In this article, the authors describe a set of skills and competencies that young children can learn in preschool classrooms (as well as at home). They begin by describing the experiences of Teacher Anita and Director Mary, and the challenges they face with Bobby and with several other children whose behavior creates problems in the classroom. The authors talk about both social and emotional competence (SEC) and social and emotional learning (SEL). They hope that teachers and administrators will sense their strong respect for their hard work.