New teachers may not be prepared for the reality shock of emotions expressed by their students affected by daily tragedy or crisis trauma. This study explores the way professors incorporate social emotional education into the preparation of pre-service teachers to equip them for managing their future classrooms. A qualitative case study approach was used to discover the perspectives of academic leadership, professors, and students within one School of Education in the Midwest. Pre-service teachers provided with appropriate resources and professional development may enter the field with the necessary training to create and promote safe, vibrant, forward moving, and impactful learning environments (Blodgett & Lanigan, 2018; Nealy-Oparah & Scruggs-Hussein, 2018). Findings suggest a congruency among faculty intent but an incongruency between intentionality and accountability. Results identify the need for a deliberate and formalized effort in equipping pre-service teachers to understand the social emotional needs of 21st Century learners.