Mr. Johnson asks Betsy to explain hers, and she says that she thinks you should just circle the smaller one. The teacher gives students time to think before responding. The teacher connects the students approaches and reasoning to the conventional notation. Because the students have thought about what it means for two numbers to be equal, they are ready to learn how that is conventionally represented. In this case, the notation follows the development of the concept in a meaningful context.
Several seconds pass.
Ruth shoots her hand in the air. Several others also have their hands up. You could circle both of them because they are the same. They are not greater or less. They are the same.