ABSTRACT
Social emotional learning (SEL) advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school–family–community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities. SEL is key to successful student performance, especially in preschool and elementary school. It is clear that students, teachers, and school leaders alike are struggling to reimagine what school, and its socio-emotional support, should look like for students when they are in school remotely, in-person in a new way, or a hybrid of the two. Becoming an emotionally intelligent educator in the face of uncertainty is fundamental to creating and sustaining emotionally healthy classroom and school environments.
