A Conversation With Duane Jourdeans

Why do you believe SEL and EQ are important?

Emotional intelligence is extremely important because we can use it to enhance how we connect, communicate, and collaborate. EQ holds all the skills that demonstrate how well we take in, understand, show, reason with, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others.

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

During my years as a head football coach, my coaching staff understood how to value and trust our players. Many playcalls were actually theirs and not ours. This awareness of their strengths, and the trust we had in each other, led to multiple state championships.

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

Right now, educators are exhausted from the pandemic. With proper EQ, however, we can learn how to help ourselves and each other work through this challenge.

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

A large opportunity today is to use these current challenges as a learning experience. How we work through theses tough times can be a map of how people can flourish during difficulties in the future.