I am a doctoral candidate in the Literacy Studies program in the School of Education. As a former elementary literacy teacher and instructional coach in Baltimore, Maryland and Denver, Colorado; I am interested in how the discourse of accountability permeates elementary literacy classrooms and constructs what is (im)possible in these spaces. My current research seeks to engage in critical discourse analysis collaboratively with elementary school teachers to bring to light the ways our language choices create and/or restrict subjectivities for both students and teachers. The aim of my research is to explore with practicing teachers how one can find space to resist within a system of surveillance and control to enact deeply held commitments to critical pedagogy.