During the 2020 pandemic, global governments imposed COVID-19 restrictions. Among the restrictions were K-12 school closures, which caused an abrupt change from in-person to virtual learning. These circumstances damaged students' mental health even after constraints were lifted. The problem was the socio-emotional learning (SEL) deficiency exhibited by students post-COVID-19 and how schools can address the exposure to trauma to alleviate the negative academic impact. This study aimed to fill a gap in the literature on COVID-19 restrictions and urban, public middle school students' social-emotional learning and socio-emotional character development (SECD). The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 constraints on the SEL of urban middle school students during and after the pandemic. The study's theoretical framework combined the socio-emotional learning (SEL) theory and the 11 principles of character education. Participants were 15 New Jersey-certified middle school teachers from various subject areas. The research analyzed data from a focus group protocol and classroom observations to validate and assess the convergence of evidence of COVID-19 constraints on SEL and the need for SECD programs in schools. Six themes emerged from the data analysis. Research results highlighted the need for teacher professional development support in satisfying students' needs with a focus on the SEL curriculum SECD implementation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]