Recently, I had a chance to talk with Super Cool Nerd Mama about her recent projects. Here is her bio, and below is our conversation! Enjoy! Super Cool Nerd Mama�s Bio: I'm a homeschool mama who believes in mixing...
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Super Cool Nerd Mama about her recent projects. Here is her bio, and below is our conversation! Enjoy!
Super Cool Nerd Mama�s Bio: I'm a homeschool mama who believes in mixing it up with several subjects and learning styles blending together into our lessons. That dynamic is reflected in the resources and plans that I share online. Swing by my site (supercoolnerdmama.com) and shop (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Super-Cool-Nerd-Mama)�to check out the fun!
Artful and Educational: Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to talk�to me! I was looking at some of your work and appreciate how thoughtful and creative your ideas�are. Tell us a little bit about yourself, who you are, and what you do! What are some projects you are�working on right now or have recently completed?�
Super Cool Nerd Mama: I love talking about my work so really it should be me thanking you for this opportunity :)
The fact that you used the word "creative" makes me so happy. That is one of the top three words that I would use to describe who I am and what I do in life. Right along with "scientific" and "contemplative". Actually...now that I think about it I think you pegged two of my words. That's really something!
Adjectives and all aside, I spend much of my time guiding child's studies and lesson planning. We like hands-on projects, videos by scientists, coding, math puzzles, journalling, and reading books about our school topics.�
There is a tremendous amount of trickle down from my home classroom to the resources I make available online. Some of our fun is in each one. One of our current favorites is the bug anatomy craft series. What kid isn't wild about bugs, bite-sized facts, and simple crafts?
Another trickle down is a super exciting revamp I'm�planning for my website (supercoolnermama.com)--I want to make it into an archive of lesson plan ideas. We've done so many cool lessons and it seems a shame not to share.
AE: I�m glad to have a chance to chat with you, because you have a great sense of how to keep the activities fun and engaging. It makes me wonder�are some of the activities born organically out of play-time with your child? It�s always interesting to hear how people come up with their ideas, and I�m curious about how, for example, the bug anatomy craft came to be. It has to start with the child�s interest, first and foremost, right? My sense is that it starts with a spark of interest, and a caring adult who sees that the child is excited about a topic, then you can build from there and see what comes up. What is your process for developing new resources to use with your child and to share with others?
SCNM: Inspiration is a funny thing, isn't it? It can come from literally anywhere!�
In the case of the bug anatomy activities, it came from my child and I talking about what it would be like to have a pet spider. We did some research�and discovered that there were aspects to having a spider friend that were very fun (toe claws! a big fuzzy bug*! they apparently have distinct personalities!) and others that weren't�so great (they eat other animals and have chelicerae**). As a result I made us a fun (non-biting) toy spider. That then gained a worksheet to review the things we had learned...and quickly spiraled�right into a resource for others to enjoy too. After playing with that we haaaaaddd to learn about other invertebrates. I'm sure that�you can see where this is going.... We now have cardstock ladybugs, flies, ants, butterflies, and of course spiders in our home (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Parts-of-a-Bug-Handout-and-Craft-Bundle-9227002).
That's pretty much my process. Of course, not everything that I make for my child ends up in the shop. It has to be a good fit for my brand as well. Conversely, not everything that strikes me as something that the shop needs ends up into our lesson plans.
*technically not a bug which is a type of insect, but instead an arachnid
**biting mouthparts
AE: Thank you so much, Super Cool Nerd Mama, for taking the time to chat with me! Looking forward to seeing what you do next!
