“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
In our country’s historical context, we know that the term “equality” was not meant for everyone to embrace. Women, minorities, and poor Caucasians were not included under this umbrella, causing these groups to advocate for equality throughout U.S. history. In regards to the political and social media rhetoric regarding the presidential election, the term “equality” has been alluded to excessively. Using these concepts as my catalyst, I ask all upcoming (and current) educators to reflect on this question…
Do we strive to treat students equally or fairly in our schools?
For example, if we treated all students equally in a classroom, there would be no need for the following things: differentiation, IEP’s/504’s, free and reduced lunches, multicultural strategies, and positive behavior interventions.
Equality is a beautiful concept, like women fantasizing over the perfect wedding. So does that mean your partner’s dream wedding should be the same price as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West? No, but that does not mean they should not fall in love and strive for happiness. As we mature, we realize that the complexities of a wedding are dependent upon your financial status.
As educators, we must accept in many ways that the illusion of equality sets students up for failure. Equality is a thorn to developing resiliency skills in students. J.K Rowling once said, “I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” Studies (Conner, 2006; Howard & Johnson, 2000) have shown that resiliency increases when the negative situation is recognized by an individual and they have support systems to help them through the issue.
However, this assertion should not be confused with dehumanizing a student, but explaining to them that it is okay to be different. Recognizing our differences is what makes us unique. Failure to assimilate in pre-ordained structures (assessments, social norms, etc.) leads to our resiliency kicking in to combat these shortcomings (Conner, 2006; Howard & Johnson, 2000). We either learn to navigate the structures for success or fail miserably. It is the later comment where educators step in to provide support for students so that they can obtain the skills they need for success.
Utilizing previously mentioned concepts, one would argue that educators already strive to treat all students fairly so they can develop resilient skills to achieve equality in the world. Yet, when we say to students, “equal,” we rarely combine the connotation of fairness.
For upcoming (and current) educators, I ask you to reflect on how you use the terms around students and impart to them a clear understanding of both so they can develop the resilient skills they need in order to be successful.
Works Cited:
-Conner, D. R. (2006). Managing at the speed of change: How resilient managers succeed and prosper where others fail. Random House.
-Howard, S., & Johnson, B. (2000). Resilient and non-resilient behaviour in adolescents. Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Criminology.“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
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