Molly Nero is the author of Smarty Pig, a children´s book geared toward ages Kindergarten through 3rd grade. As the youngest of seven kids growing up in Texas, Nero kept busy protecting her dolls from five brothers by curling up in her closet with a good book from the library. Nero said, "This was always a wonderful way to escape the onslaught of G. I. Joe and his army."
Nero also has a love for music and dancing, so during college, musical theater was a huge part of her life. Realizing it wasn´t a strong career field, she went to her second love, children and teaching. Nero spent 17 years teaching elementary school in Texas. After 5 years in the 4th grade classroom, she became the music teacher giving her the opportunity to work with kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade. Nero shared, "Because music is not the same as academics, I was able to teach kids in a different way. To pass out papers, I would fling them across the room to a chorus of squeals, as my students would scramble to get one that was still falling down. I loved creating grade level musicals to help my students understand the amazing experience of performing in front of an audience."
While teaching the 4th grade, Nero´s love of writing was awakened and she was encouraged and nurtured by her students in their writing. Nero said, "My own abilities were strengthened. Being critiqued by 10-year-olds was very humbling but allowed me to open up myself and make sure I was relating to them as my audience." It was during those years Nero began to look at books differently. She realized she wanted to develop her own ideas and spent her lunchtime walking around the gym track outside with a digital recorder verbalizing her stories. Nero shared, "I´m sure many parents driving by thought I was crazy, but it was the only time I had. I was once told to write about what you know. Well, teaching and children of elementary age has been my life, so it makes sense. I was never your ´typical´ music teacher."
Read the full article at American Chronicle | Author Spotlight: Molly Nero, author of Smatry Pig children's book series
Nero also has a love for music and dancing, so during college, musical theater was a huge part of her life. Realizing it wasn´t a strong career field, she went to her second love, children and teaching. Nero spent 17 years teaching elementary school in Texas. After 5 years in the 4th grade classroom, she became the music teacher giving her the opportunity to work with kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade. Nero shared, "Because music is not the same as academics, I was able to teach kids in a different way. To pass out papers, I would fling them across the room to a chorus of squeals, as my students would scramble to get one that was still falling down. I loved creating grade level musicals to help my students understand the amazing experience of performing in front of an audience."
While teaching the 4th grade, Nero´s love of writing was awakened and she was encouraged and nurtured by her students in their writing. Nero said, "My own abilities were strengthened. Being critiqued by 10-year-olds was very humbling but allowed me to open up myself and make sure I was relating to them as my audience." It was during those years Nero began to look at books differently. She realized she wanted to develop her own ideas and spent her lunchtime walking around the gym track outside with a digital recorder verbalizing her stories. Nero shared, "I´m sure many parents driving by thought I was crazy, but it was the only time I had. I was once told to write about what you know. Well, teaching and children of elementary age has been my life, so it makes sense. I was never your ´typical´ music teacher."
Read the full article at American Chronicle | Author Spotlight: Molly Nero, author of Smatry Pig children's book series