Teachers Travel with You All Your Life - Anvesha Rana

        " A Good Education can change anyone, but a Good Teacher can change everything. "

When we go to school, we go with the mindset to learn whatever is taught but seldom do we ponder upon the lives of those who come with the vision to give others as much knowledge as possible, our teachers. A Teacher is a crucial part of any child's development, and they play a vital role in success. Wherever I am standing today, it is all because of my parents and teachers, who never gave up on me and constantly encouraged me to walk forward and never look back again. 

Since childhood, I have always felt connected to all my teachers and share a special moment with each one. I cannot describe it accurately in words but simply say that My Teachers are the Best. A few instances where my teachers are still travelling with me are: 

When I was young, I loved art and would almost draw anything in sight. One day when I went to the fruit market with my mother, I had set my eyes upon a green apple, and it was the first time that I had seen an apple other than red, so this was really amusing for me. The next day at the art class, when we were asked to draw an apple, I drew a Green Apple! All the other kids were doing red, but I was confident that Apples were also green. When our art teacher came to inspect our work, she looked at my drawing and asked about it, so I told her that I had seen green Apples. To my surprise, my teacher agreed and even praised me for my creativity; a phrase that she had said at that time makes sense to me now 'Art Has No Rules.'

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Many other occasions have taught me lessons for life, and those are the learnings that I carry forward. Teachers are critical to me because I am who I am because of them.

Thank You, Sandeep Sir, for being the most creative teacher I have met.
Thank You, Brinda ma'am, for being the most dedicated educator.
Thank You, Sunita ma'am, for motivating me to indulge in language.
Thank You, Mahvesh, ma'am, for laying the foundation stone and constantly guiding me.
Thank You, Akanksha ma'am, for making lifelong geography learning.
Thank you, Supriti ma'am, for always being there no matter what.

Thank You to all my teachers who have always promoted Learning for Life!

Anvesha Rana
Grade 10-B
Gyanshree School
Intern at My Good School

A unique tree - Rishona Chopra

Hi! I am Lily. I am a tree; I don't have leaves, just me and my children (the branches). My best friend is the snow. It's always around us; never have we felt the loneliness with her. Just because we don't have the definition of beauty people want doesn't mean we are not beautiful. We are just what being pretty means. It means that the happiness in our life shines in you, authentic beauty.

Just because we don't have leaves and flowers doesn't mean that we are not worthy. We are just as good as other trees but are just different and unique. 

Like we say, equality in humans, shouldn't there be equality in trees?

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Just Dance! - Anvesha Rana

Anyone who meets me probably knows that Dance has a special place in my heart. I don't think there was ever a time when I wasn't dancing, and I can't imagine how my Life would be without Dance. I started learning Dance at the age of 6; initially, I used to learn Kathak, and after completing Kathak, I pursued another classical dance, Bharatanatyam. Both Bharatanatyam and Kathak are ancient classical dances with diverse backgrounds and styles. I love all types of dances, be it western or classical, because Dance is one of those ways through which I can express myself freely. To Dance is to be out of yourself. Be Larger, More Beautiful, More Powerful, and this is the power; it is glory on earth, and it is yours for the taking. All of us need to dance; it is a true joy. Dancing takes place not only on the stage, but it actually takes place in Life, as we dance and leap through all the problems we face. When we dance, our purpose should not be that we are seen; instead, it should be to enjoy each step along the way. 

Dancing has changed my Life; it has enabled me to look beyond academics and explore new things. Dance really interests me; it helps me out when I am stressed and uplifts my mood after a bad day. When we do something different from what most others do, we unlock a path of creativity that is only known to us. Dance is much more than a hobby for me; it is the fire that keeps me burning and the zeal that keeps me ignited for trying out something new. Dance is a way to have fun for me; it is a method to connect with the Indian heritage and relive history in a few moments. Through dancing, I have also learned the importance of hard work and discipline. Learning any skill or art form is not easy; all Classical dances are extremely technique-driven, and technique has to be mastered before moving on and learning more complex pieces. When I started learning Dance, I wanted to grow to the best of my potential and practised well to learn more. At the end of the day, it didn't matter what level I would reach. I just wanted to know other complex pieces that challenged me as a dancer. When the waters get testing, I recall how I had worked for Dance and how my hard work has paid off; this thought sparks the trigger in me to continue hard work and discipline. 

I simply love Dance, and my emotions when I dance cannot be accurately described in a few words. Don't dance for anyone, Dance for yourself and Dance as if no one is watching you. Dance with Life, Dance with laughter, Dance with sadness and a little bit of joy. Replace the heaviness of Life with the lightness of a free-spirited dancer. When you dance for a moment, keep aside all your worries, concerns and problems, enter the stage with a focused mind and a light heart and after that, let the music take you forward. Dance is just following the rhythm to the beat, and once you know how to do that, you have mastered Life.

Dance with the waves, 

Move with the sea, 

Let the rhythm of the water, 

Set Your Soul Free. 

Anvesha Rana 

Grade 10-B

Gyanshree School

We learn from Nature - Rishona Chopra

We learn almost everything from nature. The way trees sway, we might learn a dance move from them. Some birds even dance in coordination with their very own dance teacher! ( I am not joking) . The way the weaver bird weaves its nest is so mesmerizing, and if you observe them closely, we humans knit the same way as them, except we use needles, and they use their beaks! 

Noticing the movement of birds, we made aeroplanes. We learned about hibernation because animals don't move or eat much in winters. 

Nature gives us education and other necessary things we need to live. When nature is so kind to us, why are we so rude to it? Why don't we care for the outdoors the same way nature cares for us?

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Happiness @ My Good School

My Good School Season 2, Episode 2

Happiness is perhaps the most multi-faceted feeling. The most fundamental aspiration in the hearts of all human beings is to be happy. We all want to be satisfied, but we are not! But what is happiness? Happiness is an emotion, a feeling of contentment. The most trivial things can brighten our day, bring us joy and make us happy! May it be good weather, a good grade in an assessment, being able to befriend a stranger, calling a friend or a relative, looking at the stars, playing a sport with someone, listening to music, and the list goes on.

Happiness is not something that we can achieve with various materialistic items. True happiness comes from within. If we are not happy where we are, we won't be satisfied anywhere. Happiness is the first step of the ladder as we climb up to peace, sanguinity, sagacity, and finally, equanimity. In the words of Albus Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, only if one remembers to turn on the light!" So join us in unfolding the mystery behind the happiness of human life with Aarav and Rishona. Few of our friends will also join and share their experiences.

Tune in to the podcast to listen to Saima, Arindita, Anishka, Sakshi, Kritika and Sunita ma'am talk about the proper form of happiness. Let us revisit the cheerful and lively moments filled with joy and laughter!

Comment below and let us know if you liked our podcast. If you want to be a part of similar podcasts, join us. We hope to meet you soon again when we are back with a podcast on the 2nd of May 2022!

Our team:

Hosts- Rishona and Arav

Editors and creators- Moksh, Simar, Anvesha, Anusha

www.GoodSchools.in

Learning: From Isolation To Collaboration - Anvesha Rana

Never Stop Learning because Life Never Stops Teaching. We might complete our school years, move on to college, and then get a job, but the perspective that School is the only place to test our knowledge is incorrect; every little situation in Life tests our character. We should get over the idea that only children should study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, which will mean for your Life. Surprisingly, we face actual knowledge application only after our school years. Education is not a part of life, it is Life itself, and the School Of Life is an environment where we are students forever. For the whole purpose of Learning, we must never graduate from the School of Life.

If we are unwilling to learn, no one can help us, and if we are determined to learn, no one can stop us. Learning is not an event; it is a continuous process that most strive for. How long can we know as an individual? Most of the Learning done in isolation is theoretical and has no actual implementation. Whereas when we meet different people, we tend to learn numerous things from them unconsciously. When we appreciate the skills of others and unintentionally try to inherit them, we are learning in collaboration without even being aware of the same.

Learning is the transition from isolation to collaboration. A School is perhaps the first place where this transition occurs. Students, rather than being confined to their desks, communicate with each other on diverse topics, which initiates interesting discussions and stimulates the mind. Similarly, many teachers work together for a single class; they come together for a single cause and achieve it through simple determination. Students and Teachers also collaborate for the welfare of everyone. Age is just a number when it comes to learning new things.

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School. 

Ahlcon Public School champions My Good School

"We had a GSA presentation at Ahlcon Public School. It was attended by 150 staff members. The content and delivery of the presentation were appreciated by each attendee. Thanks to Sandeep sir and all the interns involved - Rishona, Anvesha, Simar, Ananya, Vanshika, Akshat, Shirin, Jayesh and  Shaiva. Here is a glimpse into the video made while presenting". Ananya Bhatia, Ahlcon Public School and My Good School Intern.

Joy Of Reading - Sunita Mehta

Community Reading Program

It will inspire you by reading and reflecting, sharing examples of where children and adults in real life are using values and is very useful to stimulate discussion and philosophical debate. 

The Joy Of Reading Program is only one part of our standard core curriculum or the Life Skills Program - Reading, Speaking and Writing.   

On Sunday mornings at 11.00 AM, you can join us for live reading sessions. Best you attend with a copy of the book and experience the Joy of Reading. 

Post the session, the readers reflect and share their real-life experiences on our blog Joy Of Learning Diaries - writing, audio, video, graphic, and poetry. #JoyOfLearning

Mentors

Sunita Mehta is a dedicated educator and is the Headmistress at Gyanshree School Noida. She has had the opportunity of teaching in schools all over India.

Sandeep Dutt, School Improvement Coach, has empowered thousands of teachers and touched the lives of near a million children.

For details www.GoodSchools.in

Going To School - Rishona Chopra

Do we ever graduate from the school of learning?

Not really; we might graduate from school but never from the learning society.

Learning is a process and not an event. It's an experience that can never end... It is the change we go through in our life. Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. 

Learning is the biggest giver of joy and freedom. The school is not a building but an ecosystem that says that life is the school for a living.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Honesty - Rishona Chopra

Courage, Bravery, we all must have heard these terms; a question might come to our mind: What is the most significant act of courage? The answer could be: Climbing Everest? Being a soldier? Well, it is actually none of those...it is honesty.

Honesty is being truthful not to anyone but to ourselves. We deceive ourselves when we lie to others and think that we have fooled them. We can lie to others but not to ourselves. The trust that one builds on the other is because we will be honest with them. We often lie to fit in the society, but that is not needed; we should be who we are. 

You might be surprised to hear, but I figured out it wasn't needed even though I lied to fit into society. I don't play video games and don't know a thing about them, but all my friends lied that I knew how to when I had no idea! If I say that I don't know about it, they make fun of me, but that does not matter. What matters is what I think of myself. I believe that video games harm our creativity, and I know things that I should know and that I am a good person, so I don't have to lie and don't have to tell the truth either!

You would have often heard people say that they don't get into trouble when they do something wrong and tell the truth, but I think that's not how it works. Like in stories, it says that we did a bad thing, said the fact and got chocolate, but those are not practical. We should always be honest, but not necessary to help us get out of trouble. We still might face the consequence, so we should not be honest, thinking it will get us out of trouble. Accept your mistake and improve.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School