Cheryl Burke

The dance pro blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

DWTS pro Cheryl Burke blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

The pro dancer's Olympian partner proposed to his girlfriend Oct. 9

DWTS airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC

DWTS airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC

The pro dancer blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

The pro dancer blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

"I feel like a protective mother," Burke writes of her new partner, who became embroiled in scandal after he competed in the Rio Olympics

The DWTS pro blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

The pro dancer blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

"I feel like a protective mother," Burke writes of her new partner, who became embroiled in scandal after he competed in the Rio Olympics

The DWTS pro blogs exclusively for PEOPLE

The pro says her partner is riding the high off positive feedback from the judges last week

"Give us something we can take back," the pro writes of the harsh criticism she and D.L. Hughley heard from the panel

"I didn't think there was any way we were staying," Burke tells PEOPLE of herself and partner D.L. Hughley

"Last week was a hard hit for the both of us," the pro writes, "but that is just fuel for us to work harder"

The pro says her comedian partner has learned what he's going to learn and the first week is all about having fun

"We're our own biggest competition," Burke writes ahead of Monday night's show

Cheryl Burke: Rob Isn't Letting Kim's Divorce Distract Him on Dancing

"He is definitely the partner I get along with the most," the Dancing pro tells PEOPLE

"He doesn't think of himself as being sexy, and he had to be sexy with me"

"I can tell he's getting more confident," writes Burke on her Dancing blog

"He felt like he deserved a slightly higher score," the pro writes

Rob [Kardashian] and I are getting along," says the pro dancer