Universities typically use one-day-a-week practicum experiences for novice preservice teachers, but in this pilot program they were placed with 20 cooperating teachers in elementary classrooms for five consecutive weeks. This article explores the impact of extended and early practicum experiences. Findings suggest the cooperating teachers had increased opportunities for their own professional development, observed growth in their preservice teachers, and witnessed direct benefits to their students, furthering the argument that there is room for improvement in traditional practicum models in teacher education programs. However, extended immersion experiences require close partnerships between schools and universities. To foster these partnerships, a collaborative mentoring model is proposed.