Why someone who hated TV starred in a children's show, and other teaching lessons from Mr. Rogers

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was a success that didn’t make sense on paper: while other children’s shows offered silly gimmicks and action heroes, Fred Rogers calmly welcomed his young audience into his humble home, then invited them into the world of Make-Believe made of simple puppets and cheap sets. So how did he win our hearts for decades? The 2018 documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? tells us the inspirational story of the man and the show, but it also offers us as faculty a way to be our best, most authentic selves and, in turn, invite our students to be their best.

Before we consider a list of lessons, we must start with one: be your genuine self. In The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer comes to this point over and over again: while we approach educational research, teaching tips, and student success strategies with the best of intentions, chasing what we should be as professors can leave us feeling empty. Chasing the next best thing to do for our students can make us feel more like referees than coaches. We can be left wondering where in the class is the space to be me.

Fred Rogers, ordained Presbyterian minister, was not an obvious children’s TV show star, but his deep sense of purpose, his true-to-self personality, and his respect for his audience’s intelligence brought a timeless transformative magic into each American household. By bringing these characteristics into our classrooms, we can provide the same transformative experience for our students.

With those basics set, let’s consider 10 important lessons from Mr. Rogers.

Purpose First, Personality to Follow

Reverend Fred Rogers never led a church congregation because soon after seminary, he was convinced that children were the most important group to reach. He felt he had something important to say to them, and that deep sense of purpose fueled everything he did from creating his show, producing thousands of episodes, and arguing to Congress why public television funding should be protected. Fred Rogers said he never felt he had to put on a goofy persona--he simply had to stay true to his message and himself.

We may sometimes feel like we are not the right personality for teaching college students: too introverted, too nerdy, too persnickety. But college students don’t necessarily need us to be the perfect orator, cheerleader, and motivator. They need us to believe in what we are saying and see a consistent purpose and message throughout our courses. This will inspire them.

Respect Your Audience’s Intelligence

Fred Rogers’ main criticism of other children’s television programming was that it did not respect the intelligence of children. Through his show, Mr. Rogers consistently dealt with challenging issues, and explained complex concepts simply and patiently.

The research supports this approach: holding high expectations for our students is integral to their success, especially for students from underrepresented groups. No matter the label put on the youngest generation or the most recent DFW rates, every student who walks through the classroom has the ability to learn and use their education to better their world.

“Make It Personal”: Understand the Real Relationship Taking Place with the Audience

When he was recording an episode, Mr. Rogers always pictured a single child on the other side of the screen, not an indiscriminate viewership of children. He understood where a child might be, and what that child might be thinking and feeling as that child watched.

When we are speaking in front of the whole class, are we seeing a mass of students or individual faces? Remember to look at a student’s face and draw a portrait: Are they hoping to get into graduate school? Are they still trying to figure out what to call their professors? Are they getting by without a textbook until the financial aid check comes in? Whether our classes are made up of 20 or 200, they are built by individual students.

Appreciate What Technology Can Do to Accomplish a Purpose

Fred Rogers knew little about television, and he didn’t particularly like it. But when he understood its potential for reaching children in a regular, personalized, and powerful way, he knew he had to start a children’s television show.

Technology finds the same path into many of our classes. Even if we don’t necessarily like educational technology, we should be ready to explore the unknown when we realize what a certain technology can do to revolutionize our teaching and their learning. Not every technology will do this, but when the light bulb pops on, let’s explore the possibilities.

While Real Conflict Happens in “The Neighborhood,” It Provides Understanding and Safety

Characters in the Neighborhood make mistakes that cause conflict, but the conflict is patiently addressed and resolved. Whether the conflict happens in the Neighborhood or characters talk of conflict beyond the Neighborhood, the Neighborhood is the place to provide “understanding and safety,” meaning you will find people ready to explain the sticky parts in a respectful, non-threatening way. When discussing difficult content in class, or microaggressions unsettle class dynamic, acknowledge and patiently discuss the conflict and work with your students to find a way through.

Be Attuned to Cultural Happenings

Fred Rogers was known for the bravery he brought into his show by addressing cultural tragedies and contentious topics. If he knew they would be on his audience’s mind, he acknowledged how it might make them feel and encouraged them to talk about it. Doing the same in our classrooms goes a long way to increase rapport and help students focus back on learning. This can be as simple as acknowledging the event, how students may be feeling about it, and offering a reminder of support available.

Open and Close Class Yourself Before Entering the World

Mr. Rogers begins and ends in show in his home, briefly addressing his audience while walking through a well-worn routine. In this routine, he invites students to “the world of Make Believe.” With this opening and closing ritual, he allows his audience to mentally prepare to be absorbed in that world. Doing the same for our students can help them clear their mind of stress and distraction so that they can get the most out of their limited time in the classroom with you. James Lang offers ideas about leveraging the first and last minutes of a class period.

Promote Self-Acceptance

Mr. Rogers consistently affirmed children’s individuality and wholeness, encouraging them that they were special and enough. College and university is an intimidating place for students, especially from underrepresented groups. Students may internalize a message that that says they need to become something else in order to succeed. We should remind students that while they will grow in their learning, the identity and experience they bring into the classroom is valuable.

Make Feelings “Mentionable and Meaningful”

By encouraging them to make feelings “mentionable and meaningful,” Mr. Rogers created an environment where his audience could share their feelings if needed and trust their feelings would be acknowledged. If we want students to take risks and discuss topics that stir up strong feelings, we should create a class environment that makes feelings mentionable and meaningful by providing simple direction on how to express their feeling in discussion, model expressing your own feeling, or showing models of others expressing their feeling.

Listen, Slow Down, and Use Silence

In one episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Mr. Rogers demonstrates how long a minute is by setting a timer for a minute and spending that entire minute in silence. He uses silence explicitly in that example, but he often uses silence to listen, think, and encourage his audience to do the same. Silence is often an underused learning strategy. How might we use silence to invite the student voice, emphasize a critical perspective, or simply give students the space to think?

The overall message is simple: value yourself, and value your students. Start with the assumption that everyone in your classroom is a whole and wonderful person, with more to learn and grow on.