🕰️“Just a Little Late…”- Manisha Khanna

 A Thought for Tardy & Tidsoptimist

Meet Rhea — super smart, full of ideas. But always late to class, to submissions, to life. Her favourite line? "I'll do it after lunch." Lunch becomes dinner. The work? Still pending.

Then there’s Kabir — our classic Tidsoptimist. He thinks every task will take "just 15 minutes." He plans nothing… until the night before. Then he pulls all-nighters and barely scrapes through.

Both are talented. Both are capable.But one day, their teacher says:

"This assignment goes directly to the school head. Only the most reliable students will be chosen."

Neither of them is called.

Why? Being late, even with talent, can lead to a loss of trust.

🗝️ The Reality Check:

🚀 Dreams need a launch time.

⏰ Vision needs a calendar.

💼 And success? It needs you to show up before the deadline, not with it.

So next time you say “There’s still time…”

Ask yourself:

“Time… for what?”

To build trust? Or to explain why you’re late again?

🧠 Pause & Think:

Are we becoming so used to “last minute” that we’re missing the bigger picture?

Deadlines in school are just practice — in real life, missed work = missed opportunities.

So next time, ask yourself:

"Am I doing justice to my future — or just surviving another deadline?"

Map of Success & The Last Lap : Masterclass Saturday March 29 , 2025

Chapter 20, Map of Success and Chapter 21, The Last Lap: Shomie Das The Man Who Saw Tomorrow by Naga Tummala

Q1. Failures are the stepping stones on the road to success. Instead of fearing failure, how can we help students develop a growth mindset where setbacks are seen as valuable learning experiences rather than obstacles? 

Q2. Success is not just about intelligence or talent but about the ability to take risks and adapt. How can we encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, take calculated risks, and embrace new growth opportunities?

Q3. "Thank God I Was a Backbencher." The author reflects on how not following the conventional path led to unexpected opportunities. How can we, as educators, identify and nurture the potential of students who may not excel in traditional academic settings?

Q4. "The choice of place shapes our journey." The author highlights how location and environment influence success in The Man Who Saw Tomorrow. As educators, how has your conscious decision to participate in this book reading session contributed to your growth and impact as a teacher? How can the insights gained from this discussion further benefit your students?

The Last Lap 

Looking back, that was the only way this story could have been taken ahead further. Shomie’s journey from Sanawar to Dehradun to take charge as headmaster of Doon School was not only one of pride; it would also lead to his fullest development as an educator with a vision. His stint at Doon would also toughen him up as a person, making him uncompromisingly tenacious when needed. The beneficiary, needless to say, would be Oakridge. 

With this the biography section of the book closes and we are set to read the closing section Back To The Future.

Freedom and Peace - Jaspreet Kaur

Freedom means we can do anything according to our abilities and inner potential. There are numerous instances where I felt that my potential was not encouraged during my school period. Here I would like to write about 3 Instances as a student where I felt that more freedom at my disposal would be allowed me to realize my potential in a better way: - 

1st Instance- During my school Sports Meet, my teachers always selected a few students who were their favourites in various games. They never gave me a chance to explore my skills in badminton. Although I played with my friends and brother in the evening and always won, my sports teacher never gave me a chance to show my talent in school. My parents also requested them, but they always ignored their pleas. I still think I might be a good player if my teacher showed trust in me and if they gave me the freedom to play on the ground. I knew many of my friends too, who were very good and never got a chance to play at State or National level.

2nd Instance- I was not very good at Art as my art teacher never encouraged my artistic skills. It is the moral duty of every teacher to give equal chances to every student, whether they have some incapabilities. Real teachers always teach from the heart, not from any book. Whenever I did something wrong in my drawing book, my teacher scolded me and said, “Never try to do art; you can’t do it”. Gradually, I lost interest and still couldn’t draw anything confidently.

3rd Instance- As a student, I always hesitated while speaking in mike as my teachers never motivated me to speak in morning assemblies or functions. Mostly they have chosen monitors of the class or some favourite learners.  Today’s scenario has totally changed. Now teachers give a chance to each and every student. They give freedom to everyone to explore their hidden potential. In our school, we also give the whole class chances and help them be confident. We are promoting SDG goal number 4, Quality Education.

Causes people to give us peace and adopt violence: -

Peace is a situation or period in which there is no war or violence in a country or area. There are numerous reasons that people adopt violence and give up peace. The primary reason for the violence is now people have less patience than before. Young people can’t tolerate any suggestion given by their parents.

The next reason is work pressure and frustration; when people feel overburdened, they adopt violent methods. Moreover, disagreements in opinions also play a vital role in adopting violence and giving us peace. Teachers play a crucial role in the classrooms and in society. When there is any conflict between students, teachers must counsel them by giving real-life examples where small conflicts lead to violence. In this way, they can understand the significance of peace in society. Teachers must share meaningful folktales related to freedom and peace in the classrooms. During Assemblies, teachers can share keywords and names of persons who receive Nobel peace prizes. The biographies can be shared, for instance – The biography of Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. Teachers must connect some lessons with peace. In our school, we connect our lessons with SDGs. We are promoting SDG goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institution.

Jaspreet Kaur 

Kamla Nehru Public School, Punjab

Are We Inherently Musical?: the Sonority of the Soul - Saskia Rao-de Haas

I am always surprised when people think that they are not musical. Consider the following thoughts with me. Nada Brahma, sound is creation, is written in the ancient Vedas. ‘First there was the word’ is written in the Bible. In science we talk about ‘the big bang’ as the start of the universe. Everything produces sound and is born from sound. Even the universe we live in is born from sound. This being the truth, can we still say that we are not musical beings? We have to understand that every living being is indeed musical. If we didnot possess an inborn sense of rhythm, our hearts would not beat in a perfect rhythm. We literally have strings in our throat, our vocal chords that vibrate to create sound: our voice. If we would not have a sense of melody, our voices would be monotone like a robot. We all have a sense of melody and rhythm and most of us have direct access to these inborn instruments!

 

When this inborn talent is cultivated and nurtured, we can create and appreciate music. This is where music education starts; the acknowledgement that we are ALL musical beings.  There is not a single culture known in the world that does not have its own form of music. Music for prayer and mindfulness. Music for community gatherings in song and dance. Music is everywhere around us, but we often do not make full use of its  power. Music in its most restrictive way is seen only as entertainment and part of the ‘entertainment industry’. In this scenario, music is approached only as a ‘performing art’. It is this limited and limiting approach to music that has clouded the minds of politicians, educators, parents and schools on what the role of music could be in education.  It is this attitude that immediately dismisses the importance music education can play in the overall development of children. 

 

This attitude also divides children and later adults as ‘talented’ and ‘non talented’. I have met innumerable adults who think that they are ‘just not talented’ in music. Why? Because someone has told them when they were young that they ‘could not sing’, ‘had no talent in instrument playing’ or were met with indifference of teachers towards music education. Thisperceived lack in talent is seen as a good enough reason not to pursue any form of music education, which has deprived them of countless invaluable lessons that music education can teach. If we were to pursue the same argument, then other subjects like mathematics or science should be ignored by most children too! Discipline, academic skills, social skills, fine motor skills, reading skills, language skills, leadership skills--the list is endless. This is one of the reasons that we created Sangeet4All Music Education Framework. A music program that honours our inborn musicality and makes use of it in education. I will share more insights about the role music and music education can play for the entire school community in the next weeks.

- Vidushi Saskia Rao de Haas 

A world-renowned cellist, composer and music educationalist from the Netherlands. Her Guru Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia said that she has been taught by God, and everyone should listen to her music. The New York Times describes her music as ‘Movingly Meditative’. She is the creator of the Sangeet4All Music Framework, India’s own complete music program for children.

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning” - Plato

Find out more

https://goodschools.in/music-program.

Lissette Rojas "I am passionate about Education...

Learning Forward Podcast, Saturday 6th Feb 2021.

Founder of Trix and Trax: The Super Hero Talent Program “Peer to Peer learning” Making Learning a great experience Discover and Develop Talent Trough Live Events - Content Creation - Social Media. Social Entrepreneur. Passionate Life Skills Developer through Talent Nurturing. HundrED.org Country Lead, Global Innovator Ambassador & Youth Academy

Episode #63: Sandeep Dutt in conversation with Lissette Rojas from Venezuela, a Country Lead and Ambassador of Hundred. She is skilled at discovering and mentoring top multicultural talent; instilling a success; and creating leaders, not followers. Lissette is the co-founder and CEO of Trix and Trax, an educational program that encourages students to discover and develop their talents. A lawyer by training, with a MIB degree from the University of Wollongong in Australia, she has won multiple awards as TV creator, entrepreneur, and educator. Today, she spends her time implementing Trix and Trax's, “Superhero Talent Program: Peer Learning and Role Playing”, in Venezuela and elsewhere. She's a passionate believer in talent nurturing through fun and creative experiences that ultimately lead to building self-confidence, and long-lasting relationships with students who are encouraged to dream big. Activities such as Trix and Trax are essential to encourage the development of talent in arts, music, and sports and teach values that are important to our educational institution such as creativity, leadership, teamwork, and self-confidence. 

You will love the stories shared by our happy teachers and passionate educators. We grow your people's capacity to improve student achievement and transform your school into a culture of trust and collaboration in less time with fewer resources. Each person in your school contributes to the culture of your school. School culture is built on the actions and interactions of the people. You make your school stronger by adding value to others and making others feel valued. 

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/learningforward/support

If you would like to feature on the Learning Forward Podcast, share your story by email with Sandeep Dutt LF@ebd.in

Pause and think what schools need to do - RP Devgan

As we step into a new decade we need to pause and think what Schools need to do for the Students and Educators. Having been in touch with Students and Educators for over 50 years, in India and abroad, I feel it is time to change our approach to learning.

With the knowledge available on the Internet and educational portals, Schools need to change. Schools must pay attention to the growing up of children and help in building their character. Students need to be guided to have the right values and hone their talents in Music, Art, Science and Sports.

Unfortunately most Schools today are more concerned about their Rankings and results. It's no longer about the Students it's about the Management and the Principal. Extra classes and tuitions are the banes of education today. We are depriving children of their childhood. Students seem to be the last things on the mind of most Managements. No one seems to be concerned about the average and weak students.

Instead of grooming students into becoming versatile, kind humans Schools make them bookish and discourage them from taking part in what the love doing whether it be Music Art or Sports. It disheartens me to see that some Schools encourage students not to read for pleasure, play or pursue activities which will bring them joy and solace later in life. We need children who can empathize, are compassionate, considerate, kind, tolerant and care for others.

If Schools do not give value for money and not live up to the expectations of the parents I feel in years to come there may be a major change. Home Schooling gradually becoming popular in America and Europe can become an alternative in India. Schooling at home not complete, but for certain numbers of years until the children have a sound value system and have developed their talents. The International School I was Head of in Bali, Indonesia would get homeschooled children in their early teens. These kids fitted in well and went on to excel. One of the reasons for home Schooling abroad is an expensive education.

I feel it's about time our Schools come back to what they stood for that is to help children nurture their talents and inculcate the right values. Children at the time of graduating from School should be confident, versatile and should be able to distinguish very clearly between what is right and what is wrong.

RP Devgan
Chairman Learning Forward India
With near five decades of experience as an Educationist and having served as a School Leader for schools in India and overseas, Mr Devgan brings in rich experience as an administrator, sports person and champion for teachers.