Open the Can of Worms!

"We don't want to open that can of worms! If we do [whatever] for this child, we will have to do it for every child."

DISAGREE.

If we are going to help each child learn and flourish, we MUST open the can. We have to pour it out. We have to examine each individual worm to find out what it has, what it needs, and how best to provide those needs.

One worm might need more moisture. Another might need less. A third worm might previously have lived in peat moss that wasn't properly rinsed and therefore need some special care before growth can occur. Oh, and this one over here was left in the light too long before you received it. That one responds to a cooler environment--say, 55º, while those four over there do better if it's a bit warmer -- about 65º.

If I treat all my worms exactly the same, some of them will die!

I am not a scientist, and I really don't have any interest in worms, but isn't this a great analogy?

Do what is best for each individual child. "Equal" and "fair" are not synonyms.