A popular guest on the Johnny Carson Show, Don Herbert was truly an inspiration to an entire generation of science enthusiasts. I remember watching him as a kid and being impressed by the fact that while he was amazing, he didn’t have a laboratory or wear a lab coat. He just looked like a friendly guy who did amazingly cool science experiments in his garage… what a great neighbor!

In contrast to television today, I was struck by the fact that he would allow an experiment to fail. Why didn’t they edit it out? Because he believed that failure was so important for children to see.

In 1991 I was approached by NBC television to host a 3½-minute science spot in a program called News for Kids. Remember, this was pre “Bill Nye the Science Guy” or “Beakman”. As we planned the look and feel of the segment, something inside told me to call Don Herbert and get his advice… so I did. Here’s what Don Herbet said, “Don’t’ let them put you in a lab coat if you don’t want to look like a doctor or research scientist… just be yourself… and “… never let the ‘gee-whiz-factor’ overtake what you are trying to teach”.

In my 14 years on TV, I can’t let the “gee whiz” overtake what I am trying to teach. And television has changed my teaching greatly - to truly create an edutainment experience.

Read more about Don Herbert and his place in television history, or visit the official Mr. Wizard Website and discover why he continues to influence a new generation of science teachers.

Listen to my podcast on Don Herbert, my hero

(File size is 1.3 MB) (Show length 5 minutes 20 seconds)

One of the benefits of home schooling is you can take time to wonder, discover and explore. Science instruction can be a really difficult area, however, because you may have limited resources such as chemicals and equipment.

So why not go to the local school and talk to the administrators about the possibility of working with some teachers as they create these science experiences. Tell them you would like to talk about combining some of these experiences and participate in things other kids can do.

For parents who don’t feel comfortable teaching science, go into the community. Science museums are open to home schooling groups. Scientists in the field in your local area are more than happy to help out. All you have to do is ask. As someone who gets a lot of these requests, the best groups are organized clusters and where students have some background — because we can create experiences that are as meaningful as possible.

Be organized and understand you have information and resources available out there to ensure science is an important part of your child’s daily learning experience.

Listen to my podcast on making science come alive in home schooling

(File size is 1.8 MB) (Show length 3 minutes 49 seconds)