My Good School, Sunday 30th March 2025

 

Sunday School # 182

At the Door-To-Door Bookstore, Carl is skeptical about the bookstore's ability to change lives, while  Schascha believes in the power of books to connect people. Their contrasting views create tension and an opportunity for growth.

1. How do Carl's and Schascha's perspectives on life shape their actions in this chapter?

   • Schascha is eager to fulfill her mission, while Carl remains indifferent. How do these differences influence their journey and their handling of delivering the book?

2. How does Schascha's determination contrast with Carl's reluctance?

   • Schascha is deeply invested in delivering the book, while Carl is uninterested. What does this say about their different attitudes toward purpose and responsibility?

3. What do the bookstore and book delivery mean to Carl at this point?

   • Carl seems detached from the bookstore and uninterested in Schascha's task. Why do you think he continues his job despite this lack of enthusiasm?

4. What might Carl learn from Schascha's dedication and belief in her mission?

   • Schascha is willing to go the extra mile for something she believes in. How could her attitude impact Carl's view of books, people, or even his choices?

5. How can having a strong sense of purpose, like Schascha's, help us overcome indifference or obstacles in life?

   • Have you ever been in a situation where someone else's passion or belief changed your perspective? How did it affect you?

Reflection questions based on the chapter "Altruism" from The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben:

1. What is altruism, and how do animals show it?

   • Can you imagine an example from the chapter where an animal helps another without expecting anything?

2. Why do you think animals help each other?

   • Do you believe animals have emotions like kindness and empathy, or is their behavior based on survival?

3. How does the chapter change your view of animals?

   • Did any story or example in the chapter surprise you? Why?

4. Can you think of a time when you helped someone selflessly?

   • How did it make you feel, and why is kindness important?

5. What can we learn from animals about kindness and cooperation?

   • How can we apply these lessons in our daily lives?

My Good School - March 30 Summary 

A vibrant Sunday School session featuring book readings, storytelling, and thought-provoking discussions with special guests! 

Key Takeaways

📖 Readings from "The Door-to-Door Bookstore" & "The Inner Life of Animals" 
🎙️ Special guests Umesh Vyas, Ajay Singh, & Chetan Khosla shared valuable insights!
📚 Emphasized reading, storytelling, & learning communities 
📢 Updates on the My Good School Retreat & weekly newsletter 

📖 Book Readings & Discussions

📚 "The Door-to-Door Bookstore"
🔹 Continued Chapter 2 – Carl & young Schascha’s heart-warming interaction 
🔹 Carl's unique way of naming customers after literary characters 

🐾 "The Inner Life of Animals"
🔹 Fascinating insights on altruism in animals – even bacteria & vampire bats! 
🔹 Debate: Are animals truly selfless or just evolutionarily wired? 
🔹Themes of altruism, free will, and books shaping lives 

🎙️ Guest Speaker Insights

🧮 Umesh Vyas - Revolutionizing Math Education
🔹 Introduced VIPS methods: Visualization, Investigation, Play and Storytelling. 
🔹 Emphasized storytelling, play, and discovery to make math engaging 
🔹 Open to collaboration for innovative math learning approaches 

📚 Ajay Singh - Importance of Reading Habits
🔹 Advocated for teachers as readers to inspire students 
🔹 Started a teacher reading club with plans for expansion 
🔹 Appreciated the learning atmosphere of Sunday School 

🧘 Chetan Khosla - Altruism & Selflessness
🔹 Shared insights from the Advaita tradition on true selflessness 
🔹 Believes selfishness vs. unselfishness stems from a false identity 
🔹 Found vampire bats' altruism fascinating! 
🔹 Encouraged storytelling as a leadership skill & more sharing opportunities 

🏫 My Good School Updates

🌳 Upcoming retreat at Arthur Foot Academy (April 11-14) 
📩 Growing readership of the Good Schools of India newsletter 
🎥 YouTube channel expanding storytelling & reflections 

✅ Next Steps

📅 Prepare for the April Retreat – excitement builds!
📖 Next Sunday School: Guru Nanak Stories 
🤝 Explore collaboration with Umesh Vyas for math education 
📝 Encourage reflections from participants for publication 

🌟 My Good School – Where Learning is Fun & Meaningful! 🌟 💡📚🎉

I am looking forward to our continued discussions. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need clarification. 

You can email your reflections to mk@learningforward.org.in or post them as comments below!

Humility Comic Strip - free-hand version

 We did this free hand!

To be humble, you don't have to do something big; small acts can say everything.

Comic Strip Team @ My Good School

Please meet the comic strip team for this month:  Rishona, Anvesha, Simar, Arav and Gaurangi. Thanks to all the interns, they have worked hard to create comic strips on Humility. 

Arushi Goswami, a teacher at Gyanshree School, is our guide for the project.

Lunch Time - Gaurangi Rastogi

In a boarding school, we have no lunchbox, but we have canteens there. That place was a place for showing affection, having fun, and interacting with teachers.

As the head chair of my table, I must make my juniors eat the food properly, ensuring discipline and no wastage of food. When I became the head chair for the first time, it was a tough job to make my juniors eat properly, Sometimes, they did not like the dish, or the taste was too bad.

Once I broke down, I was tired of the tantrums, but a senior made me realize that I was like them; when I was a junior. Today, I share and tell them that they eat little but everything! This lesson would be remembered all the time. 

Gaurangi Rastogi 

Grade-VII A 
The Doon Girls' School

The School Bell

Refections from the reading session on the 27th of March 2022. 
We are reading My Good School Where Passion Meets Education by Sandeep Dutt.
Published by Rupa Publications, available online and in Kindle format at bookstores.

You will definitely hear the school bell ring in your head whenever you lend your ear to it! The sound of the school bell has a certain amount of energy that makes the adrenaline flow, and we look forward to the next hour. 

The first bell of the day brings in great energy as enthusiastic young, and fresh minds come racing into the school gates. The day will see the entry and exit of fun and joy in the class, till the last bell that leaves the campus devoid of energy and seems like the sunset hour in midday.

Perhaps our first lessons in time management are rendered to us by this innocuous bell that may sound jarring at first but part of our growing years. A school period blocks time allocated for lessons, classes, or other school activities. They typically last between 40 and 60 minutes, with around 3-8 periods per school day. Educators determine the number and length of these periods and may even regulate how each period will be used. 

Managing time is really the first challenge for all of us at school; using the 40 odd minutes to ensure learning and capture the imagination is always the biggest challenge for teachers and students alike. 

Perhaps our first lessons in time management are rendered to us by this innocuous bell! 

The race against time, the need to complete the lesson plan, ensure good understanding and give the students the absolute joy of learning between two bells is not an easy task for even the best teachers. How best you use your limited time determines your effectiveness as a teacher or a mentor for a group of learners. There are thus crucial questions to be answered, keeping in mind that the next bell will ring soon- What do I do? When do I do it? How well do I do it?

Our life sets a limit of time, and this is indeed the wealth we often do not value in our quest for materials and the race to beat others to it. 

“...there will be sleeping enough in the grave....” by Benjamin Franklin. 

Hear the bell, find the energy, think for yourself and make a conscious decision about how best you will use your time. Remember the school bell and hear it always ring; let it not make life uncomfortable but instead help you enjoy every moment and be the master of your time. Time management alone will help you find yourself and live a joyous life.

The views expressed above are of Sandeep Dutt alone, and you are welcome to comment and share your thoughts with him by email to sd@ebd.in, please. For more about the author, please visit www.SandeepDutt.com.