A peek into the inner landscapes

"What is life when you are walking in the garden?" is what a teacher from Sunbeam School, Balia, and I were talking about in our recent Wisdom Mandli session on Saturday, when she used the word 'sukoon' in her response. When some cards kept appearing and disappearing on the screen, with questions that are felt but mostly not asked of each other in everyday conversation, I was asking myself: What interests me in the world now? What am I curious to find out- the chaos, the harmony and the functioning of everything around me. 

Sometimes, there is an assumption that learning sessions are online, and they seem slightly disorienting until you attend them with the intention of meeting and hearing the voices of educators and people sharing their conundrums in life and school. Take what speaks to you, and don't beat yourself up for everything that's beyond your head. 

Wisdom Mandli was a session that opened my curiosity about the mundane around me! I was aware of what I feel in the kitchen, in the garden, or under the stars (they are hardly visible now), but can I speak about just that to a fellow teacher? We live in different realities, but these are such universal feelings and experiences. We were just coming to a point in the discussion where we were brainstorming how we could bring wisdom to our children and still be able to teach our curriculum when it struck me- Isn't talking about it already a large part of why we would want our children to learn in the first place? We are surrounded by ecology and nature all the time, but we sometimes just bypass it and do not pause to wonder. These sessions with Wisdom Mandli by project Fuel are my gateway for this month to something larger than me, me, me. I'd like my students to tell me how they feel when they walk barefoot on the ground. I am curious about their observations. It is a peek into their inner landscapes, and these questions seem like a torch to go with. 

Neelashi Mangal is the Head of Training and Development at the Learning Forward India Foundation. You may wish to email her at NM@LearningForward.org.in

The SPECIAL Joy of Storytelling and Reading- Sunbeam School Lahartara

 

Sunbeam Lahartara by Manisha Khanna

Students at My Good School love storytelling and reading sessions because stories spark imagination, strengthen language skills, and make learning joyful. Reading plays an important role in education by building knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking. These sessions are truly SPECIAL as they nurture Self-confidence, Patience, Expression, Creativity, Imagination, Empathy, and Lifelong learning, which are essential qualities that help students grow into thoughtful, responsible, and well-rounded individuals.

कहानी, प्रकृति और सीख - सनबीम ग्रामीण स्कूल

आज के क्लास में हमने “My Family and Other Animals” के Chapter 2 “The Strawberry Pink Villa” के बारे में पढ़ा। यह किताब में वर्णित एक गुलाबी रंग का छोटा चकोर विला है, जो कोर्फू पर स्थित है। यहाँ रंगीन फूलों की बग़ीचे हैं। यह जंगली वनस्पतियों और एक अनोखे माहौल के लिए जाना जाता है और इसे परिवार के नए घर के रूप में वर्णित किया गया है।

प्रिया पाल (7th)

द रोज़ बीटल मैन का आशय है गुलाब के रंग वाला आदमी या गुलाब के भृंग बेचने वाला व्यक्ति। यह चरित्र जेराल्ड ड्यूरेल की किताब “My Family and Other Animals” का एक अजीबोगरीब पात्र है, जो अजीबोगरीब कपड़े पहनता है और बोलता नहीं, लेकिन बाँसुरी बजाता है तथा जानवरों को पालतू बनाकर उन्हें बेचता है। यह हमें जानवरों एवं प्रकृति को क़रीब से जानने एवं समझने का एक सुनहरा मौका देता है।

अंशिका वर्मा (7th)

आज के सेशन में जेराल्ड ड्यूरेल की पुस्तक “My Family and Other Animals” के पाठ “The Rose Beetle Man” के अंतर्गत जेराल्ड अपने कुत्ते के साथ रोज़ कोर्फू नामक गाँव में घूमने जाते हैं। वहाँ वह एक अजीबोगरीब व्यक्ति से मिलते हैं, जिसे वे रोज़ बीटल मैन कहते हैं। वह आदमी बाँसुरी बजाता है, अजीबोगरीब कपड़े पहनता है और उसके पास कई जानवर जैसे कछुआ, कबूतर आदि होते हैं। वह जानवरों को पालतू बनाता और उन्हें बेचने का काम करता था।

इससे हमें यह सीख मिलती है कि जानवरों की जिम्मेदारी लेना कितना ज़रूरी है। इससे प्रकृति और जीवों के प्रति संवेदनशीलता बढ़ती है। जानवरों के भी अपने अनुभव और भावनाएँ होती हैं। इससे जानवरों के प्रति दया भाव सीखने को मिलता है। प्रकृति और जीवन को प्यार, सम्मान और देखभाल की आवश्यकता होती है। साथ ही इससे जिम्मेदारी का भाव भी बढ़ता है। जब हम किसी जीव को अपने घर लाते हैं, तो उसकी सुरक्षा और देखभाल करना हमारी जिम्मेदारी होती है। जिज्ञासा एवं अवलोकन शक्ति बढ़ती है और प्रकृति को क़रीब से देखने व समझने का ज्ञान बढ़ता है। विविधता और विभिन्नता के प्रति प्रेम विकसित होता है।

गुलाबी, शिक्षिका,सनबीम ग्रामीण स्कूल

Memories, Stories, and Learning - Sunbeam School Ballia

Today, I attended a session of my Good School, and it was a pleasant and meaningful experience. Manisha ma’am read a beautiful story by Ruskin Bond about a station 🚉, which felt simple yet very touching.

She asked us thoughtful questions about remembering places and how some places create memories that stay with us forever 💭💗. We also had a small discussion about stamps 📨, through which I learned that even small things can hold stories and value.

The session was very nice and informative, and Manisha ma’am shared many good thoughts. Overall, I really enjoyed the session and learned something meaningful from it 🌼.

Ishika Singh, Class IX

In today’s session, firstly Mrs. Brinda Gosh ma’am read Chapter 2 of the story “My Family and the Other Animals”. It was such an interesting story, and ma’am also asked some questions related to the chapter.

This session was so amazing and knowledgeable, and we also learned many new things ✨.

In the next session, Mrs Manisha Khanna ma’am read the story about a station 🚉 from the Ruskin Bond book. After finishing the adventure chapter, we discussed some questions about reading with Mr. Jugiv Singh, sir and Mrs Manisha Khanna, ma’am. They gave us some tips on the topic.

Thank you ☺️

Talat Bano

Turning Stories into Strength - Sunbeam School, Ballia

Reflections from My Good School on the 4th of January 2026

Today's Good Schools Alliance session was exciting and enjoyable. Jugiv sir read stories that helped us learn about Japanese culture 🇯🇵 and essential life skills. Before the session with Manisha ma'am began, she conducted a brief quiz on the New Year and reading habits, which prompted me to reflect on how I want to improve myself in 2026. We also listened to stories by Ruskin Bond, which were simple, meaningful, and inspiring. Overall, the session motivated me to read more, learn new things, and develop good habits.

Ishika Singh, Class IX

Today's session was engaging, meaningful, and informative. It helped me understand the importance of reading, positive thinking, and good values. During the session, we listened to a book reading that inspired me to believe that books can guide us and help us grow in life. The reading was engaging and made the session more enjoyable. 

Overall, today's Good School session motivated me to read more books, learn new things, and become a better and more confident student. 

Aadhya Gupta, Class V

In today's Hindi book-reading session, Manisha ma'am presented a short yet interesting set of questions that focused on the real benefits of reading and reflection. While answering these questions, I came to understand the importance of reflection and the valuable skills it cultivates. Subsequently, we read a short story about a girl who made the winning catch at the end of a cricket match. The story highlighted essential lessons, including time management and the importance of providing equal opportunities to everyone.

Additionally, Jugjiv sir explained that we should believe in ourselves and always try to do our best rather than worrying too much about the outcome. He emphasised that our actions and efforts matter more than the outcome. While talking about luck, he quoted a beautiful saying by a golf player: *"The harder I practice, the luckier I get."* This taught me that luck supports us when we are willing to put in sincere hard work.

Akanksha Rai, Class IX

The Importance of Reading in a Student’s Life - Sunbeam School Ballia

Jai Hind all,

The discussion on the book My Family and Other Animals helped me understand how reading can deepen our understanding of nature, family relationships, and human emotions. Through the session, I realised that books are not only helpful for academic learning but also play an essential role in shaping our thoughts and feelings.

The session encouraged me to read more carefully and reflect on the messages embedded in stories. Overall, the reading session was enjoyable and informative, and it helped me understand the true importance of reading in a student’s life.

Deenshah
IX
Sunbeam School Ballia

Reflections on Today's Sunday Session

At the beginning of the session, Kartik Sir taught us two important aspects of book writing through examples and small tasks: creating the mood of a story and describing a person without actually naming them. Later, Brinda Ma’am introduced a new chapter from the new book, which was based entirely on these two concepts. It served as a perfect example of what we had just learned. Through this session, I learnt new things, new words, and new ways of writing. Along with them, Jugjiv Sir, Vikram Sir, Minakshi Ma’am, and Manisha Ma’am all contributed to making the session smooth and engaging.

Akanksha Rai
9th ‘C’
Sunbeam School Ballia