A schoolteacher in the United States has gone viral online after explaining equity to her 3-rd-grade class. In a video, the teacher outlines why not all children can be treated the same and that we all have to make allowances for others. The viral video on TikTok of 21-year-old Aimee has since clocked up millions of views.
To explain the concept of equity, Aimee used a band-aid. She first asked them how many students had ever scraped their knee or hurt themselves and needed band-aid – all put up their hands. She asks them who had hit their head and who had hurt their arm. When a child raised their hand, the teacher handed them a band-aid and said, 'this is for your elbow'.
Suddenly, all the children become confused. Why did a child that hurt their head get handed a band-aid for their elbow?
She then asks the children who had hurt their knee and to each of them hands a band-aid saying, 'this is for your elbow'. Again, the children are very confused.
It is then that the teacher explains:
"Even though I handed the same thing (band-aid), to everyone who was hurt, it wasn't helpful to most of you. Everyone getting the same thing isn't 'fair' but being 'fair' means everyone getting what they need to be successful."
The teacher went on to say:
"After this lesson, students are much more understanding when their friends with diabetes need an extra snack, when their friends with autism need noise-cancelling headphones. When they're friends with someone who has ADHD and needs the fidget-spinner. It helps with everything."
@aimeesedventures #howiteach fairness to my #elementarystudents #iteach #backtoschool #teachersoftiktok #teachersontiktok #teacher #teachingontiktok #classroom
♬ original sound - Aimee | Elementary Teacher
In a follow up video, Aimee explained that fairness is not about treating everyone the same, it is about helping those that need it, and for us all to make allowances for that. She also says that teachers can't use a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and that education must be formulated in ways that help all children.
Online, many were quick to point out that if third graders could understand the concept of real equity, then it really is a wonder why many adults cannot.
[h/t: Upworthy]
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