A Conversation With Areia Cobb

Why do you believe SEL and EQ are important?

I believe SEL and EQ are important because an emotional imbalance can wreck your life. Many students are classified as having behavior issues because they do not know how to manage their emotions, and I believe teaching about SEL and EQ could help diffuse this.

Do you have any personal anecdotes about how SEL/EQ has brought you success in your
personal life/career?

I teach self-regulation techniques to my students regularly to help them clear their minds and manage behavior and have experienced students gain awareness and begin to use the techniques without being prompted to regulate their behavior.

What do you believe to be one or two of the main challenges in education (K-8) today?

One of the main challenges is that teachers do not always feel supported by administration and parents, making it sometimes difficult to set parameters for what is and is not acceptable in the classroom.

Conversely, what do you believe to be one or two of the biggest opportunities in education (K-8) today?

One of the biggest opportunities in education is the opportunity to show a child that they matter!