Memorable Letter To A Schoolteacher - Book Extract

Here is the extraordinary letter that JRD Tata wrote to K.C. Bhansali, an educationist who lived in Howrah, on 13 September 1965:

Dear Mr Bhansali,

I thank you for your letter of the 6tof h August, enquiring what have been the guiding principles which have kindled my path and my career. I do not consider myself to be an 'illustrious personality, but only an ordinary businessman and citizen who has tried to make the best of his opportunities to advance the cause of India's industrial and economic development.

Any such guiding principles I might unconsciously have had in my life can be summarized as follows:

That nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without deep thought and hard work;

That one must think for oneself and never accept at their face value slogans and catch phrases to which, unfortunately, our people are too easily susceptible;

That one must forever strive for excellence, or even perfection, in any task however small, and never be satisfied with the second best;

That no success or achievement in material terms is worthwhile, unless it serves the needs or interests of the country and its people, and is achieved by fair and honest means;

That good human relations not only bring great personal rewards but are essential to the success of an enterprise.

Yours sincerely,

J.R.D. Tata

"I think this extraordinary letter, and the principles it sets forth, withstand the test of time." Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian Tata Companies and author of the book #Tata Stories

Shared with students and teachers at My Good School to help them understand the meaning of a good life and how we need to look at values and ethics in the world and aspire to make it a better place. We have contacted Mr Harish Bhat and hope to hear from him soon.

Honesty and Respect - Manisha Deora

Honesty is not just about telling the truth, it's about being real with yourself and others about who you are, what you want and what you need to live your most authentic life. Honesty promotes openness, empowers us and enables us to develop consistency in how we present the facts. Honesty sharpens our perception and allows us to observe everything around us with clarity. Honesty has its advantages and disadvantages. This is normal. It is like the fact that if white exists; black must also exist in order to contrast. The good thing about being honest is that people keep their ideals and show who they are. They do not lie because of the fear of being judged. The disadvantage of being honest is that it will hurt others and that it might break up relations. Sometimes, people do not want to hear the truth and they get upset with the person that is telling them the truth.

Honesty is the main reason to trust a person. It is the instrument to talk with the truth and win other’s trust. A person that has won its friend's trust, is a person that is honest. The society, as well as its family members, will have confidence and feel that they can rely on the person.

Most people go through life and always hear about the word respect, but they don't know what it means. Respect is the esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person. There are things in life you need to hold in respect. Respect for yourself, respect for others and respect for property. Being respected by important people in our lives teaches us how to be respectful toward others.

Respect means that you accept somebody for who they are, even when they’re different from you or you don’t agree with them. Respect in your relationships builds feelings of trust, safety, and well being. It is essential to feel safe, to be able to express ourselves without fear of being judged, humiliated or discriminated against. Being respectful of others, being respected and respecting ourselves increases our self-esteem, self-efficacy, mental health, and well-being.

One of the best ways of showing respect to others is listening. Listening to another person's point of view is an excellent way of respect. We must allow a person to express his views even if we disagree with them. Another important aspect of respecting others is religious or political views.

Manisha Deora
The Fabindia School

Honesty and Respect - Shivani Rao

Honesty means having the courage to speak the truth. An honest person is always respectable and admirable in society. A person with honest behaviour is always appreciated by all. For one to build the character of honesty entirely depends on his/ her family values and ethics of his/ her surroundings. Being honest never means to bear the bad habit of others or bear ill-treated activities.

Honesty is built slowly and patiently first at home and then at school. Home and school are the best place for children to develop their attitudes. An honest person shows good behaviour, always follows rules and regulation, maintains discipline, speaks the truth and is always punctual. An honest person is trustworthy and loyal. Honesty involves the courage to stand against wrong. Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.

You must have seen in the classroom during examinations that many students seem to cheat because of fear of failure in exams. Some students, being honest, inform their teachers about their friend's wrong actions without thinking that their relations with their friends can be jeopardized.

What is respect? Do we need to earn it or we get it by birth? Respect is something that is the result of your good actions. Respect must be shown to the people who impact our lives. One of the best ways of showing respect is by listening carefully to the person even if you do not agree with their points. Respect is a two-way street- Whatever you give, you will get back. It consists of trust, support, safety, cooperation and accountability.

Ways of showing respect

Respect for elders: When you listen and obey them 

Respect for the environment: when you take care of them.

Respect for your equipment: When you value your equipment.

Respect for other efforts: When you appreciate them

Respect for animals: When you feel their pain.

Self Respect: When you believe in yourself even when the world is against you.

Honesty and Respect are directly interlinked with each other. If you are an honest person, people will respect you. They will appreciate you for your honesty. If you are respectful in society, people will be honest with you.

The connection is not built for pleasing people. It happens when you are honest with someone and they respect you for what you are.

Now the question is how these values can be developed in our child? And the answer is 

-open discussion in classrooms. 

-Debates on topics related to honesty and respect.  

-Storytelling on topics by students.

-Solving case studies. 

-Asking them their real-life story when they had been honest and in return they got respect.

Youths are the future of any country so they should be given better opportunities to develop moral character so that they can lead the country in a better way. First and foremost priority is, to be honest with yourself and respect yourself then only you can spread these values.

Shivani Rao

The Fabindia School

कक्षा में गतिशीलता, रचनात्मकता और अभिव्यक्ति की आज़ादी होनी चाहिए

आज सारी दुनिया के सामने परिवार को बाँधे रखना सबसे बड़ा प्रश्न है। लोग एक-दूसरे को समझने के बजाय अहं और भौतिकता का शिकार होकर प्रगति की दौड़ में अंधाधुंध भागे जा रहे हैं और पारिवारिक मूल्य पीछे छूटते जा रहे हैं। माता-पिता की इन महत्वाकांक्षाओं के टकराव से परिवार टूट रहे हैं, बिखर रहे हैं। इस बिखराव का सबसे ज्यादा प्रभाव बच्चों पर पड़ता है। वे स्वयं को उपेक्षित महसूस करने लगते हैं। उनका ध्यान शिक्षा से हट जाता है और वे दूसरों को आकर्षित करने के लिए असामान्य व्यवहार करने लगते हैं। इन टूटे परिवारों के बच्चे जब विद्यालय में आते हैं, तो वहाँ वे प्रेम और सहानुभूति खोजते हैं। वे कक्षा में अन्य छात्रों के साथ सामंजस्य स्थापित नहीं कर पाते।

उनके असामान्य व्यवहार का नकारात्मक असर अन्य छात्रों पर पड़ता है। ऐसे में एक शिक्षक की भूमिका और अधिक महत्वपूर्ण हो जाती है। विद्यालय बच्चे का दूसरा घर है। जहाँ वह अपने घर के बाद अधिकाँश समय बीतता है। इसलिए शिक्षक को चाहिए कि वह छात्र के लिए उपयुक्त वातावरण बनाए और मनोवैज्ञानिक ढंग से उससे बात करे। उसे भावनात्मक संबल दें, उसके दिल में जगह बनाए। ताकि वह अपनी बात खुलकर कह सके। जब शिक्षक और छात्र सहज होकर बात करेंगे, तभी इस समस्या का निदान हो सकेगा। इसके लिए धैर्य, समर्पण और कुशलता की आवश्यकता है। कक्षा में गतिशीलता, रचनात्मकता और अभिव्यक्ति की आज़ादी होनी चाहिए। छात्र स्वयं करके सीखे। उसकी प्रतिभा का उचित प्रदर्शन और आकलन हो। जिससे वे खुशहाल और प्रतिभासम्पन्न  होकर अपना भविष्य उज्जवल बनाए।

-Caring Icons, The Iconic School Bhopal

Ishu Chouhan: FRIENDSHIP

Friendship as the word is used many times but do we actually know the meaning of friendship. The first thing when we join our school and strikes our mind is how we will make friends? Will they be good to us or will they cheat us, help us put us more in trouble?

I would like to tell you that what friendship actually means? As nowadays we are reading memes on social media regarding friendship, relations etc. We are almost clear with the word friendship. But what about a small kid. He/she doesn’t know how to make a friend and to whom. So for a child, they enjoy the company who plays with them he/she shares the stuff. Generally, it is only the people of the same age, character and background, mentality, etc., who can understand him/her and understand his problems. Friends are needed for support and for sharing. Friendship is an elixir which is essential for a happy life. Besides being a companion for activities, the best of friends also need to provide emotional support. This is often where friends and best friends divide. As you get to know someone, you want to know if they have the same values as you. 

                                                                                                               -Ishu Chauhan