My Good School, Sunday 23rd March 2025

Sunday School # 181

In Chapter 2 of The Door-To-Door Bookstore, Carl is sceptical 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.

Reflection Questions-

1. How might Carl's and Schascha's perspectives on life influence their future actions in the story?

   - Carl and Schascha have different outlooks on life. How do these differences shape their journey as the story progresses?

 

2. How does Schascha's attitude differ from Carl's?

   - Reflect on Schascha's optimism and excitement. How does she see the bookstore's role differently from Carl?

 

3. What role do you think books play in Carl's life?

   - Carl seems disconnected from the bookstore. What do books mean to him, and why might he distribute them?

 

4. What do you think Carl learns from Schascha's perspective on books and life, and how might that impact his view of the world?

Schascha is full of energy and belief in the bookstore. How can a positive attitude like hers influence how we see challenges in life?

Can you think of a situation where staying positive helped you overcome something difficult? How did it make a difference?

In chapter 20 of The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben, "Shame and Regret," the author delves into animals' emotional experiences, exploring how they might experience feelings of shame and regret. Wohlleben draws on scientific studies and observations to suggest that animals, much like humans, can feel embarrassed when they fail to meet certain expectations or make mistakes. This chapter challenges the common belief that animals only act based on instincts, showing that they can have complex emotions, too.

Reflection Questions:

 

1. Do you believe animals can feel shame or regret? Why or why not?

   - Think about your own experiences with emotions like shame or regret. Do you think animals could similarly experience these feelings?

 

2. How does the idea that animals can feel emotions like shame challenge your previous understanding of animals?

   - Have you ever considered that animals might experience emotions beyond basic instincts? How does this chapter change your view?

 

3. Why is it important to recognise that animals might experience emotions like shame and regret?

   - How could understanding animals' emotions change the way we treat them or view their behaviour?

 

4. Can you think of a time when you felt regret or shame and how it affected you?

   - Reflecting on your own experiences, how do these emotions influence your actions or decisions? Can you imagine animals having similar emotional experiences?

Key Takeaways:

• Book Discussion: We discussed The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn, focusing on the protagonist, Carl, and his passion for books and unique way of viewing the world. We explored themes of loneliness, routine, and meaning and discussed how literary references are woven into the narrative, mainly through Karl's interactions with 9-year-old Schascha.

• Reading vs. Watching TV: We highlighted the cognitive benefits of reading over watching TV. Reading encourages imagination, enhances attention span, and fosters critical thinking. In contrast, TV viewing often leads to multitasking and shorter attention spans.

• Animal Emotions and Cognition: We examined research that shows animals, including mice, pigs, and dogs, display complex emotions like empathy, fairness, and even regret. This challenges traditional assumptions about animal cognition and emotions. Mirror neurons in animals allow them to "feel" others' feelings, and early exposure to empathy strengthens these neural pathways.

• Fairness and Regret in Animals: Experiments revealed that dogs, ravens, and rats show a strong sense of fairness, while rats exhibit regret-like behaviours when making poor choices. These findings challenge previous views on animal emotions and cognition.

1. Next Week's Session: Lina Ashar will host her second YES Workshop on education for the future. Please check out the video recording of her last session on February 23rd, 2025: https://youtu.be/RsKdSpxSCek?si=Z0bTE5TrJnIci7eZ.

2. Reading Progress: Jugjiv Sir will complete the current book chapter by next week. 

Upcoming Retreat: We will read My Good School Where Passion Meets Education at the forthcoming Retreat and gift all participants one copy of the My Good School Record book. 

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!

Recording of My Good School hosted on Sunday, the 23rd of March 2025.

Manisha Khanna
GSA Ambassador

Sunbeam School Reflections - 1st December 2024

Cinnamon’s journey of self-discovery is one of growth and resilience, shaped by moments of doubt, struggle, and revelation. At first, he felt lost, unsure of who he was or where he belonged. Each challenge he faced—whether external or internal—pushed him to dig deeper, to confront fears and insecurities he had long ignored.  

There were moments of heartbreak but also joy as Cinnamon began to understand his true self. He learned to embrace his imperfections, find strength in vulnerability, and see obstacles not as barriers but as opportunities to grow.  

By the end of his journey, Cinnamon wasn’t just someone who had found answers—he had found peace in the questions. His story is a reminder that self-discovery is messy and beautiful.

Simrat Kaur 
9th 
Sunbeam English School Bhagwanpur 

Self-realization - Rishona Chopra

Do you know yourself?
When we are asked about our weaknesses and strengths, don't we take quite a long time to understand ourselves? We try so hard to understand others but do we honestly appreciate ourselves? 
The human brain is full of complexities and thoughts that we, too, fail to understand. We need to understand our passion, our capability and to what extent can we reach.

I was asked who I was,
And there was a pause,
A long stretch of silence,
I was thinking as if it was science.
I realised I fail to understand who I am,
Did I have the ability to pass a challenging exam?
I needed to understand by ability,
Years pass by,
I still don't appreciate my being.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Friendship - Vinisha Choudhary

Friendship is one of the most precious gifts of life. It is a relationship between people. It is the purest and divine relationship among all other relations. Friends support you in life, not only in the happy times but also in your hard times. 

True friendship is what gives us reason to stay firmer and happy in life. Many people don't have a family, but they have family friends to them. In a good friendship honesty and loyalty plays a very important role. Having a best friend in life is a blessing that doubles your joy and divides your pain. Friends never leave up in bad times. 

We learn how to understand people and trust others. A real friend will always motivate you and cheer for you. When we make friends on the first day of school, we become delighted, but when we all get far from our friends, we miss them a lot. Whether they made fun of us and whether they helped us in our bad times.

TRUE FRIENDS ARE NEVER APART, MAYBE IN DISTANCE BUT NEVER IN HEART 

Vinisha Choudhary

Class: 11th Science

The Fabindia School

Friendship - Priyanshu Adha

Today I will share what friendship means to me. Friendship is a small word, but it has the whole world in itself only. That’s why this relationship must be pure, and the whole relationship is based on simply trust. It is the most precious gift of life. Friends are those who help you, enjoy with you, understand you. We know many people in our life, but not all are friends. Friendship is the most valuable relationship in the life of a person.

Real friendship is the relationship of two or more trusting each other and not expecting anything in return. Friendship is the way of being lovable and trust each other. We must preserve it throughout our lifetime.

Priyanshu Adha

Class VII B

The Fabindia School