A Conversation With Heather Marshall

Why do you believe SEL and EQ are important?

SEL and EQ are fundamental to learning readiness. They enable students and teachers to better understand themselves and to connect with each other, which is critically important in creating the space that allows academic learning to occur.

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

SEL/EQ has enabled me to understand myself and my students more deeply, to make connections, and to establish healthy boundaries that allow me to do my best, most authentic work.

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

Teacher burnout is a huge challenge that is as symptom of several other challenges in education: large class sizes, lack of respect, low pay. The current cultural climate of shutting down (banning books, for instance) rather than opening up conversation is also a challenge.

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

The openness of many teachers, schools and school districts to developing SEL/EQ programming is exciting.