ABSTRACT
This case recounts events that occurred over three years in John’s, a high school history teacher, early career when his work life was disrupted by a physical move from the traditional school to The Annex, a church basement two blocks away, with two other new teachers (Stacy, English and Vinnie, Math). John’s supervisor walked with him to The Annex, showed him the space and left, never to return again-in fact no school administrator went to The Annex again. There were no bells ringing to force the movement from one class to another-instead the teachers could check in and see if more or less time was needed. In the first year, John’s history students began a polling project to assess the beliefs of people in the community. Luckily the church building above The Annex provided access to a diverse community of people who were happy to share their thoughts with students. What began as a one-off activity in polling evolved into an interdisciplinary project across the three subject areas with a focus on reactions to the 2008 election.
