Our latest book, Strategies for Successful Classroom Management, has an entire chapter dedicated to this most important concept! 

Being FAIR means that each individual gets what he or she needs to be successful.

Being EQUAL means that everyone gets exactly the same thing.

If we have 25 different students in our class then we must be fair to each.  This means we can not treat them all exactly the same way!

Differentiating instruction means that we give students what they need, even if it differs from what most others in our class are doing!