What Happens When We Listen
What Happens When We Listen
A Real Story About SEL in Action
date: August 26, 2025
This piece was born in a Faculty of Education classroom, during a discussion with teacher candidates about how to make learning meaningful for all students. One candidate raised their hand and asked, “I keep hearing about trauma-informed teaching. Can you share an example with us?” I paused. Instead of offering a definition or listing strategies, I shared a story—one that stayed with me long after I left the classroom where it happened. What follows is that story, written for a wider audience, with the hope that it offers something real, something useful, and something true about what social-emotional learning (SEL) can look like when we’re willing to listen.