Episode 139 | Boldly Serving Boys of Color: Stories, Emotions & Accountability

In this episode of Our Classroom, host Roberto Germán explores what it means to boldly serve boys of color—not just academically, but emotionally, culturally, and holistically. Drawing from Roberto’s live session at the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado, this conversation centers identity, storytelling, emotional literacy, and high expectations rooted in love. If you teach, mentor, parent, coach, or work alongside boys of color, this episode offers concrete shifts in mindset and practice that affirm humanity rather than manage behavior. CHAPTERS 0:00 – Welcome to Our Classroom 1:00 – Why Boys of Color Need Better Support 2:30 – Emotion Is Not Defiance 4:30 – When Boys Are Seen, They Speak 6:00 – Identity Is Complex, Not Confused 7:30 – Commitments for Educators 10:00 – Create Space, Not Silence 11:30 – Teach in Truth, Lead with Courage Key Themes Anger as communication, not misbehavior Storytelling and poetry as emotional containers Identity as complex, multilingual, whole High expectations as a form of love Rewriting deficit narratives in classrooms Creating space rather than controlling behavior Join the Community Teach in truth. Lead with courage. Belong to a community that gets it. Become a founding member of My Classroom Gold — a community for educators committed to equity, truth, and impact. Connect Follow @multiculturalclassroom Subscribe to Our Classroom on all platforms Explore resources at multiculturalclassroom.com Share This Episode If this message resonated, share it with someone who serves boys of color and help build a culture of love, truth, and accountability.