What does it mean for teachers to understand their students? For those of who teach gifted and talented students, teachers strive to understand how they think differently than their age-peers typically do. These teachers develop curriculum that fosters what is unique about their thinking. But to understand students fully, they need also to understand how they feel--feel about their learning, about their talents, about their place in the classroom. This article is an introduction to a special issue on social and emotional development of gifted students to the readers of "Gifted Child Today" ("GCT"). The collection of articles in this special issue makes the point that whenever students' minds are engaged, their social/emotional needs are engaged also.