Fun in Learning & Learning is Fun

Brewing Knowledge Friday, April 25th 2025

Quick recap

Sandeep led a Friday evening session focused on book reading, introducing "My Good School" and discussing its content with various schools. The session covered topics such as the importance of incorporating fun elements in education, maintaining enthusiasm in teaching, parental involvement, and creative learning strategies. Sandeep also introduced resources, such as the "Brewing Knowledge" Google sheet and the Learning Forward India Foundation, encouraging participants to engage with these materials and share their thoughts on educational blogs.

Next steps

• Nidhi requested us to read the chapter "Why teachers are averse to change" for the next session on May 2nd. We have read the chapter, and details are there in the Friday Book Reading sheet; you will find a video and reference point.

• All participants are to access and review the Google Sheet containing the reading schedule and covered chapters.

• Suman to continue encouraging teachers at her school to discuss the book and participate in the reading sessions.

• All participants to explore the Learning Forward India Foundation blog (learningforward.in) and the Happy Teacher blog (happyteacher.in) for additional resources and discussions.

• Participants are asked to leave comments on the blog posts related to the reading sessions they attend.

• Reena and other Hindi-speaking participants to attempt reading "My Good School" in English, focusing on understanding the key concepts chapter by chapter.

• All participants are to reflect on the three core elements discussed —reading, reflection, and relationships —in their teaching practice.

Summary

Fostering Love for Reading Through Stories

Sandeep led a Friday evening session focused on book reading, introducing the book "My Good School" and emphasising the importance of stories in our lives. The session was attended by various schools, including Ashwani's from Varanasi. The group discussed the book's content, with Manisha and Sandeep guiding the discussion. The session aimed to foster a love for books and reading, to cherish the art of reading.

Incorporating Fun Elements in Education

Sandeep discussed the importance of incorporating fun elements in education to make learning effective. He highlighted the need for teachers to go beyond the five senses and use colour, sound, touch, smell, and taste to engage students. Sandeep also emphasised the significance of creativity and innovation in teaching, particularly at the kindergarten level, where the teacher's role is crucial in introducing students to the learning process. He suggested that teachers should strive to make learning fun and exciting, as this can have a lasting impact on students' educational journey.

Maintaining Enthusiasm in Teaching and Parenting

In the meeting, Sandeep discussed the importance of maintaining enthusiasm throughout one's teaching career, emphasising the need for continuous zeal and passion. He also highlighted the significance of parental involvement in a child's upbringing, stating that what parents do at home has a greater impact than what happens at school. Sandeep stressed the importance of routines and consistency in parenting, as well as the need for parents to be actively involved in their children's lives. He also mentioned the role of teachers as caring adults in children's lives. The conversation ended with Sandeep reading another chapter from the book and inviting questions.

Encouraging Enthusiasm in Teaching

Sandeep discussed the importance of enthusiasm and passion in teaching, emphasising that a teacher's enjoyment of their work can create a positive classroom environment. He suggested that teachers should be patient and encouraging, building relationships with students and using activities to motivate them. Sandeep also highlighted the need for creative learning and the role of fun in education, suggesting that teachers should engage with students and not rely solely on traditional methods. He concluded by encouraging teachers to be eager and industrious, which leads to a great learning experience for students.

Tracking Chapters in "Brewing Knowledge

Sandeep discusses using a shared Google sheet called "Brewing Knowledge" to track the chapters read during their sessions. He updates the sheet with the chapters covered in the current session and mentions that the link to this sheet is available in the WhatsApp group. Sandeep encourages participants to read the chapters at their own comfort, either with teachers, students, or by themselves. Suman confirms that teachers are engaged with the book, discussing it and asking about reading sessions in advance.

Implementing Change in Educational Practices

Sandeep discussed the challenges of implementing changes in educational practices and policies, particularly among teachers. He suggested that resistance to change could stem from a lack of skills, fear of failure, or a need for more support. Sandeep also introduced the Learning Forward India Foundation, which aims to improve schools through governance, training, and learning. He encouraged participants to read more about these topics and to engage with the foundation's resources.

Brewing Knowledge Sessions and Blogs

Sandeep concludes the session by discussing the blog that inspired the book they've been reading, highlighting its reach and practical content. He explains the concept of "brewing knowledge" sessions, which combine books and participants' knowledge to build a collective knowledge system. Sandeep encourages participants to share their thoughts about the session on the Happy Teacher blog (happyteacher.in) and mentions Learning Forward (learningforward.in) as a valuable resource for educators.

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Lifelong Learning - Sandeep's Post via Linkedin

A big thank you to the wonderful people who believed in me and continue to invest their faith in me. Their love and belief are my most considerable earnings, so I thought I would share some beautiful words they have penned for me.

Kunal Rajpurohit with Sandeep at The Fabindia School. The photo is of the steps leading to the principal's office. Kunal is currently a Fellow at The Teacher's Academy.

Photo credit - the official school photographer at The Fabindia School Annual Day celebrations.

One person whose contribution I would particularly like to highlight is Sandeep Dutt, who joined us as Chairman and Executive Director of the Bhadrajan Artisans Trust in 2012. He has facilitated many of the landmark achievements we celebrate today. - William N Bissell, Founder & MD Fabindia

You rarely come across a stand-out talent like Sandeep. He never fails to make a dramatic difference in any role he occupies. He can juggle multiple projects without compromising on the results. He can get teams to work to the highest standards through a strategic and inclusive leadership approach. Sandeep is a committed humanitarian and educationalist who has influenced change in the development and corporate sectors. He is highly recommended as a leader and as a team member.  - Cristal de Saldanha,  Leading Commonwealth Youth Adviser.

Learning Forward has developed best practices for the world through innovative innovations like the byte-sized PD, which focuses on core values and every individual's personal and social development. - Kalyani Chaudhuri, Principal Billabong High International School Thane

Read more

William N Bissell: Sandeep is a lifelong student of My Good School!

Foreword for the book

My Good School
Where Passion Meets Education 

Sandeep is a passionate educator. He is one of those individuals who have dedicated his life to making the greatest impact on the greatest number of people. The way he has chosen to do that is by helping schools and teachers implement programs that will help students to become lifelong learners.  

He believes in the idea that if you can change a child’s life, you can change the life of their family, their community and indeed their nation. He has live up to his motto for the last 35 years of his life in helping teachers improve their skills, helping school administrators understand how to deliver the best learning outcomes, helping school heads foster communities of curiosity, openness, learning and creativity in their schools. 

Sandeep has taken his lifelong experiences and summarized them in this thoughtful, provocative and very readable book.

I have had the pleasure of watching Sandeep’s work in the school I founded 30 years ago and the proof of his work lies in watching the graduates of the school who came from a small rural community do extraordinary things with their life. 

He has shown that regardless of where one is born, ones social or economic status, a good school can transform a child’s life by helping them learn and develop into ethical responsible global citizens. 

This book explains how schools can achieve significantly better teaching standards, foster a sense of community and help each student reach their fullest potential.

Sandeep does a great job of framing the issues that educators / school owners and administrators faced, also where they must focus their energy. As he said at the beginning of Chapter 2 - “A country is as developed as its Education sector. We in India should make ‘affordable quality education’ our development mantra and this alone will help us thrive as a great nation. No matter what path we take on the road to economic development, the quality of education will always be a speed breaker”. 

Sandeep’s book is an invaluable read for policy makers, school owners / administrators and teachers as it takes a 360 degree view of all aspects of what it takes to build great schools. The emphasis he places on the development of a strong culture of teacher’s training is reminiscent of Henry Adam, who said – “ A teacher affects eternity and one can never tell where their influence stops”. 

Applying the ideas in this book will transform how schools can deliver outstanding learning outcomes. I can say this as I have watched Sandeep apply this idea at The Fabindia School over the last 10 years as Chairman of the board.

Sandeep is able to do this successfully as he is a lifelong student. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.”

William Nanda Bissell

Chairman of the Board, Fabindia

Published by Rupa Publications  

www.GoodSchools.IN

Photo of Mr William N Bissell courtesy Neha Parmar 

Hope and Friendship - Jitendra Suthar

Someone once said, “Having good friends who love and support you for whom you are are important

for your happiness. Figuring out what makes a good friend can teach you how to be there for your friends when they need you the most.”

Today, I will be talking about people’s opinions on friendships, what makes a good friend, and how to be a good friend so then you’ll learn how to choose a good friend. Normally, we all have the same opinion on a good friendship. A friend is someone special that helps you through good and bad times. It has been shown in statistics that the better quality of your friendships, the happier you are and the better you feel about yourself!

Friendships can be short or last a lifetime and as you get older, you may find that your friends change. For example, we all started school being nervous and wondering, “Will I have someone to play with at recess?” or “Will I make friends?” Now, After finishing post-graduation, I have made so many friends that I would hope to continue staying connected with, but I’m also looking forward to meeting new people and build lifelong pals. Now, we have opinions about good friendships, but what about bad friendships? What can they cause? Usually, some results from bad friends can lower you.

Where there is friendship, there is hope. We all have a person standing by us in any situation no matter it is wrong or right is our friend. We have a tendency of searching for a shoulder where we can pour our self out and that our friend. 

    

As we get older, we will find that our closest friends may change from day to day. This is normal because as we become mature, we may develop new interests, which will expose us to a new set of friends. Regardless of who we are spending time with or view as our closest friend, it is important to remember that we should always treat each other with a very high level of respect so we get the most out of our friendships we develop. Like a quote that someone said, “There comes a time in your life when you realize who really matters, who never did, and who you always will” 

Jitendra Suthar

The Fabindia School

jsr@fabindiaschools.in