Equity vs. Equality: It’s the Effort that Makes the Difference!

      In education, everyone strives to show that their school is equitable and meets the needs of all learners. But can this truly be modeled? Well, the good news is… YES, it can! However, this will have to take an understanding of what equity truly is vs. equality and how without the extra effort required for equity, you will only achieve equality.

     Equity has been defined as providing resources and tools necessary in addition to providing support for all learners…as needed. True equity includes reflection, inclusion and connecting with the community of your learners. However, equality is simply providing the same resources and tools for students equally.

     In a classroom setting, usually teachers operate under a Tier-1 model when looking at the MTSS/RTI framework. Considering this, a teacher uses general expectations for all learners when modeling a lesson, providing resources, and giving differentiated instruction. Even when communicating to parents, teachers use the blanket approach of “Class Dojo”, “Remind App” and other sources to “cover the basics.”

     However, in some settings a teacher must learn to embrace enough empathy and compassion to think outside of the box and provide MORE for learners who needed it the most. If a family is not of the “traditional” setting, and there might be either one parent/guardian or even more children involved, a teacher must choose to take the time out of their busy schedule to do more. There is no shortcut to this. However, what does “doing more” efficiently and effectively” look like? Well, it varies case by case. This is when equity kicks in.

     I can remember when the pandemic first hit our globe. Teachers were struggling to find ways to teach equitably online, brick and mortar. Some teachers were limited due to students not having internet. Many students missed months’ worth of curriculum and quality teaching due to the distance provided in the virtual setting. However, other teachers decided to “Make it happen”. They went above and beyond by calling parents, opening their office hours after school, mailing assignments and tests home, and more. Other teachers were more flexible with their grading practices. Instead of granting a 0 for assignments that weren’t turned in, they adjusted every 0 to a 50%. Think about how practicing equity must have made these feel.

     When equitable practices are truly at work, excuses are eliminated, and results that show academic progress flourish. Even during the pandemic, students still passed standardized exams, were college and career ready, and enjoyed learning. What made the difference? The practice of equity.

Hence teachers, here are some practices you can implement to be equitable in any instructional setting:

1.    Communicate MORE

Sometimes at the end of the day, all a teacher wants to do is sit in their vehicle and decompress. They just want to breath and reflect on their day. Some teachers just want to speak with loved ones, and find a way to vent, or embrace outlets provided to them. Studies from Dr. John Hattie’s “Visible Learning” study show that providing quality teacher feedback improves teacher practice and student achievement. As educational leaders, there are so many misconceptions that could be cleared between family members and teachers, and student to teacher interaction. Teachers: it is worth the sacrifice to call home afterschool or email the parents after school. Honestly, students deserve more from you as their leader if that is what it takes to get them across the finish line.

2.    Practice Empathy and Compassion through your Deeds

     Often, teachers will complain about how much they sacrifice for their learners. Coupled with this are stories about how “I don’t see how he’s not getting it!” Or “I taught them everything they needed to know; I don’t know where the disconnect is?!” It can truly be overwhelming for teachers who are trying to provide quality instruction to learners to feel like they are missing the mark. However, unless teachers truly grasp the concept of empathy and compassion, their gradebooks will suffer along with student success. At the end of the day, the numbers don’t lie. If your children aren’t getting it, they might need you to re-teach. Or students might need to have an opportunity take an assessment again or make-up their missing assignments.

      Instead of complaining or being discouraged, see this as a teachable moment for you as the educator. Figure out if your practices are truly helping or hindering students. Here’s a rhetorical question for teachers to consider: Do you really need to count all 28 homework assignments? Best practices in teaching show that homework is not a strong factor towards student achievement compared to others like classroom discussion and feedback. Would it hurt for teachers to consider reviewing assignments whole class and giving everyone 100% effort grade for a job well done? It would boost the morale of the learners as well as their self-esteem.

3.    Be Proactive at Advocating for Your Learner

     It is very easy to be proactive about making sure a child receives proper discipline whenever they make a mistake or marking a zero for students who did not make up that assignment on time. However, what about using that same energy to be proactive about helping your learners? Seeing that students spend most of their day with their teachers, teachers are their unsung heroes. The best thing a teacher can do is demonstrate kindness by advocating for their learners. Sometimes, its’ better to be right and say nothing, so that you can win over your students and their families. Yes, maybe your student missed the ball on that last classwork assignment. However, maybe you can review it or give them another shot at that assignment and help them smile again in your class. The power is in your hands.

4.    Adjust Your Gradebook Practices

     Think about it: how would you feel as an educator if you leave this school year, justified in your grading, yet 80 percent of your students failed? Good job? I think not. Students are not sent to school to fail; they are sent to pass. If they have a competent teacher that chooses to help them over making excuses as to “why my students can’t…”, then they will soar. The area of focus is getting to that point. Teachers: the power of learning is in your control. If you show your child that you’ll meet them halfway, they will exceed your expectations!

 Conclusion

     Teachers, the best is yet to come when you truly embrace the idea of going the extra mile to implement equity in your classroom. Making your communication skills stronger with parents and students, practicing empathy and compassion, being proactive to advocate for your learner and adjusting your gradebook practices are some simple strategies that will get you on the right track. So, choose to embrace equitable practices and help your students achieve success today!