Retired Mentors for New Teachers

Retired Mentors for New Teachers is a two-year mentoring program at the elementary school level developed by Aurora Public Schools in Colorado. The program uses master educators who recently retired from the district to provide tailored one-on-one mentoring to probationary teachers (teachers in their first three years with the district, regardless of prior teaching experience). The program requires mentees to meet weekly one-on-one with their mentor and monthly in school-level groups over the course of two years. Mentees in their first year also receive the district's business-as-usual support and are assigned a buddy mentor. Retired educators can use a mix of supports, including modeling the classroom setup, co-teaching, classroom observation and feedback, modeling lesson design and delivery, analysis and reflection on data, literature studies, and organizing mentee visits to observe model classrooms. To participate in the program, retired educators must have at least five years of teaching experience in the district and a record of excellence as reflected by student achievement, performance reviews, leadership, and reputation as an effective educator.