I was thrilled to look at this wonderful video of Mr. Rogers with a young pianist. What was most striking is where Mr. Rogers looks when the child is playing. Most people would spend the majority of their time looking at the child’s fingers as they dextrously span the keyboard. Not Mr. Rogers. Have a look: https://youtu.be/HEb3ty1YiaM?si=DzE4-JGSKglkdJkS
When we engage a math class, we ask random students to contribute by asking them a question. This is preferred to having the extroverted gifted kids raising their hands and taking control from you.
When we ask a random child to contribute an answer, it is very easy to intimidate them. Just stare at them and wait for an answer. Wait for them to catch up to your god-like knowledge… Much better to ask a student and then turn around and look at the puzzle on the whiteboard as if you are trying to find the answer yourself.
This appears to be the opposite of the technique used by Mr. Rogers, but it is not. Why did he focus on the face? Why did the camera not even show the child’s hands?
Mr. Rogers offers a masterclass of how to interact with very young people. Thank you, Mr. Rogers. ❤️