Wizard In School

Miss Vaani was a learner assistant in Veervala primary school. She took her class for remedial students from 8 AM to 11 AM before regular school time. There were 60 students in her class, she applied child friendly pedagogy in her class and students loved learning in her class. She would less use benches , She would sit on the ground and make a circle, started with rhymes, brain teasers etc. then told a story later on discussion around this story. She had made two group of these students, thirty students in each group which was quiet manageable for her. She used her mobile phone in the class room for showing videos ,search some times etc.

Once Vaani engaged with her students in independent writing activity. She found all students wrote amazingly and worth sharing with whole school and school staffs. So She prepared a draft book from these wonderful writing piece. When she winded up her session and packed her purse , she found her Samsung mobile was not on the table. She searched and researched her purse, her TLM box, all class, files, old corner where she didn’t visit today but she could not succeed to find her mobile. She once again checked her purse and her table but all in vain. She came out from her class and tried to remember about last time seen incidence. Suddenly She got half memory and she reached Daya’s house which was next to school and Daya was her student. She inquired about phone Daya couldn’t reply in affirmative but she told tow boy’s name who perhaps stole Vanni’s phone. Vaani and Daya reached Sameer’s home but he denied that he did not took her phone, he admitted that he saw her phone on the table.

She was upset and returned to her home that day. Next day again She was busy with another activity with her students. Then Mehul who was the supervisor cum program officer of the project in which Vaani worked, reached there. He asked about not connecting her phone and got to know that she had lost her phone. She inquired a little bit and assembled all students and announced that whosoever stole mobile phone, could come forward, it was easy and time saving and no further discussion would be around this incident otherwise I knew the technique to get that person. All students whispered, saw each other and denied that they had not any information about phone.

Then Mehul sir explained that each student would come one by one and took a little turmeric powder in their hand, he would pour some drop of water in hands, if hand remained yellow then he or she was not a thief but if hand turned in to red that would be the culprit. Students were coming in order and Mehul put turmeric power in hands and sprinkles some water and it turned in to yellow, now it was the turn of that boy who was doubted by Daya , When he rubbed his hands his hands turned red, all students surprised how it was happened. Mehul counselled that boy, it would be positive that you help us to reach about the truth and please return mobile phone ,no one would open this incident beyond the classroom. Sameer and his friend was filled equally surprised with all this happening and Sameer’s friend returned that mobile, Mehul sir appreciated that guy and stopped any further talk around mobile and guided strictly Vaani and her class now we had that mobile so no need for blaming and punishment game. This incident was self-explanatory in many ways.

Students discussed about turmeric changed red colour and other such magic and superstitions. Mehul being a science activist never wanted to promote these type of irrational thinking among students. So He organised a events of wizard show in Veerbala primary school , all school staff and students were present on that day, Vaani was in assistant role of Mehul , He took a balloon and pinched with needle , it burst abruptly ,again he picked up a balloon and recited his spell –“boom boom dhoom wizard” then he pinched needle and this time balloon along with needle , all were surprised , now Mehul took a lemon and recited his magical spell ,when it was cut by knife ,red juice came from the lemon. Then he took a pen and stood this pen on its point ,without supporting anything this pen was standing on its stand, all students and teachers enjoyed all activities with open mouth with wonder. Now Mehul announced that this school was under bad spirit and now he was about to prove it , he asked some wood powder from his assistant , and put it into a plate and take small amount of water in a little bowl and recited his magi spell – “boom boom dhoom wizard” then sprinkled this water onto the wood powder, nothing happened, all audience took breathe easiness suddenly along with smog there was a huge flame appeared in to the plate . He could controlled all this and this school could be again safe and secure so he again spelled and school was filled with boom sound and he announced that now everything was okay, no need to worry.

Now Mehul took mike in his hand and requested all students and teachers to listen carefully for ten minutes more. He explained about his first magic, magic of balloon, he explained that we put already a cross transparent tape on the surface of balloon, first Vaani madam gave me simple balloon and next time game me crossed tape balloon so needle remained into that balloon, you also try this trick, now he explained about lemon red juice , he told that Vaani madam already rubbed that knife with Chinese rose ,so when I cut with this knife then acidic lemon turned red like litmus paper , you could find more about it in your book under natural indicator heading, You remembered that red hand incident ,same natural indicator trick I used, I mixed some detergent powder in to turmeric powder and when water reached there and you rubbed then it became into red.

Mehul explained our ignorance was home for our wonder and we started believing in nonsense and foolish myths, all wished to know how that fire happened. Mehul explained that he already mixed potassium per magnet powder into that wood powder and in that bowl there was no water ,there was glycerine, so there was a simple science behind these experiments but habit of not asking why made these into magic and I was a wizard in front of you. How was that boom sound in last? ,asked some students. Where I put burning plate, Vaani madam already hide crackers there, and you all were busy in my fictitious story, no one focus there and as fire crackers got fire they boom suddenly. Actually power lies in asking why, which you under harnessed.

I simply request you to not believe something simply by listening from someone, reading from somewhere, seen from your eyes but give it a second thought and use your logic, enhance your rationality. If you would do this you would become more patriotic because as per our fundamental rights it was our duty that we develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.

Mehul thanked to Vaani and his students that mobile incidents created opportunities for this discourse on scientific temper.