Teacher mentoring has a place in HEART-ford

     By Meaghan Casey

By developing and mentoring a new generation of teachers, several retired Hartford teachers are finding their way back to the city’s classrooms.

Retired teacher Mary Ellen Welch, left, now mentors new teacher Nadia Petraccone at Betances Middle School.

In its first year, the Hartford Educators and Retired Teachers (HEART) program aims to provide new teachers with the support they need to be successful and to remain in the profession – specifically, in the Hartford Public Schools. Administrators hope that through the program, the district will retain a greater percentage of its most promising teachers, and students will benefit from having a more stable
and prepared group of educators entering the classrooms.

Initiated by Dr. Jacqueline Jacoby, special assistant to the superintendent and former interim superintendent, HEART is led by experienced educators Alice Luster and Paula Erickson. Luster, a retired Glastonbury Public Schools special education teacher, also serves as a special education supervisor at Central Connecticut State University. Erickson, a retired East Hartford Public Schools principal and the Connecticut Principal of the Year in 1999, serves as supervisor for new principals for the University of Connecticut. Both had 37 years’ of educational experience in their respective districts.

“Retirement wasn’t totally for us,” said Erickson. “We wanted to give back to the schools, and there are a lot of great things going on in Hartford that we wanted to bring to the forefront.”

The program is running at Burns, Betances and Clark schools – all of which are under new administration this year. Fourteen retired teachers were hired to work with nearly 30 first- and second-year teachers. Drawing upon their combined 550 years of experience, the retired teachers are helping the new crop develop standards of student behavior and positive expectations, design lessons, plan for
parent conferences, set up classroom decorations and displays and prepare for standardized testing.

“It’s important for beginner teachers to have that support and guidance,” said Luster. “The mentors have such a wealth of knowledge, they can teach some of their shortcuts to maximize classroom productivity.”

“They know just what to do, and who to contact in this system,” said Erickson. “They’re such valuable resources, and having that available 24/7 is just phenomenal.”

Retired teacher Mary Ellen Welch serves as a mentor at Betances. “It’s been the best professional experience of my life,” she said.

Betances kindergarten teacher Nadia Petraccone is in her second year in Hartford Public Schools, following 12 years at a Catholic school. “My dream was to work in a public school system like this, so I was thrilled when the opportunity came up,” she said. Petraccone was even more thrilled to discover she would have the guidance of Welch as she adjusts to the new system.

“She’s given me such good advice and encouragement and positive feedback,” said Petraccone. “There’s a lot to know and to learn when you walk into a new school and a new environment. Mary Ellen is so enthusiastic and has been so good, for me and for the kids.”