This article discusses the importance of teachers validating a student's feelings and helping them find a voice to express those feelings. When teachers play that role, they are offering that student the chance to cultivate deeper social-emotional skills and close the gap between the intent of their words and actions and the resulting impact on others. This requires the adults in schools to evaluate their own emotional maturity and interpersonal skill set to ensure they engage in conversations and interactions with students and colleagues that are rooted in kindness and generosity of heart. When adults make assumptions or take things personally, the ability to maintain social and emotional skills that focus on the well-being of others is diminished. This negatively impacts teachers' relationships, not only with students, but also with colleagues. This article shares tips that can help teachers learn to "respond, not react" in the heat of the moment. [This article was written with Joy Kelly.]