Everyone deserves to be treated respectfully unequal.
Nov 11, 2025Everyone deserves to be treated respectfully unequal.
It may sound like rebellion, but for me, it’s about responsibility. Sameness is easy. It feels safe. But sameness kills growth.
Every learner (student or co-worker) walks in with a different story. Different strengths. Different timing. A different stretch zone.
Why do we teachers still compare learners to each other?
“You’re just like your brother.”
“She’s much more focused than you.”
“He always finishes faster.”
We say it with good intentions: to motivate, to connect, to give feedback. But for the learner on the other end, it can feel like being measured against someone else’s growth.
And that’s where motivation slowly fades.
Because fairness isn’t about treating everyone the same.
It’s about creating the right circumstances for each person to thrive.
👉 One student needs freedom, another structure.
👉 One thrives under pressure, another shines with encouragement.
Over the years, working with schools from Varde, Denmark to Green School South Africa, I’ve seen it again and again:
as soon as teachers stop comparing, students stop comparing too.
Result: They start taking ownership, experimenting, helping each other! Learning becomes social again.
Last week, I spoke in Holbæk, sharing how motivation grows when we start treating learners respectfully unequal.
And this Thursday, November 13, I’ll be at the Danish Entrepreneurship Festival in Vejle, hosted by Fonden for Entreprenørskab — to show that we already have everything it takes to make this shift happen in our classrooms.
Join me there — or invite me to bring the conversation to your school or event.
