Teacher Uses Chair To Demonstrate Powerful Lesson On What “Fair” Means

Ryan Brazil is reminding us all that a simple lesson can sometimes be the most powerful. As a teacher to 4th graders, she’s responsible for educating them on a variety of subjects. So, when students expressed that her choices don’t always seem “fair,” she took a pause. As a result, she was able to give them an insightful lesson on what being “fair” actually means. To start, she asks if anyone knows how to define the word “fair.”

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Several kids raised their hands, but the one who was chosen explained it as being “equal.” From here, Ryan asked two students to get something for her. Although we don’t see what the item is in the video, we do know that it’s fairly high up. As a result, both students have different experiences with completing the task they were given. See how Ryan responded in the video below.

By choosing both a tall and short student, Ryan was able to demonstrate needing additional support looks like. While it’s technically not “fair” that the tall student didn’t get a chair to stand on, it’s what the short student needed to complete the task.

In other words, she explained the difference between equality (everyone gets the same resources) and equity (everyone gets different resources based on what they need to be successful). While this concept can be complex, she was able to explain it in a way that these 4th graders understood.

“From a special education teacher. I am forever stealing this. You are so well spoken and that was explained so well at their level,” someone shares in the comments, with another adding, “Perfectly encapsulated. And I would add, ‘and you don’t have all the info you need in order to know what that other student needs. You can only know what you need.'”

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!