Running Head: FAIR VS EQUAL

Fair VS Equal
Monica N. Izzo
California State University, Stanislaus

FAIR VS EQUAL

Fair VS Equal
Introduction
Each child is a unique individual and each child deserves to be taught in such a way.
These individuals come from different backgrounds, they are impacted by the environment
differently, and with this they learn differently. As a future educator we will be treating all
children fairly verse equally. How does she treat each child as unique individuals fairly? She will
find what makes each child unique and teach to their needs fairly. Teachers with students that
differ in race and socioeconomic status from their own (Howard, 1999), enter their classrooms
with a judgment on a student that they havent even given the chance to know (Reyes & Stanic,
1988). (Reed & Oppong, 2005). As she walks into the future, she refuses to enter blindly into
the doors of her classroom defining differences solely on race and SES status.
A childs differences are to be defined by truth and if she wants a child to learn, she will
teach them in a way that they understand. She cannot treat them equally, because children are not
all the same. She can treat them fairly and teach them that not everybody will be getting the same
learning experience, but they will each get the learning experience they need to be successful.
She needs to teach for them to understand, which means she needs to teach to meet their
interests. To meet their interests she must treat the children as unique individuals and know their
interests. Each child is a unique individual and deserves to be taught in such a way. By
implementing their interests in my curriculum, classroom environment, and in the relationships
she builds with them and their families, treating them as unique individuals. With this she will
build a school infrastructure that facilitates fairness.
Finding childrens uniqueness and treating them fairly

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Fair, the opposite of the same. With childrens uniqueness, she will begin to treat them
fairly. Her curriculum will be planned in a way that meets each individuals interests. Data will
be collected in the beginning of each passing year, surveys will list questions of particular likes
and dislikes, an example being who likes basketball and who likes football. Scores will be
revealed on students highs and lows inside the academic world to know the children on a one on
one basis, and what it will take to reach their fullest capability of learning. She will learn where
the child comes from, how this environment they are in impacts them, and how she can best
teach to their learning style. To do this she plans on creating activities where children can share
about themselves, providing pictures of their family and details on their interests, giving me the
opportunity to know them one on one, treating them the opposite of the same. As the child is
unique so will the curriculum that is implemented.
Unique environment
She will create a unique environment off of the childrens unique qualities. Her environment
will first and foremost benefit the students learning by opening windows, welcoming sunlight
and fresh air (Barrett, Davies, Zhang, and Barret 2015). The classroom will be set up with
multiple different areas such as a, science, math, writing, quiet reading, and music area, allowing
for interests to meet each individuals needs. It will display many backgrounds represented with
graphics posted throughout the classroom that help support reading using vocabulary, writing
using site words, and math using math problems. Different languages will help represent each
unique individual, allowing students to learn from one another. The environment is to feel warm
and welcoming to each individual who enters the room, positive, encouraging, and academic
music will fill the room in the beginning, in the transitions, and at the end of each day to
encourage students to release and move forward As the child is unique so will the environment

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that is created. She intends to use indirect guidance having the areas set up for the amount of
children designated for any particular area, this will go hand in hand with what is planned in her
curriculum. This environment shows the opposite of the same kind of classroom environments
children are familiar with, where the environment is best set up for verbal-emotional girls, who
can sit and multi-task, ignoring that boys learn in a more kinesthetic and physical environment
(Carrier 2009).
Unique relationships that favor fairness
She will build unique relationships with children and their families that exemplify fairness.
The relationships I build with children and their families will be unique from any other
relationship built with others because I will build them solely on the childs needs, finding ways
to make a home-school connection with their families. As she does for the students she will do
for the families, such as handing out surveys for the families to fill out in order to give families a
chance to talk about their cultures, languages, and what they believe helps their children learn
(Shillady 2014). In doing this she hopes families will feel connected, and as if their opinion
matters, because it does. I will do this using the guidance techniques that have been taught to me
over the years, such as responsive language that exemplifies positive verbal techniques that show
respect to these families unique qualities. I will validate feelings to ensure that I respect and care
for each individual. With each passing day, children, families, and colleagues will be greeted on a
first name bases and asked how they are doing with great sincerity. The door of her classroom
will be open, but she will be there to lend a helping hand inside and outside of the classroom to
show what a caring educator can do regardless of the paid hours (Shillady 2014). She will be
open about her own personal life, with intentions being the students, families, and colleagues can
do the same, understanding that emotional support can do more than interacting, but it can assist

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in intellectual skills (Jensen 2009). As the child and their families are unique so will the
relationships I build with them. These relationships will show the opposite of the same, but
instead will be based on each individuals identity.
Constructing a school infrastructure that facilitates fairness
Lastly she will construct a school infrastructure that facilitates fairness. The school is
bigger than what happens inside the classroom walls, the plan is to share her worldview with the
school, in hopes to implement it as a part of the mission statement the school stands by. As the
child is unique so is the families that raise them, the teachers that teach them, and the school that
supports them. This is more than one student, more than one teacher, more than the family, and
the school staff, its an army, a team, and a body of supporters that can start each day with the
mindset that something great is going to occur each day in a students life, the school will stand
on a ground that is opposite of the same ground people are used to walking on when it comes to a
school campus.
Theoretical tenants
I recognize how culture can affect and shape cognitive development, with cognitive
development varying across cultures as a future educator she needs to know her students as the
unique individuals they are and teach them in a way that will best benefit their cognitive
development. Explanation of how her work exemplifies this theory is, that she chooses to teach
to each childs uniqueness and in doing this she needs to acknowledge their unique qualities by
educating herself on their cultural backgrounds and environmental upbringings.
Experiences

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Experiences in various classrooms ranging from toddlers to fifth grade have brought to
my attention the importance of treating children fairly. For example if a child is prone to acting
out, having an area designated for that childs escape away from reality is crucial, and beneficial
to not only them but others around them. Each childs temperament differs from one anothers,
this is each childs emotional nature (Rothbart and Bates 2006) and in her experiences its her job
to nurture the childs emotional nature by respecting them, and their needs. Each child is unique
and if a teacher treats them all equally they lose the opportunity to help a child grow in their
learning experience. If a teacher takes time to know each child one on one they can teach to their
understanding.
This worldview is her own in her experiences. In the classroom as a preschool teacher,
having twelve three and four year olds in one classroom alone she began to see each childs
uniqueness and learn how to teach to it in order to manage the beautiful chaos. One little girl in
particular she observed closely as she interacted with peers day in and day out. On the days
where all twelve children showed up she would notice her act out, or become over stimulated
with all the commotion. She found that setting up play dough on a table with only four trays and
four chairs, by an open window, in the back more hidden corner of the room soothed her. She
was able to interact with the three peers without shouting, or hitting to get what she wanted.
Her worldview came to be her own in the experience of a teacher treating her fairly not
equally. Although she may have been one of the many Caucasian females going through high
school, ready to grow up and get out, this particular teacher didnt treat students the same, she
took time to know them individually and built relationships by relating to their experiences. This
teacher was open and honest with students, making it easy for students to go to her for
emotional, mental, and academic guidance. She changed her life and her goal is to now do the

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same by focusing on fairness, showing the opposite of the same by standing out, even if it means
standing alone. Her beliefs, her worldview, there her motivation to make a difference, and
change lives of students, shes not the same, and she doesnt want to be, because that wouldnt be
fair to students who need different.
Goals
Her career goals are to become an elementary school teacher, with the end goal of being
an elementary school principal. She wants to do what that one teacher did for her, to make an
impact on a childs life. To be an example for other teachers by setting up a classroom that
students can learn to their interests. By implementing her worldview into her teaching style, on
to making fairness what the school stands on.
Conclusion
In summary, treating all children fair verse equal is her worldview. She will find each
childs uniqueness and treat them fairly, she will create a unique environment, build unique
relationships that exemplify fairness, and construct a school infrastructure that facilitates
fairness. Each child is a unique individual and deserves to be taught in such a way, and she will
be doing this by finding out what makes a child unique, creating an environment that meets their
interests, build relationships with their families, and construct a school infrastructure. Its crucial
to meet childs interests in order for us to teach them effectively, we have to teach in a way that
the child understands, that is done when we treat them fairly. Even though it only takes one
teacher to make a difference, she doesnt want to stop there. She wants the school she works for
to be known for treating each child unique and fair.

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References
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Copple, C. , & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (2005). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early
Childhood
Programs. United States of America: National Association for the
Education of Young Children.
Howard, G. R. (1999). We cant teach what we dont know: White teachers, multiracial schools.
New York: Teachers College
Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind: What being poor does to kids' brains and what
schools can do about it. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
R. Judith Reed & Nicholas Oppong. (2005). The Mathematics Educator 15 Looking Critically at
Teachers Attention, Monograph No. 1, 2 to Equity in their Classrooms
Reyes, L. H., & Stanic, G. M. A. (1988). Race, sex, socioeconomic status, and mathematics.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 19(1), 2643
Rothbate, Mary K. and Bates, John E. (2006). Temperament. In the Handbook of Child
Psychology (Sixth ed., Vol. Three, pp99-101). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons
Shillady, Amy. (September 2014). Engaging Families in Diverse Communities: Strategies from
Elementary School Principals. Young Children, 46-49
University of Salford. (2015, April 1). Well-designed classrooms can boost learning progress in
primary school pupils by up to 16% in a single year, research reveals. ScienceDaily.
Retrieved April 27, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150401084453.htm