New Perspective

My definition of equity has changed greatly from the beginning of this course until now. My initial thought was that equity in a classroom meant treating students fairly and providing everyone with an equal opportunity to learn. Making sure I call on the boys as much as I call on the girls, for example, is a big part of that. I thought that by pulling popsicle sticks with the student’s names on them I was fulfilling my duty of creating an equitable classroom. Equity also meant differentiating instruction so that all students are able to access the curriculum at a level manageable to them. While all of that still applies, my current definition of equity has expanded to include much more. My original thoughts were focused around the students; I was not factoring myself and other staff into the equation. Equity encompasses students, parents/guardians, teachers, as well as other support staff. Aside from the classroom core teachers, other teachers and staff may include special educators, ELL instructors, guidance counselors, speech and language pathologists, school psychologist, social worker, reading specialist, etc. It is each student’s job to set challenging, yet obtainable, goals that they’ll strive to either reach or beat on a daily basis. It is the parents/guardians job to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the classroom and provide a supportive environment for student learning at home. Teachers need to continue to better themselves as educators by seeking out professional development, as well as any other opportunities that may come their way. Teachers and other support staff need to meet frequently so that everyone is “in tune” with what’s going on (or what’s not going on) with their students. All parties involved serve as a piece to the equity puzzle. When one or more pieces are missing, equity cannot be achieved. Everyone needs to be an active participant and fulfill their duties in order to create equity.