Murari jha, PhD

A thread #ReadWithATeacher significantly challenged my notion that teachers don't read. #DelhiGovtSchool teachers read and also promote the culture of reading. Gratitude to @PbpandeyB sir and team education @Dir_Education!

Recently my son asked me why he needs to do mental math when calculators exist. I told him if he doesn't, he will make irrational decisions throughout his life. Let me explain. Say you see two packs of snacks. A 500g pack for ₹100, and a 200g pack for ₹45. Which one should you buy? The math is not at all hard, but people who are scared of mental math will not do it. This is not such an important decision that you pull out a calculator for it. So you make the decision on vibes - say ₹100 "looks too high", or that the smaller pack costs "less than half of the biggest one" or some such. The problem isn't that you made a poor decision on snacks. It is that if you do this repeatedly, you train your mind to make decisions on vibes. Over time your reasoning muscle atrophies - so you start relying even more on vibes. Before you know it, you are taking even big decisions on vibes. Should I rent or buy a house? Let's decide based on "EMI affordability", not rental yield. Should I invest in this IPO? I have heard of the company's brand so I'm all in. It isn't only financial or quantitative decisions either - in my mind the math muscle and the logic muscle are closely correlated, so a decline in one certainly affects the other. Like the Arab who let the camel's nose inside the tent, fear of math is the first step towards thoughtlessness, and needs to be nipped in the bud. Intellectual laziness starts with snack prices.

You can train teachers—but can you transform classrooms? Teacher training doesn’t fail because of methods. It fails because we ignore who the teacher is becoming. Identity, belief, and system realities shape classrooms... #SundayDiaryy reflectivediary.com/node/327

@vats_neel @ECAatState @USIEF @UMassLowell @Dir_Education @gupta_rekha @ashishsood_bjp @Gayatri1976 Many Many congratulations! Such a proud moment!

Honored to complete the #FulbrightTEA Program—an enriching journey of learning, cultural exchange & global connections Proud to represent India in the USA as a Delhi Government school teacher. Grateful to the @ECAatState, @USIEF @UMassLowell & @Dir_Education for this opportunity.

The Automation Paradox A few days ago, while reading "Talking to My Daughter" About the Economy by the Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis, I came across an argument that made me pause. Varoufakis writes… reflectivediary.com/node/326 #SundayDiaryy

SCERT Delhi launches MOOC on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on DIKSHA! Empowering educators with the knowledge of Patents, Copyrights, & Trademarks. Official Circluar : scert.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/… Enrollment: March 13 – April 30, 2026

Honored to address the School Committee at Chelmsford High Schools as a Fulbright (TEA) Program grantee. representing India and the @Dir_Education, while sharing insights on education and connecting with the wider community through the live broadcast. #FulbrightTEA #fulbright2026

Last week @NehaGup54027758 reached out asking if ReflectiveDiary could share her experience. I said—this space is meant for voices like hers. On #InternationalWomensDay, here’s to more women teachers writing and sharing. #SundayDiaryy reflectivediary.com/node/325

@NehaGup54027758 send me on my mail-murarijhaprofessionalwork@gmail.com

@Reflectivediary Sir I want to share an article for @Reflectivediary please tell how can I

It is every teacher’s dream to step back and let students take the lead. For this #SundayDiaryy, one of my students, Archita Tripathi writes… reflectivediary.com/node/324

पिछले शुक्रवार विद्यार्थियों ने कहा — “सर, आज हमारा आख़िरी दिन है।” तब महसूस हुआ कि एक बैच की विदाई सिर्फ़ 150 छात्रों की कहानी नहीं, बल्कि लाखों जीवनों की संभावित शुरुआत है। शिक्षण शायद ज्ञान देने से ज़्यादा भरोसा जगाने का काम है। reflectivediary.com/node/323 #SundayDiaryy

When everything gets a brain 250 years ago, the steam engine added legs to things — everything could move. Today, AI is adding a brain — everything can decide where to move. But the real question is not where or how. It is still why. #SundayDiaryy #AI reflectivediary.com/node/322

This blog post is based on a talk I recently delivered at the 53rd National Progressive Schools Conference. In it, I explore how our understanding of knowledge is shaped, and why rethinking this is crucial for building a sustainable future. #SundayDiaryy reflectivediary.com/node/321

It was an absolute privilege to speak at the 53rd NPS conference at the India International Centre on the theme "Making Learning Matter: Insights from Indian Knowledge System"

Budgets show what a nation truly priorities. AI in school education, stronger SCERTs, university townships, and hostels for girls in STEM. Promising moves — but are we investing enough to become a global knowledge leader? reflectivediary.com/node/320 #SundayDiaryy

Naturalism in Practice Children don’t struggle with Naturalism. teachers do. In classrooms, they practise it every day—observing, doing, creating. But ask for a definition in an exam, and panic sets in. reflectivediary.com/node/319 #SundayDiaryy

Philosophy of Education Online: for all and from anywhere Digantar is soon starting a new online course in Philosophy of Education. For those who are interested: • Course Starts: 13th February 2026 (Limited Seats) • Contact: 9799498936 (9:00 am – 6:00 pm) • Email: taru.digantar@gmail.com For us philosophy is using one’s own mind to the hilt. Where nothing is taken for granted and nothing is dismissed unexamined. Using this approach in education is what Philosophy of Education (PoE) happens to be. It brings our intellectual, moral and practical (action) dimensions closer to each other and makes us more ‘authentically self-like’. No, it is not discovering us, it is forming ourselves. PoE is not learning the ‘tricks of the trade’, it is examining the trade itself from first principles. Therefore, this course is not an ‘activity shop’; it is building up the framework of principles that becomes anchor for our practice and frees us from slavery of borrowed cliches and activities.

Making Study Possible: A Few Simple Strategies I ask: “Who wants to study but can’t?” Almost all hands go up. So it’s not laziness. Studying isn’t naturally rewarding. Try: track words, stay consistent, make it routine. #SundayDiaryy reflectivediary.com/node/318

Religion is not just faith. It is control. Durkheim writes that religion reassures humans and gives them the feeling of power over nature. In a world where control over our lives shifts to unknown institutions, religiosity may only rise. #SundayDiaryy reflectivediary.com/node/313

Audio version-youtu.be/4XURtOzacto?si…

Continue to read at reflectivediary.com/node/312

हम ऐसे दौर में जी रहे हैं जहाँ स्क्रॉल करना आसान है, पढ़ना मुश्किल। पढ़ना सिर्फ़ परीक्षा या नौकरी के लिए नहीं होता—यह दुनिया को देखने के नए फ्रेम देता है। किताबें हमें विकल्प दिखाती हैं, और भीतर से मुक्त करती हैं। पढ़ना: दुनिया को नए फ्रेम में देखना #SundayDiaryy #Reading