Guided to Grow: A Journey Through Mentorship and Meaningful Learning - Aayush Kumar Singh

Here’s what Manisha Khanna shared—check it out!

https://www.joyoflearningdiaries.com/2025/07/drive-force-behind-success-manisha.html

This is a truly inspiring reflection, and I’m Aayush Kumar Singh, Class 10 A, Sunbeam School Ballia, writing this after attending the session by Mrs. Manisha Khanna Ma’am!

It all starts with a simple yet profound thought: What truly makes a school good?

Manisha Ma’am’s journey beautifully illustrates that understanding isn’t just about getting answers handed to you—it's about the incredible process of figuring things out for yourself, especially when you have wonderful guides.

Finding Direction with Gentle Nudges

It’s clear how important Neetu Koranga Ma’am was in helping Manisha Ma’am find her initial direction. Instead of just giving answers, she offered “scaffolding”—a beautiful way to describe how a mentor enables you too to build your own understanding step by step. This really hits home: true guidance is about empowering someone to discover their own path, rather than simply telling them where to go. It’s like being given a compass and the confidence to use it, not just a pre-drawn map.

The Spark of a Dream

Then came Sandeep Dutt Sir, who helped Manisha Ma’am tap into her dream. It’s so inspiring to see how a mentor can spark something within you, not just by showing the way, but by truly walking alongside you. Giving Manisha Ma’am the freedom to correct, create, and eventually lead shows immense trust. And that trust is crucial for a dream to truly take root and flourish. It’s about being trusted to grow, to try, and even to stumble, knowing there’s support every step of the way.

Thank you and Jai Hind!

Aayush Kumar Singh

Sunbeam School, Ballia

"Break a Leg!” — And Then…Everyone Ran! - Manisha Khanna

It was a bright Monday morning, and the air in the classroom was buzzing with energy. A group of my students was gearing up for an inter-house competition. As a supportive mentor, I decided to cheer them on. I flashed my warmest smile, gave them a thumbs-up, and with great flair, said:

"Break a leg!"

And just like that…silence.

No smiles.

No "thank you ma'am."

No excitement.

Just…stunned faces.

Before I could say anything more, the group shuffled awkwardly, gave me a look of utter betrayal, and disappeared—like I had just cursed them with an ancient wizard’s hex.

I stood there, confused.

Did I say it wrong? Did my breath smell?

What just happened?

The next few days were even stranger. In the corridors, those very students would sprint in the opposite direction as if I were carrying a hammer in one hand and a broken bone in the other. I even heard a faint whisper from behind a classroom door:

"Yahi toh boli thi...pair tod do!"

My teacher brain went into overdrive. Did they think I meant it literally?

And then... came the reality check.

A concerned colleague casually dropped the bomb:

"Hey, I think you need to clear something up. The students are kind of…scared. They think you want them to actually break their legs."

Agast! 😳

My eyes widened.

My soul left my body for two seconds.

I imagined my name on the school noticeboard: “Mentor or Menace?”

Suddenly, my well-intentioned idiom of encouragement had become a horror story for innocent teenagers.

That evening, I gathered the class, took a deep breath, and with a slightly awkward laugh, clarified:

"Break a leg” doesn’t mean I want you to visit the hospital. It’s just a fancy English way of saying all the best!

The room burst into laughter. The tension lifted. One student even said, "Ma'am, we almost thought you joined the mafia!"

And just like that, I learned two important lessons:

1. Idioms can be tricky, especially when taken literally.

2. Never underestimate the power of clear communication, especially when dealing with Gen Z students who are fluent in emojis but not in Shakespearean sarcasm.

So next time, I’ll probably just say:

"Do your best!"

(And keep all bones intact.)

Manisha Khanna

😊 देने का ज़ज्बा 😊 — Swati

 

इस पाठ को पढ़कर मेरे मन में अनेक विचार जागे। हम अक्सर जीवन में सफलता, पैसा और आराम पाने की दौड़ में लगे रहते हैं, लेकिन इस पाठ से यह सीख मिलती है कि सच्ची सफलता तब है जब हम दूसरों को कुछ दे सकें। जब ईश्वर हमें मुकाम और समृद्धि प्रदान करते हैं, तो केवल अपनी ज़रूरतों को बढ़ाना और पूरा करना ही पर्याप्त नहीं होता; हमें दूसरों की ज़रूरतों को भी समझकर उन्हें पूरा करने का प्रयास करना चाहिए। साथ ही, देने की क्षमता को भी बढ़ाना चाहिए।

समाज में बहुत कम लोग हैं जो बिल गेट्स जी की तरह निस्वार्थ भाव से दूसरों की मदद करते हैं। उनका उदाहरण यह स्पष्ट करता है कि सच्ची अमीरी केवल पैसों से नहीं होती, बल्कि उस धन को ज़रूरतमंदों की सहायता में लगाने से होती है। उन्होंने न केवल दुनिया के सबसे अमीर व्यक्ति होने का सम्मान प्राप्त किया, बल्कि अपनी कमाई का बड़ा हिस्सा दान में देकर यह सिखाया कि सेवा ही सबसे बड़ा धर्म है।

देने का ज़ज्बा एक ऐसा भाव है जो इंसान को वास्तव में "बड़ा" बनाता है। मदद केवल पैसों से नहीं होती —

कभी-कभी किसी की बात को ध्यान से सुनना, उसे समझना और साथ देना भी बहुत बड़ी मदद होती है।

आज के समय में, यदि हम किसी को थोड़ा-सा समय भी दे दें और उससे उन्हें थोड़ी-सी भी खुशी मिले, तो वह भी एक अनमोल उपहार है।

मुझे लगता है कि देने के लिए अमीर होना जरूरी नहीं है, बल्कि देने के लिए बस एक ऐसा दिल चाहिए जो दूसरों का दर्द समझ सके।

जब हम बिना किसी स्वार्थ के किसी की मदद करते हैं, तो उस देने में एक अलग ही सुकून होता है — जैसे कोई दीपक, जो दूसरों को रोशनी देता है और खुद जलता रहता है।

मुझे याद है, जब मैंने किसी ज़रूरतमंद की मदद की थी — वह खुशी मेरे भीतर गहराई तक उतर गई थी। उस एक पल ने मुझे सिखाया कि देने से कुछ घटता नहीं, बल्कि हमारा मन एक गहरी आत्मिक संतुष्टि से भर जाता है।

देने का ज़ज्बा मतलब:

• अपने स्वार्थ से ऊपर उठना,

• किसी अनजान के लिए रुक जाना,

• और अपनी सीमाओं को पार करके किसी और को उम्मीद देना।

And that is enough.

To give is enough.

To care is enough...

— Swati