the constant reminder by peers, family members, teachers, and now school administrators to see urban youth of color as a group that is potentially dangerous and needs to be saved from themselves. We were both told not to express too much emotion with students or be too friendly with them. I was told to “stand your ground when they test you,” “don’t let them know anything about your life so they don’t get too familiar,” and “remember that there is nothing wrong with being mean.” Everyone from whom we solicited advice shared a variation of the phrase “Don’t smile till November.”
