The following essay is a dialogue between two high school English teachers at a small, progressive public school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Throughout their dialogue, Jen, whose voice appears in italics, and Kim, whose voice appears in plain text, discuss the factors that motivated their decisions to become teachers, tell of the distinct impact that Obama’s election has had on their practice and their students, and suggest that many students feel ambivalent about the extent to which President Obama could effect real change in their lives. The article concludes with an anecdote, suggesting that educators can engage in a process of inquiry with students to help them make connections between Obama’s election and their lives.

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Jennifer McLaughlin teaches tenth-grade English in a New York City public school, where she has worked since 2000. She is interested in promoting twenty-firstcentury literacy and participates in the Teachers College Readers and Writers Project at Columbia University and the National Council of Teachers of English. She also leads professional workshops for teachers in New York City and at national conferences.

Kim Kelly, a public school teacher for twelve years, teaches high school English in New York City. She develops curricula that are socially, politically, and emotionally relevant to her students’ lives. She has written a young adult novel and is coauthoring with two fellow East Side teachers a book for NCTE about authentic and alternative assessments.