Research practice partnerships (RPP) intend to blur the lines of traditional teacher and researcher roles. Teachers who participate in RPPs gain experiences in research activities such as identifying problems of practice, designing research methods and data collection tools, collecting and analyzing data. They learn to be critical consumers of research and gain new perspectives for interpreting research into practice. Being part of an RPP can also inspire teachers toward more inquiry into their own practices and can support them to be leaders in their local community. An RPP is devoted to the ongoing advancement and improvement of teaching and learning which is an essential goal shared by Professional Development Schools (PDS). This paper shares one teacher's journey through the first year as part of an RPP team that was engaging in design-based implementation research (DBIR). Her intellectual growth and motivation for engaging in the inquiry has been inspired by the opportunities that a research project has provided. In return the teacher has provided valuable insight to engaging in research and developing and disseminating knowledge.