The Professional Development School (PDS) program is a very special partnership between Illinois State University and Pekin District 108. I am so happy to have had such an amazing experiece in this program. It has allowed me to be looked upon as a professional in the schools for an entire school year. Before school started in the fall of 2007, I helped my mentor set up her classroom, I attended both district and building retreats, met the individuals which I would be working with for the year, and took part in meet the teacher night.

During the fall semester I was in the classroom three days a week. Most of the lesson plans were prepared by my mentor teachers, but by the end of my time with each mentor I was delivering most lessons. The first semester prepared me to jump into my student teaching semester with a running start.

Since I went into my student teaching semester knowing that I would be having a dual placement, both my kindergarten mentor and  I thought it would be best for me to have full control of the class as soon as possible. By the third week of class, I was planning and delivering all of the lessons.

Halfway through the semester I went to the opposite end of the school and started teaching third graders.

The whole year has been full of excitment, challenges, and learning experiences. I would not change any part of this wonderful experience and would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in becoming an educator.

Now that I have finished my year-long internship, it feels as though I have completed my first year of teaching and I will be entering into the educational field as a second-year teacher.