Lessons Learned from a frED Talk

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood!”  Does this phrase make you want to sing? The melody is etched permanently in my mind and probably in the mind of anyone who has ever watched Mister Rogers Neighborhood. I recently attended frED Camp, a Saturday event for educators sponsored by the Fred Rogers Institute in Latrobe, PA, the birthplace of the acclaimed educator and children’s television personality. In a conference room surrounded by hundreds of other Mr. Rogers’ devotees, I heard educators discuss the kinds of values I’ve always felt to be true about teaching, values I credit to Fred Rogers. Here are a few takeaways:
​
1.Our job as educators is to create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable being “who they really are.”  The evidence suggests that kids can’t absorb content well unless we create a trusting atmosphere where every child feels valued, questions can be asked and mistakes made.  
​
As drama directors, we are always working against the clock and striving to meet the expectations of administrators and parents by producing a great show. However, if we haven’t first created an atmosphere of trust and belonging, our kids won’t excel. They won’t take chances, won’t recover well when they make mistakes, and won’t be as willing to take risks in the future.  As directors, creating trust is one of the most important things we can do.
​
2.Curiosity promotes learning.  Do your students understand the characters they are asked to portray? Or even the narrative they are telling? Is there something in the story that is new and inspires curiosity? What will kids ultimately learn from the story they’ve shared?
​
Children’s theatre is not the same as theatre for adults, but it should be deeply meaningful and insightful in its own way. Johnny Costa, respected jazz musician and long-time music director of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood said, “Fred doesn’t write simple tunes, and the jazz arrangements I do are very sophisticated, too. Fred always says if it’s for the children, it has to be the best we can give.” Fred also said that "Deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”

---

Read More