Good Schools of India #51

Good Schools of India by Sandeep Dutt

Joy of Learning Weekly #51

Read on Substack

The Way and Awakening

Personal and social development for every individual.

Our Programs and how to start?

1. My Good School on Sundays is open to middle school students and teachers of GSA Member Schools #MyGoodSchool. Schools and partners who join the Good Schools Alliance get open access to My Good School.
2. Learning Forward Saturday is for GSA Member schools that sign up and is open to the Whole Faculty Study Group - all teachers of the Member School are most welcome #HappyTeachers.
3. Masterclass on Saturday is for individuals and is limited to 25 passionate educators.
4. Friday @ EBD is free and Open To All, appreciation of literature, art and culture #JoyOfGiving.
5. Thoughtfully Thursday focuses exclusively on Read And Lead and is open to all.
6. My Good School Retreat for GSA Member Schools #JoyOfLearning.
7. Learning Forward Retreat at Fig Tree Cottage - book for a group of five and spend two nights at Dehradun #BrewingKnowledge.

We offer a customised learning experience for every individual #JoyOfLearning.

Learning Forward India Foundation

Founded by Sandeep Dutt of The English Book Depot #BrewingKnowledge, the Foundation aims to reshape school culture by fostering trust, curiosity, and collaboration among stakeholders.

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Stress Impact on Children’s Learning & First-Generation Learners

The Courage to be Happy - an introduction

Learning Forward Saturday

To introduce the Staff Leadership Development Program and its core philosophy. Reading from the book Wanted Back-Bencher & Last-Ranker Teacher by Kavita Ghosh.

Learning Through Stories: Small Efforts, Big Impact- Lotus Petal Foundation

It was very engaging storytelling, and using narratives is a potent communication tool, no matter what you want to communicate.

My Good School, The Teachers Academy and much more in our complete edition on Substack, only at www.GSI.in

Wear your Eductor Badge with pride.
Available from The English Book Depot

Why We Return to Teachers

 

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

To introduce the book The Courage to be Happy by Ishiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, and its core themes.

Key Takeaways

• New Book Study: The group is starting The Courage to be Happy, the sequel to The Courage to be Disliked, to explore Alfred Adler’s psychology of happiness.

• Book’s Premise: The book opens with a teacher (Harshita) who, after three years, is disillusioned with Adler’s ideas, finding them impractical in the real world.

• Core Conflict: The teacher’s main struggle is with Adler’s “no praise, no rebuke” principle, which she feels led to an unruly class and forced her to revert to traditional discipline.

• Central Theme: The philosopher’s response is that the teacher’s problem stems from a misunderstanding of Adler’s concept of “love,” which is presented as the ultimate test of courage.

Topics

Book Introduction: The Courage to be Happy

• Context: The sequel to The Courage to be Disliked, this book continues the dialogue between a Philosopher (Sandeep Dutt) and a Youth (Harshita Dalawat).

• Goal: To find “true contentment” by exploring Adler’s psychology, which the book’s authors claim was 100 years ahead of its time.

• Key Adlerian Concepts from Book 1:

  • All problems are interpersonal.

  • Freedom is being disliked.

  • Happiness is a choice in the “here and now.”

The Teacher’s Dilemma

• The Youth (Harshita): Now a teacher, she is disillusioned with Adler’s ideas after three years of trying to apply them in a classroom.

• Core Problem: The “no praise, no rebuke” principle, which she followed faithfully, resulted in an “unruly class.”

• Result: She felt forced to abandon Adler’s methods and revert to traditional discipline (rebuke, punishment), viewing Adler’s philosophy as “quackery” and “empty idealism.”

The Philosopher’s Response

• Adler’s Ideas as a Prescription: The philosopher compares Adler’s ideas to “eyeglass lenses”—a tool that can broaden vision for some but may not be a universal fit.

• The “Stairway of Understanding”: The philosopher argues that the teacher has not yet found the correct path to understanding Adler.

• The “Biggest Choice in Life”: The philosopher identifies the teacher’s core issue as a failure to make this choice, which is defined as “love.”

  • Adler’s “Love”: Not a simple emotion, but “the harshest and most courage-testing task of all.”

  • Happiness as a Journey: It requires continuous effort, not a magical, one-time event.

Discussion: Why We Return to Teachers

• Initial Responses: Participants cited reasons like clearing doubts, seeking advice, or sharing success.

• Philosopher’s Correction: These are secondary reasons. The primary, unspoken motivation is “love.”

  • Rationale: Love is the pure, powerful bond that attracts students to a true teacher, distinguishing it from a transactional relationship with a tutor.

  • Connection to Adler: This bond of love is the fundamental principle of Adler’s philosophy.

Next Steps

• All Participants:

  • Read The Courage to be Happy for the next session.

  • Reflect on the concept of “love” in the teacher-student relationship.

• Diana L Kahmei:

  • Recruit a teacher to join the Masterclass.

• Minakshi Prasad:

  • Confirm Sunday meeting details with Vikram.