Showing posts with label schooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schooling. Show all posts

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Meet and Greet with Kartik Bajoria

Play on YouTube
My Good School, 16th June 2025
Karthik's Passion and Mental Wellness

The meeting began with introductions and a discussion about last week's activities. Karthik, a guest speaker, was introduced and shared his background, including his work in advertising, film, and television, as well as his transition to teaching and his mental wellness initiative, Driveway Devi. The group watched a TED Talk by Karthik from 2016, which discussed finding one's passion and following it. The session concluded with plans to engage in a Q&A session after the talk.

Embracing Uniqueness and True Passions

Kartik shared three pivotal moments in his life where he learned to embrace his uniqueness and passions. At boarding school, he initially felt out of place but found his true self through music, winning a competition and gaining the acceptance of his peers. He later realised his mismatch with a business-focused college course and switched to English honours, finding fulfilment in writing. Despite a successful career in media, he ultimately discovered his true calling in teaching and writing, moving back to Jaipur to pursue these passions.

Embracing Passions and Unique Paths

Jugjiv discussed the importance of embracing one's uniqueness and passions to lead a fulfilling life, urging others to acknowledge and take pride in their natural leanings. Kartik shared insights on pursuing passions despite parental concerns, highlighting the changing landscape of careers and the role of technology in democratising talent exposure. He advised seeking unbiased feedback and maintaining realistic expectations about one's goals. Rishona asked questions about the perception of stress among younger generations and how to cope with the fear of change, to which Kartik responded, emphasising the importance of self-awareness and resilience.

Developing Resilience and Discernment

Kartik discussed the importance of developing a thick skin. He shared personal experiences of being judged for his music choices, emphasising the need to be aware of one's tendency to be overbearing when offering support to someone experiencing mental health challenges. He advised tailoring the approach based on the individual's personality. Kartik also explained the difference between judgment and opinion, and highlighted the importance of discerning between normal sadness and depression by considering factors such as duration and intensity of symptoms.

Balancing Work and Smart Work

Kartik discussed the importance of combining hard work and smart thinking in today's world, using examples from his teaching experience. He explained how he initially encouraged students to use the internet for research but later banned devices due to the over-reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT, which he felt was not promoting genuine intellectual effort. Kartik emphasised the need for students to use technology wisely, combining it with their own critical thinking and personal insights. The session concluded with Kartik sharing tips on overcoming stage fright, such as knowing one's material well and taking a moment to centre oneself before speaking.

Animal Learning and Behaviour Insights

Brinda led a reading session on animal upbringing, sharing insights from "The Inner Life of Animals" about how animals, like humans, learn and adapt to their environments. She discussed her experience with a small herd of goats, highlighting how their behaviour improved after they had kids and learned from their mothers. Brinda also explained how insects, mice, and larger mammals, such as wolves and deer, learn survival skills from their elders, challenging the notion that animal behaviour is purely instinctive.

Animal Education vs Human Schooling

The discussion focused on comparing animal education and human schooling, with Brinda explaining that while animals don't attend formal schools, they are trained by their parents through natural instincts and discipline. The class discussed how animals, particularly mammals and birds, prepare their young for independence, with Brinda sharing personal experiences about goat rearing and how mothers gradually wean their offspring. The conversation concluded with Brinda suggesting that the class read Gerald Durrell's books for further insights into animal behaviour, particularly regarding how animals handle the transition of young ones leaving their parents.

Bees and Fawn Life Stories

Brinda discussed the life cycle of bees, focusing on the role of drones and the process of removing them from the hive as winter approaches. She also shared a story about a fawn that was mistakenly taken in by humans, highlighting the different ways mother love can be expressed among mammals and the potential dangers faced by fawns in modern times.

European Wildcat Conservation Discussion

Brinda discussed the European wildcat, highlighting its conservation success and distinguishing features, noting that positive identification requires genetic testing. She explained that while wildcats and domestic cats can interbreed, wildcats are generally more aggressive and unsuitable for domestication, leading to a discussion about the challenges of keeping wild animals as pets. The session concluded with Manisha requesting participants to share reflections about their pets and maintain respect for speakers in future sessions.

Next steps

  • Students: Practice staying muted during online sessions and raising hands before speaking
  • Students: Share pictures and stories about their pets and observations of pet behaviour before the next Sunday session
  • Manisha: Publish shared pet pictures and stories from students
  • Students: Submit reflections on the session through writing, doodling, or other creative ways
  • Brinda: Prepare Gerald Durrell's "My Family and Other Animals" for future reading sessions

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Saturday, 28 September 2024

GSA Calendar October 2024

My Good School on Sundays

6th October 2024
Christa Campsall 
My Guide Inside
My Name Is Cinnamon


13th October 2024
Amardeep Singh 
Screening of Episode 10 
Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels 
The Hidden Life Of Trees


20th October 2024

My Name Is Cinnamon
The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

27th October 2024
My Name Is Cinnamon
The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting


Good Schools India Journal

15th October 2024

2 Girls 1 Mic - Oshi and Simar

25th October 2024

Where Passion Meets Education with Amit Sachdeva - Sandeep Dutt


Masterclass - The Teacher's Academy
5th, 12th and 26th 

Chapter 10 Wanted Back-bencher Last-ranker Teacher


GSA Monthly Meeting 

26th October 2024 at 4 pm



Friday, 22 December 2023

Life is a splendid torch not a brief candle - Tenzin Jambey

Image courtesy Shmooz AI

Life is lovely and enjoyable; now it's in our hands whether we want to make it even more peaceful or let life burden us. It doesn't matter whether you are poor or rich; life will look perfectly fine if you are grateful for whatever you have. 

Our life is like an impressive torch that can bring light to the lives of others. We can shine brightly and chase the shadows away. We get to live our life for once, but let not our one life affect our beautiful journey. Let's not be sad thinking that we will die soon; everyone has to leave this world behind and die and become part of the soil of the earth beneath.

We know life is short; in today's world, half our age passes through pursuing education and skills, but we forget to liberate ourselves. Schooling teaches us the way to answer others and the way to work under someone and in this process, a child is never able to discover his own literature and interests. 

We come under pressure to think about our future, our career, family and so on. The term life is very wide and we can achieve what our hearts really desire except attraction and greed. 

That's so obvious that school studies will hunt you down and occupy your whole body if you don't connect your subject with your daily routine and your interests. When your subject is connected with your interest then every second of your life becomes memorable. 

It's in our hands whether you want to make your life like a dying candle or like a bright light that shines and radiates peace. 

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Thursday, 14 September 2023

The things that come to my mind while being in class - Tenzin Jambey

A classroom is a room or a sphere where students learn. The one who teaches or gives lessons is called the teacher, and the one who takes the learning is called the student. Different students can have different views on the classroom, and I, too, have my opinions on a classroom.

The school has become an essential place for learning. Without schooling, you won't be able to push yourself further in the field of education. "Education never ends, and the road never ends. It's only the fuel of the car that ends". No one can ever learn everything, even if we start learning after birth until we die. The classroom makes learning more fun, exciting and memorable in the education journey. The word classroom is an extensive term that means that a classroom is much more than a room in the school building. All the sphere and place becomes a classroom when you get lessons out of it. Teamwork is something that we learn when working as a team. Therefore, the football ground, basketball court and your hostel room can become a classroom.

Now, if you guys ask me what we learn from the classroom, I would say we know many things. We understand how to help others, how to co-ordinate, how to care, how we get inspiration, morals, how to get along, how to speak, read and write teamwork, and this goes a long way. The best thing we get from a classroom is the memories of sitting in the school with our best friends and the teaching and scolding of teachers, the room where we had enjoyed and spent our best time by sharing tiffins and knowledge and helping each other. When we become old and our death is close, these memories will allow us to die with happiness and peace because we have lived a life we will remember.

- Tenzin Jambey

Reflections Since 2021