Month: September 2026

The Life Class session was very insightful and gave me a deeper understanding of how emotions and reactions work, especially through the concept of the amygdala and amygdala hijack. One important learning for me was that everyone comes to school carrying different emotions, experiences, and personal challenges, but these are not always visible to others. Sometimes, these emotions can affect our responses, especially when children do not listen or behave inappropriately, and we may react without realizing that we are experiencing an emotional trigger.

The Marshmallow Experiment helped me reflect on patience, self-control, and delayed gratification. The Johari Window made me think about self-awareness and how there are aspects of ourselves that others may see but we may not recognize.I also found the concept of “Pause, Respond and Reflect” very meaningful. It reminded me that instead of reacting immediately, especially in challenging situations, taking a pause can help us respond more thoughtfully and positively.

The discussion on psychological safety was another important takeaway. As educators and leaders, creating an environment where children and colleagues feel safe to express themselves, make mistakes, and ask questions is essential.
Overall, the session made me realize that effective leadership is not only about managing others but also about managing ourselves. Understanding our triggers, controlling our reactions, and responding with empathy can help us become more supportive teachers and better leaders

During the two days spent in Life class, I learned about emotional intelligence and how it helps us understand and manage our emotions. One important concept I learned was the amygdala hijack, which happens when strong emotions such as anger or fear take control of our thinking and cause us to react without considering the consequences. I learned that taking a moment to pause, breathe, and think can help me respond calmly instead of reacting impulsively. The lessons also taught me the importance of self-awareness, empathy, active listening, and managing my emotions in a positive way. Overall, I learned good skills that can help me build better relationships, make wiser decisions, and handle challenging situations with confidence.

When I walked into our two-day Life Class session at school, I expected it to be a regular staff learning session. But by the end of it, I found myself reflecting not just on my work, but also on how I respond to situations in everyday life.

As a Senior School Process Coordinator, my work involves coordinating with teachers, students, parents and different teams. So, many of the concepts we discussed felt surprisingly close to my everyday experiences.

Leadership is more than a designation

We began by exploring the qualities of a good leader. I realized that leadership isn’t only about giving directions or making decisions. It is also about listening, trusting others, taking responsibility and creating an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

Sometimes, instead of thinking “I’ll just do it myself; it will be faster,” good leadership means allowing someone else to take ownership.

Reaction vs Response

One concept that really stayed with me was the difference between a reaction and a response.

If a teacher misses a deadline or a parent sends a difficult email, my first instinct might be to react immediately. But there is a small space between what happens and what we do next.

Pause → Think → Respond.

That pause can change an entire conversation.

The Johari Window

The Johari Window made me think about feedback and our blind spots. Sometimes people may notice things about us that we don’t notice ourselves. I may think I am simply following up on a process, while someone else may experience it differently.

It reminded me that feedback isn’t necessarily criticism; sometimes it is a mirror.

And then came the marshmallow! 🍡

The Marshmallow Test introduced us to delayed gratification and impulse control.

It made me think about how many “marshmallows” we have at work. Sometimes doing a task myself is the easiest immediate option, but trusting someone else with it may lead to better long-term growth. Sometimes replying immediately feels satisfying, but taking a moment to think can lead to a much better response.

Psychological safety and critical thinking

We also discussed psychological safety — creating a workplace where people feel safe to ask questions, admit mistakes, disagree and share ideas without fear of judgment.

And critical thinking reminded me not to accept things simply because “this is how we’ve always done it.” In my role, it means asking: Why do we follow this process? Can it be improved? Is there a better way?

What I took away

These two days reminded me that professional growth isn’t always about learning another process or skill. Sometimes, it is about becoming more aware of how we think, communicate and respond.

From leadership to the Johari Window, from psychological safety to those two little marshmallows, my biggest takeaway was simple:

We may not always control what happens, but we can control what we do next.

It seldom happens that we take time out of our hectic schedules to reflect on our emotions and those of others and how we can navigate them more effectively. My two days at Life Classes were exactly that. My two days of these classes were just a reflection of the same . I feel what happened was i got to know myself so much better . Through the Johari Window, case studies, and thoughtful videos, I got to know myself so much better. Kudos to my facilitators Arshi ma’am and Bhumika ma’am for holding that space so beautifully. Emotional inteliigence is being able to regulate your emotions , responding in place of reaction and the abilty to be empathetic enough to understand those of others as well . Various activities were undertaken to make me reflect on the same , though it sounds too good to believe I did go in the self reflection spiral to know myself better , i did remember the following next week of being filled with responses than with reaction though a consistent awareness is needed to embibe it in our daily like and my upcoming time at school will be filled with conistent efforts to do the same . One concept that fundamentally shifted something in me was the amygdala hijack that moment when our brain’s emotional alarm system fires before our rational mind even has a chance to respond. Understanding this changed how I see my own reactions. It wasn’t always weakness. Sometimes it was just biology. But awareness creates a pause and in that pause lives emotional intelligence.Emotional intelligence is not about suppressing what you feel. It is about regulating it. Responding where you once only reacted. Being empathetic enough to hold space for what others feel too. The week after, I noticed myself pausing more, choosing words carefully, listening before speaking.The concept of psychological safety stayed with me the most. I am not a leader but if I can create even a fraction of that safety for a colleague or a student, that feels like more than enough.

What I Learned About Myself Today

Today, we had an Emotional Intelligence class, and one thing that really caught my attention was the Johari Window.

The Johari Window is a simple way to understand ourselves and how other people see us. It has four areas:

1. Arena (Open Area) – Things that I know about myself and others also know about me.

2. Blind Spot – Things that others know or notice about me, but I may not notice about myself.

3. Facade – Things that I know about myself but don’t share with others.

4. Unknown – Things that neither I nor others know about me. These are things that we may discover with new experiences in life.

While learning about these four areas, I started thinking about myself. It made me realise that there are things about me that I may not be aware of and some things that I keep to myself.

The Blind Spot made me think the most. Sometimes, we don’t realise how our actions or words are seen by others. Their feedback can help us understand ourselves better.

The Johari Window gave me a better understanding of myself and also showed me the areas where I can improve.

I came out of the class with one simple thought: knowing yourself is not just about knowing your strengths and weaknesses; it is also about being open to discovering new things about yourself.

And I think that is what I really liked about today’s class—it made me pause, think, and look a little deeper within myself.