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End Your Fear of Teaching Science Review by Kathy Gelzer
Teresa BondoraBondora Educational Media
3630 Spring Meadow Ct.
Acworth, GA 30101
http://www.HowToTeachScience.com
If you are anything like me, science tends to fall to the side of the homeschooling road in favor of the three R's and other "more important" subjects. I've heard another homeschool mom express her distaste for teaching her children science. I don't know if she had a "fear" of science, but her educational background didn't make her comfortable with the subject. Here comes help!
Author Teresa Bondora is a former high school science teacher who now homeschools her kids and helps others teach science through the resources on her website. Her main premise is that if we are afraid of science, we inadvertently pass on that fear to our children. More seriously, we may very well have a science-minded child who will end up not pursuing his/her area of giftedness or interest because of our negative attitude toward the subject.
End Your Fear of Teaching Science is an audio CD with 14 tracks or chapters. It is aimed primarily at the homeschool parent. Included are the author's bio, ways to alleviate your anxiety about science, much explanation of why the way science is typically taught in our educational system promotes poor attitudes toward science, and suggestions for helping you (and subsequently your kids) approach science with a "can do" attitude. The chapter entitled "Where to Go from Here" gives you some concrete suggestions for how to truly put an end to your fear of teaching science. This involves locating a high school chemistry text and reading it bit by bit to change your thinking patterns about science.
Some of Teresa Bondora's generalizations of the scientific community past and present seem a bit overdone. I think in her desire to justify the fear some adults have about the subject, she goes a bit overboard and stigmatizes scientists and science teachers.
I found listening to the 60-minute CD comforting, encouraging, and helpful. I think her ideas and suggestions are practical. If you are hesitant about teaching science or for some reason are avoiding the subject, this CD would be a good starting point for you. It would also be a great topic for a homeschool support group meeting.
Product review by Kathy Gelzer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November 2007
