The Courage To Be Happy and the Road Ahead

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

Let’s chat about the final masterclass and what we learned from ‘The Courage to be Happy’.

Key Takeaways

• Happiness Is a Choice: True happiness is an internal choice, not a result of external events. It requires taking responsibility for one’s actions, living authentically, and contributing to others.

• The Teacher’s Role: A teacher’s primary role is to foster a “culture of safe failure,” preparing students for the real world by emphasising process over outcome and encouraging resilience.

• New Research Project: A new study will investigate teacher longevity, testing the hypothesis that the profession’s inherent happiness leads to longer lifespans.

• Next Masterclass: The new season, “The Human Edge in the World of AI,” begins July 4. It is a subscription-based program with scholarships for special projects.

Topics

The Courage to be Happy: Core Philosophy

• The masterclass series explored Adler’s philosophy, building on “The Courage to be Disliked” (process over outcome) to define happiness as an act of faith and courage.

• Key Concepts:

  • Love as an Act of Faith: True love requires commitment and the courage to face challenges.

  • Contribution to Community: Happiness is found in contributing to others, even through simple presence.

  • Internal Strength: Nurturing happy teachers requires a shift from external management to holistic system support and educator autonomy.

• Core Insight (Akanksha): “Happiness is a choice.”

Participant Reflections

• Khushi Kumari: Happiness is an internal choice, not dependent on external events.

  • Key Takeaway: The “triangular column” framework for problem-solving:

  1. Blaming Others: Attributing problems to external sources.

  2. Poor Me: Self-pity and focusing on suffering.
  3. What Can I Do Now?: Taking responsibility and focusing on actionable solutions.

• Shahar: Happiness is created through authentic actions and positive contributions to society.

• Manisha Khanna: The masterclass provided clarity on happiness as a state of mind, reinforcing the “all in” philosophy.

New Research Project: Teacher Longevity

• Hypothesis: The happiness inherent in teaching leads to longer lifespans.

• Action Plan:

  • Phase 1: Conduct a field survey across 10+ schools to gather subjective data on teacher longevity.

  • Phase 2: Use this data to form a hypothesis, then seek grants for a larger, empirical study.

  • Ownership: Manisha Khanna will lead the project, with support from Kunal Rajpurohit.

Upcoming Events & Programs

• Workshop (June 23, Delhi): A gratis workshop for teachers of rural projects. A limited number of guests may attend.

• “The Human Edge in the World of AI” Masterclass (Starts July 4):

  • Format: Subscription-based.

  • Scholarships: Available for special projects (1–2 per project).

• “Good Schools of India” (gsi.in): A digital weekly newsletter with 400+ editions.

  • Purpose: Provides a “Guru Dakshana” (token of respect) to support the platform’s technology costs.

Next Steps

• Kunal Rajpurohit:

  • Share details for the June 23 Delhi workshop with interested participants.

  • Design the teacher longevity research project with Manisha Khanna.

• Manisha Khanna:

  • Lead the teacher longevity research project.

• All Participants:

  • Subscribe to the “Good Schools of India” weekly at gsi. in.

  • Consider subscribing to the“Human Edge in the World of AI” Masterclass.   

FATHOM AI-generated 

Learning Forward Saturday

The meeting focused on classroom management and lesson planning, with teachers discussing the importance of incorporating relaxation exercises and establishing stable camera positions for effective communication. The group explored storytelling as an educational tool, with discussions about incorporating various activities to enhance language learning and teaching methods for both Hindi and English. Teachers shared experiences and ideas for creating engaging lesson plans, emphasising the importance of planning, collaboration, and incorporating different activities to support students' language development and overall learning experience.

Next steps

• Sunita: Send photos of textbooks to Neelashi after today's session and before the next session
• Sunita: Complete the story by writing on the back of the drawing in pencil, add a title page, and create a storybook
• All teachers: Complete LSRW lesson plan activities based on their stories by 3:30 and post photos to the WhatsApp group
• Sunita: Make corrections to the lesson plan and post an updated photo to the WhatsApp group after incorporating feedback
• Lalita: Contact Neelashi after class to discuss something personal
• All teachers: Bring 1-2 books from the school library for next week's session to use in lesson planning
• All teachers: Post their completed LSRW lesson plans to the WhatsApp group if not already done

Summary

Classroom Management and Mindfulness Training

Neelashi led a meeting with teachers to discuss classroom management and lesson planning. She instructed the teachers to set up their cameras in a stable position, similar to Sunita's setup, to facilitate communication during the session. Neelashi emphasised the importance of relaxation and mindfulness exercises, including deep breathing and focusing on positive thoughts. She encouraged the teachers to share their experiences and contribute to the group's collective goal of supporting each other and making a positive impact on children's lives.

Storytelling in Education Initiatives

The meeting focused on storytelling and its importance in education, with Diana from PYDS introducing the organisation's mission to provide quality education, nutrition, and support to underprivileged children, particularly girls. Sunita emphasised the significance of collaborative work among teachers and introduced a storytelling session, encouraging participants to create lesson plans and storybooks that incorporate listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Gulabee highlighted the importance of personal feelings and expressions in children's learning. At the same time, Neelashi emphasised the importance of modelling language skills and incorporating moral lessons into storytelling to enhance children's intelligence and confidence in their abilities.

LSRW Lesson Plan Development

Neelashi guided the group on creating lesson plans for Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (LSRW) activities. She instructed everyone to develop their own stories and use them to plan activities related to each LSRW component. Gulabee and Sakshi confirmed their understanding, while Rahima was asked to create activities based on her story. Neelashi emphasised the importance of planning and set a deadline of 3:30 for submitting the plans, along with photos of the completed work.

Story Writing Activity for Teachers

Neelashi discussed a story-writing activity with teachers, explaining that they should write a story and then have students listen to it. She instructed the teachers to unmute themselves for the discussion and to avoid confusion. Sakshi asked a question about how to proceed with the activity, and Neelashi clarified that they should use the story as a basis for discussion with students in their age group.

Educational Exercises and Hindi Teachers

The meeting focused on planning educational exercises and activities for students, with discussions about incorporating Hindi teachers into the project. Neelashi emphasised the importance of including various activities and suggested that teachers could share their ideas through WhatsApp groups. She also requested participants to turn on their cameras during the session and post updates in the group. Neelashi mentioned that she would select one teacher to summarise the activities related to listening, speaking, reading and writing, and she asked for feedback from participants, such as Lalita, Rahima, and others.

Enhancing Language Learning Through Activities

Neelashi and Sunita discussed the importance of incorporating various activities into the LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) framework to enhance language learning. They emphasised the need for students to understand the context of what they read and to practice speaking by connecting with nature. Sunita suggested using many scripts and listening exercises to help students better comprehend and articulate their thoughts. Neelashi agreed on the importance of speaking and reading skills, emphasising the need for students to grasp the whole meaning of what they read and relate it to their personal experiences.

Enhancing Engaging Lesson Plans

Neelashi and Sunita discussed lesson planning and teaching strategies, focusing on making lessons more engaging and interactive. They explored ideas such as incorporating interesting writing tasks and utilising visual aids to maintain student interest. Neelashi suggested making minor changes to Sunita's lesson plan and emphasised the importance of planning. Sakshi joined the conversation later, sharing her experience of adapting a lesson plan for a school and discussing the challenges faced by teachers.

Enhancing Student Engagement Strategies

The teachers discussed various teaching methods, focusing on activities like drawing, reading, and writing to engage students. Gulabee shared a story about an elderly woman and her relatives to illustrate how children can identify with characters in stories. They discussed how to incorporate speaking and writing exercises into the classroom, encouraging students to express their feelings and develop their language skills. Neelashi emphasised the importance of allowing students to work at their own pace and not focusing too much on perfectionism.

Enhancing Language Teaching for Children

The meeting focused on language teaching methods, particularly for teaching Hindi and English to children. Priyanka shared her experience learning the Ramayana and Mahabharata to children, emphasising the importance of connecting characters to natural elements and helping children understand and use vocabulary in everyday language. Neelashi emphasised the importance of teachers developing language skills beyond grammar, encompassing listening, speaking, reading and writing. The group also discussed the importance of libraries in schools and the need for teachers to share lesson plans and ideas with one another.

AI can make mistakes. Review for accuracy.

Learning Forward Saturday

 

Teacher Lesson Plans and Engagement

ACTION ITEMS ✨ Prepare 7–8 balls for next session's tunnel-ball game Neelashi M Finish Hindi lesson plan; send photo to group Finish Math lesson plan; send photo to group Schedule 10–15 min post-session plan review w/ teachers Minakshi Prasad (2) Take photos next week during games, math, playing cards Minakshi Prasad (2) MEETING PURPOSE To review teacher lesson plans and model engaging, activity-based learning. Key Takeaways Connect learning to life: Lessons must explicitly link concepts to real-world use cases (e.g., counting for shopping) to build student awareness and motivation. Prioritise active learning: Replace passive work with hands-on activities. The session modeled games for balance and shapes (pen-on-head walk) and teamwork (ball-in-tunnel). Rethink pre-primary exams: The group debated the value of exams for young children, who should instead be assessed through observation of their active participation. Finalise plans immediately: Teachers will use the post-meeting time to complete their lesson plans and share photos in the group chat for review. Topics Lesson Plan Review: Counting to 5 Objective: Teach students to count to 5. Problem: The initial plan lacked a clear, real-world connection for students. Solution: Explicitly link counting to daily life. Examples: Counting items for shopping, counting ingredients for cooking. Activities: Finger counting Jumping while counting Coloring 5 stones Drawing 5 objects (e.g., boats) Outcome: Students will identify and write numbers 1–5. Activity Modeling: Engaging Games Pen-on-Head Walk Activity: Walk backward while balancing a pen on the head. Learning: Balance, shapes, and flat vs. non-flat surfaces. Ball-in-Tunnel Game Activity: Two teams form lines. The first child runs around the ball, then the ball is passed between the legs of the team's "tunnel." Learning: Teamwork and coordination. Pre-Primary Exams Debate: The group discussed the value of exams for pre-primary students. Rationale for exams: A current system requirement. Counter-argument: Exams are inappropriate for young children; observation of active participation is a better assessment. Decision: The current system will be followed for now, but the group will explore alternatives. Next Steps Rahima: Finalize Hindi lesson plan → share photo in group chat. Lalita: Finalize Math lesson plan → share photo in group chat. All Teachers: Use the post-meeting time to complete plans. Minakshi: Take photos of students playing the new games next week.

Micromanagement in Teaching – A Closer Look at Lesson Planning

By Sudeshna Mairal | Jul 8, 2019 | teachersofindia.org

It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do, We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.  ~Steve Jobs

This adage doesn’t seem to be understood by many school managements in India. They hire good teachers, and then tie them up with so many instructions that the teachers lose their freedom, their unique style of teaching, and are eventually labelled as unsuccessful teachers. One of these instructions is about the planning of a lesson.

It has been a debatable issue for quite a long time that how much detailed planning is required for a teacher before he/she goes to a class; or whether it is required or not. If required, what all should they make? Annual plan?  Monthly plan? Weekly plan? Daily plan? - Commonly in India, teachers are required to prepare all of the above, and sometimes even more.

The entire content to be taught in an academic year is broken into monthly chunks. It is further divided week wise. Some private schools have a practice of sending a fortnightly overview to the parents in advance. In that case a fortnightly planner is also required to be prepared by the teachers. Then comes the daily plans and daily logs. As if that is not enough, teachers at some schools are expected to write down minute-wise details of the teaching-learning process that is going to happen in each class of 40-45 minutes duration. The planner is then to be submitted to the academic heads, and upon approval, has to be executed meticulously in the classrooms- if there are multiple section in a class, the teaching is expected to be exactly similar in all of them.

Sounds intimidating? Yes, for a teacher, it is. Though there is no denying the fact that proper planning is the first step towards a good execution; but the question is - how much detailed? And at what cost? Does it really benefit the students?
Let’s see how it really affects the classroom transaction.

1.    Teachers are so overwhelmed with documenting the details, they have practically no time or energy to work on the actual classroom transaction and hence, the result is exactly opposite of what was expected from them.
2.    Secondly, since the written document – the lesson plan or session plan, as it is called in some schools, are given the utmost importance by the management, some teachers put in a lot of effort to make it look impressive rather than putting in the same effort in the classroom. In some cases the focus shifts to ‘how to impress the higher authorities’ ; whereas it should have been ‘ How to help the students in a better way’.
3.    In an attempt to maintain parity across the sections of the same class, all the teachers are asked to follow the same planner that has been made by one particular section teacher or someone from a different branch of the same school. This kills the creativity, innovation and individuality of a teacher. Teachers work like robots and teaching-learning process becomes boring, monotonous and predictable.
4.    This kind of micromanagement pushes the teachers to an edge where they start losing self confidence. They do not feel respected and trusted anymore as they are not allowed to do what they are supposed to know better.
5.    To top it, in many private schools, lesson plans are made months in advance, which might lose its relevance when it is actually being taught.

In my opinion, its high time schools understand that a lesson plan is a teacher’s personal plan which he/she should be able customise as per the needs of the students. It can be of any format, as long as it solves the prime purpose of helping the students.  It is not the plan, but the actual classroom transaction that has to be looked into. The teacher should be given enough freedom to teach the students in his/her own individual way because that’s why a good teacher was hired in the first place – to make learning enjoyable and impactful.

Live it up!

“Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.” 
- Author Unknown 


From Power of Now to The Prize, all espouse the life at the present moment. The young live for the present moment, and this is the best possible gift. While the grown ups one plan for the future and hope to live it, the young feel yesterday is a bore and tomorrow may not come...this is the life and that is where the challenge lies.


All strategic plans and crystal ball gazing has no meaning, if this one life is not lived with fun and more so by making the most of it. We the mentors have a lot to learn from this and need to ensure that there is more learning with fun and this is the most essential element to help us connect with the young. There is only one life, and we need to live this in harmony and not in contradiction with the youth. 


The young have aspirations that must be lived today, and not be retained as dreams for tomorrow. The now generation as the youth are often labelled, affirms the belief that life is now, they want it all instant, from food to fun and to learning. Today is the best time, with a free flow of knowledge and a virtual world, we have to make the most and make now the best time of our lives.