A Conversation With Dr. Douglas Yau

Why do you believe SEL and EQ are important?
Emotional intelligence is a set of skills that helps you understand and regulate your own emotions, read other people’s emotions and build relationships. Characteristics such as leadership, empathy and grit are formed based on high EQ. Success in workforce has been found to be attributed more to EQ than IQ, and this skill set is ranked as one of the top competencies sought after by hiring managers.

Do you have any personal anecdotes about how SEL/EQ has brought you success in your personal life/career?
As a people manager, having a high EQ has allowed me to better connect with my team members, tactfully manage conflict, and lead them to success. In working with clients, I have leveraged my EQ to read their emotions while working on projects and build strong and long lasting relationships. Finally as a parent, having a high EQ enabled me to regulate my own emotions during these uncertain times, understand the emotions of my kids and teach them how to manage their frustrations, and form deeper connections with them with each passing day.

What do you believe to be one or two of the main challenges in education (K-8) today?
The education system was unprepared for remote learning as a result of COVID. The challenge was to replicate teaching, classwork and learning for both teachers and kids who were unfamiliar with the technology. Additionally, the social connection between kids, especially in the lower grades, that typically happen organically in the classroom did not occur under the current remote learning program.

Conversely, what do you believe to be one or two of the biggest opportunities in education (K-8) today?
The biggest opportunity for education today is modernize and adopt new ways of teaching and leveraging diverse remote learning platforms as hybrid learning is here to stay.