Much of the first few days of school are spent on getting to know the surroundings and meeting new friends. One lesson I teach the kids is a lesson on fair vs equal. I had each student come and tell me about a boo-boo. Regardless of their answer, I gave each child a band aid to put on his/her hand. The kids are always so confused and don't understand why.
I explain to them, that giving them something that they don't need isn't me helping them. And me giving them something they want because their friend has it is EQUAL. Me giving me them something that they need is being FAIR. We have a long talk about how it is my job to make sure everyone in our classroom is getting what he/she needs and how that is FAIR. And in our classroom it may not always be EQUAL, but it will always be FAIR.
I explain to them, that giving them something that they don't need isn't me helping them. And me giving them something they want because their friend has it is EQUAL. Me giving me them something that they need is being FAIR. We have a long talk about how it is my job to make sure everyone in our classroom is getting what he/she needs and how that is FAIR. And in our classroom it may not always be EQUAL, but it will always be FAIR.