In D.C. and across the region, educators say that the return to schools from the pandemic is throwing one fact into stark relief: making academic progress is impossible without also addressing students’ social and emotional needs — and recognizing the mental health challenges that educators face, too. “We're back in school, we're all in-person, so now we have to deal with the gaps,” says Michael Carswell, an eighth grade English teacher at Statesman Prep in Ward 8. For this Voices of Wards 7 and 8, DCist spoke with educators about how they’re tackling students' social and emotional challenges in school this year. Here’s what they had to say. Slide 1: Justice Harris, Early Childhood Development Consultant, Apple Tree Schools Slide 2: Morgan Shaner, Spanish teacher, Plummer Elementary Slide 3: Lamar Bethea, Development Associate, Statesman College Preparatory Academy for Boys Slide 4: Renita Jackson, Lead Teacher, Apple Tree Schools Slide 5: Tara Young, Principal, Apple Tree Schools 📸 by: @deedwyerjonts