t teach today we will play. By this, they are showing their interest, but the teacher does not listen to them and forcefully starts to teach and becomes the host. This is the time to think about the changes that the teachers need to bring in their classroom considering students as the host. 

Our learning from: Can You Teach a Zebra some Algebra? By: Debashis Chatterjee

- Kavita Devra, Byju Joseph, Krishna Gopal Dave and Vinit Kumar

The Fabindia School

Students are Host, not Hostages

According to the topic, we understand that students are the key role of the class and not the teacher as per today’s era. In earlier times teacher was the main focus of the class and students used to sit and listen whether they are interested or not in learning.

Now the time has changed day by day and so the way of teaching. Now, a student is the Hero of the class. A teacher has to plan and set out things in such a way that all his/her students find it interesting and would be attentive in class. Teachers have to be more creative to develop an interest in their classroom. Also, they should maintain a good relationship with their students so that they can come up with their problems freely.

More than we want them to listen to us, we should prefer ourselves to listen to our students. They should get fair chances to speak up whenever they want in the class. There should be no terror of the teacher in any students mind. A teacher should never pressurize their students even if the conditions are not in favour of the teacher. To understand their students a teacher has to change herself/himself according to the needs of the students and then plan out certain things. A happy teacher can make their classroom a happy place and ultimately lead to happy students and healthy minds.

Our learning from: Can you Teach a Zebra some Algebra? By: Debashis Chatterjee
- Gajendra Mewara, Monika Vaishnav, Vimmy Rajpurohit and Jaffar Khan
The Fabindia School