"On this episode," James writes, "I have the privilege to speak to fellow student teacher Alicia Thompson as we both unpack our first day of school with students in a high school setting. Alicia lives in Connecticut and is in the same situation as I am, trying to balance school, family, and finances. Alicia graciously reached out to me in an email and said, 'I would love to connect!' I am super stoked to be able to invite you into our conversation about our experiences so far, as well as our joys and fears going forward. As usual, I invite your feedback and input. You can email me at ChicagoStudentTeacher@gmail.com."

This week James interviews his principal mentor, Ms. Venus Shannon, principal at Zion Central Middle School in Zion, Illinois. Ms. Shannon has sage advice for student teachers beginning on this final chapter as we enter classrooms and orient ourselves to the school and its culture and climate. Sit back, relax and listen in. As usual, questions or comments are welcome; email James at jlmorga3@neiu.edu.

This debut episode is an introduction to James, where he shares his vision of why he is doing the podcast and what he hopes to contribute to all those on a student teaching journey. As an outline for the episodes, he plans to use his SPED 512 syllabus as a guide for the next 16 weeks. Let's wonder together and share the experience!