Pride, fear, and stress exist on the roller coaster that is the work-life of a graduate student functioning in the role of team member in a mixed-level, collaborative teaching team. These emotions are not uncommon to faculty/graduate student work relationships, but given the power differential, the interdependent team dynamic adds an incubator effect that can be a great place to grow or a miserable sweat box. The goal of this article is to examine the mixed-level teaching team by discussing the benefits, pointing out some of the challenges, and offering advice to faculty and graduate students about how to navigate a productive and growing life in the incubator.