When the banana is growing, the broadest part of the banana is located at the bottom, while the tapered end points upward. It appears upside down, however, from the banana tree's perspective, it is growing right side up. The author observes that the students in her classroom labeled by society as "at risk," are also, in a sense, "upside down." They do not grow the same way as other students in the classrooms. She asks, are they "right side up?" Could there be untapped resources in their developing minds, characters, and personalities that have not yielded "fruit?" In this article, the author makes comparisons between bananas and students who are labeled by society as "at risk". Just as some bananas trees produce fruit early and some produce fruit late, some adolescents develop physically, mentally, and emotionally relatively early, and some develop in later years. Teachers should take such into consideration. To grow to its maximum potential, a banana tree must have care. What causes young adolescents to grow and ripen is a safe and nurturing classroom environment.