When we were kids, we all dreamt of having a magical lantern or lamp. The Genie would appear and all of a sudden the Ds or Es on our report cards change to As. He/she will find our missing assignments, complete the incomplete, and get the teachers to call our parents with every shade of praise and compliments. Our basketball throws will hit no rims and we will have an abundance of touchdowns. We wouldn’t need crowded buses as each and every one of us will have his/her magical flying carpet to transfer him/her to school. Better yet, the Genie can close the school anytime we felt like it. In brief, we were all Aladdins.
Now back to reality! Last week, the only Aladdins in town were Rashid Baydoun and his partner in crime, Jim Walters. They had released more Genies than Larry Hagman did in the TV series, I Dream of Jeanie. The cast (students we knew on a daily basis) entertained and showed the potential that many of them have! They tricked us into forgetting their “mischief” and their “not so perfect” behavior. We clapped for them instead of asking them to sit down in their proper seats, complete their assignments, and focus! Well, they looked pretty “focused” during the play and used their energy to charm and entertain. They memorized their lines better than their equations and formulas. If only we could transfer some of that energy and concentration into their classes, we would be flying on a magical carpet towards the wonderful gardens of Academia!