Teachers are likely to create authentic learning environments for their students only if such contexts exist for them. However, it is more important than ever to look closely at professional development spaces that have been sustained over time in order to bolster teachers' agency, giving them the courage to teach against the grain. In this article, the author primarily focuses on a single meeting that occurred in a professional space, the Red River Writing Project Teacher Research Group (RRWPTRG). This transcript demonstrates how the moment-to-moment collaboration that takes place behind the scenes in an authentic learning environment, such as the teacher research group, can enable teachers to raise their voices in broader arenas, thus becoming "subjects in", rather than "objects of", the perpetual quest for educational reform. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)