Resources

In 2017, we began a pen pal project with our Kindergarten classes, both in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, but in different parts of the city. What began as a project for our students grew into a friendship and ongoing professional relationship, including our learning about Mister Rogers' Neighborhood with Educators'...

The question of, "How might young children today respond to episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood?" was an early wondering explored through observation of children and teachers watching episodes in classrooms.

Fred Rogers loved questions. And he loved inviting YOU to ask questions about anything and everything.

"That I might do things differently, and that's the way it's supposed to be." The voice is coming from one of the Pre-Primary teachers in the center where I worked as an administrator at the time. It is September of 2020 and we have just finished our weekly Zoom share ...

This year's Mid-Year Convening on January 21 included ten educator-led breakout sessions on topics such as trauma aware care, QRIS peer learning communities, and building community in early childhood and secondary classrooms.

Press play on any episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and you'll find yourself invited to slow down and notice something. Settle in, take your time, look carefully, listen deeply.

The importance of wonder and asking questions is nothing new to educators. Early Childhood educators especially, know how to allow opportunities for children's "why?" and "how?" and "hmm..." and "oh, my!"

School year 2020-21 was a year of wide-ranging and significant everything. Full of layered emotions and experiences existing between the ever-collapsing dichotomies of together-alone, 2D-3D, right-wrong, real-unreal, then-now, time-no time, nowhere-here.

In Mister Rogers Talks with Parents (1983), Fred Rogers, in collaboration with Barry Head, outlines six "basic necessities" for children's learning readiness, one of which is "the capacity to look and listen carefully" (p170).

Music has been an important part of my life ever since I was a child. From early on, I have fond memories of hearing the songs of Mister Rogers, my mother singing me to sleep, going to church and singing the songs in the hymnal, participating in the choir, or taking part to sing or play instruments in music class ...

I recently read a description of strong relationships as those built on a foundation where each person potentiates the other. I love thinking of potential in this practice-based way.

One of the many gifts of teaching and learning in our Educators' Neighborhood community is the continuous finding of something new... in the Fred Rogers Archive, in episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and in our seeing of how this connects to children, families, educators, and other helpers.

In The Little Prince, the above line is a piece of wise advice given from the fox to the little prince as he travels and learns about the world. It is a piece of advice that is simple, yet profound. It is a quote that also profoundly shaped the work of Fred Rogers that was displayed in the Family Communications ....

Good is a little word that means many things. It can signal graciousness, generosity, virtue, or it can mark concise word choice when grand, fabulous, brilliant is too much. In its simplicity, it upholds its enoughness.

Our educators of the neighborhood were in full swing in their classrooms in March, ready with next episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to play, and creative ideas to try out with their students. Then, schools closed. Now, they remain closed. In challenging times, Fred Rogers is often quoted saying something he lear