As I am ending my experience in the Pekin PDS Program, I find myself explaining to people how beneficial this program is. I thought my countless hours of projects and research throughout my college career would truly prepare me for the teaching world.  However, when I entered the classroom I soon realized I was wrong.    I think about how scared I was, knowing that I had to enter a classroom filled with 25 students excited to learn.  However, once I entered the room, my fears turned into excitement and enthusiasm.  Within my first semester I spend over 250 hours in the classroom with my students and loved every moment of it.      Throughout the past year, I have not only grown as a teacher, but also as a person.  I have been given the opportunity to challenge myself to explore different types of instruction that I felt would benefit my students while having the support and guidance that I needed.  Through this program I have gained the strength and confidence to become and effective and valuable instructor.   It is now nine months later, and I am preparing to graduate from Illinois State University.  I will always look back on my PDS experience as one of the most challenging and impacting year of my life.  My most rewarding experience of all is knowing that I will be, without a doubt one of the most prepared graduates to walk into my first year of teaching and for that I am proud to have been an intern in a Professional Development School.