As instructors of young people, we have come to look beyond unflattering fashions, unfortunate piercings, and unbelievable hair to the people beyond. Misinterpreting a resting face, however, is a more insidious problem because it is essentially automatic and falls in line with what we already do well. We are in a position of remarkable power in our classrooms and laboratories. To a truly stunning degree, our expectations of our students become their reality. Accurately developing those expectations is central to their success. In this month’s column, the editor discusses compelling reasons why educators should not evaluate their students based on “face value.”