How to hire a mentor teacher

How to hire a mentor teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step mentor teacher hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a mentor teacher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new mentor teacher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The mentor teacher hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect mentor teacher also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of mentor teacher salaries for various roles:

   Type of Mentor Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Mentor Teacher	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$16-31
   Teacher-In-Training	A teacher-in-training is a teaching professional who offers technical teaching assistance to teachers in developing effective behavior management and instructional strategies to support student learning. The teacher must collaborate with principals while employing diverse techniques to increase the effectiveness of student learning... Show more	$11-26
   Teacher Internship	Teaching interns are individuals who assist teachers and educators in the classroom. The interns are instructed to fulfill the tasks set out and provided by the supervisors for them... Show more	$16-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • Curriculum Development
   • Professional Development
   • Mathematics
   • Learning Environment
   • Language Arts
   • Professional Growth
   • Student Learning
   • Constructive Feedback
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Social Studies
   • Mentoring Support
   • Student Achievement
   • Literature

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
   • Assist students with mathematics and reading lessons.
   • Instruct spelling tests and PowerPoint presentations on subject material.
   • Prepare and provide science and mathematics activities and lesson plans for the students.
   • Plan and teach ESL and exam prep lessons to students of varying abilities, ages and nationalities.
   • Provide one on one assistance to credit recovery and ESL students, helping to increase passing rate conversions.

   More mentor teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your mentor teacher job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A mentor teacher salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, mentor teachers' average salary in missouri is 54% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level mentor teachers earn 46% less than senior-level mentor teachers.
   • Certifications. A mentor teacher with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a mentor teacher's salary.

   Average mentor teacher salary

   $48,261yearly

   $23.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level mentor teacher salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average mentor teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$67,269	$32
   2	District of Columbia	$63,441	$31
   3	California	$58,250	$28
   4	Pennsylvania	$56,116	$27
   5	Virginia	$53,353	$26
   6	Minnesota	$52,589	$25
   7	Ohio	$51,441	$25
   8	Illinois	$49,876	$24
   9	Texas	$46,395	$22
   10	Iowa	$43,978	$21
   11	Louisiana	$42,430	$20
   12	Utah	$42,022	$20
   13	Colorado	$40,445	$19
   14	Arizona	$38,899	$19

   Average mentor teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School	$57,144	$27.47	4
   2	Joliet Schools 86	$51,468	$24.74	9
   3	California Montessori Project	$51,276	$24.65	2
   4	GST BOCES	$48,174	$23.16
   5	La Escuelita Preschool	$47,883	$23.02
   6	Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties	$47,745	$22.95
   7	Maricopa Unified School District	$46,493	$22.35	3
   8	San Mateo County Office Of Education	$43,520	$20.92	1
   9	EducareWashingtonDC	$43,209	$20.77
   10	Virginia Commonwealth University	$43,148	$20.74	1
   11	North Clackamas Christian Schl	$42,124	$20.25	4
   12	Tucson Unified School District	$40,513	$19.48	32
   13	KinderCare Education	$38,377	$18.45	1,702

4. Writing a mentor teacher job description

   A good mentor teacher job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a mentor teacher job description:

   Mentor teacher job description example

   Our Teachers bring warmth, patience, and understanding to the classroom every day, encouraging children to learn and grow. They inspire children to be lifelong learners using our nationally recognized curriculum that promotes social, physical, verbal, and cognitive development. Our Teachers are committed to making their center successful and know that creating meaningful relationships with children, families, and their team play a crucial role in that success.
   As a member of our teaching staff, you will:
   
   * Create a safe, nurturing environment where children can play and learn
   * Partner with parents with a shared desire to provide the best care and education for their children
   * Support your center's success by partnering with center staff and leadership to achieve goals around enrollment, accreditation, and engagement
   * Cultivate positive relationships with families, teachers, state licensing authorities, community contacts and corporate partners
   * Implement KCE's curriculum in a way that is consistent with the unique needs of each child
   
   The benefits our career professionals enjoy:
   
   * Medical, dental and vision
   * Childcare benefit
   * Paid time off
   * Education assistance and reimbursement
   * Medical expense reimbursement/ Life insurance/Disability benefits/ Health and wellness programs
   * 401(k) savings and investment plan with employer match
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Desired Skills and Experience:
   
   * CPR and First Aid Certification or willingness to obtain
   * Active Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential (or willing to obtain)
   * Completed 12 core ECE Units Infant/toddler OR BA Degree in Child Development
   * Must be physically able to use a computer with basic proficiency, lift a minimum of 40 pounds, and work indoors or outdoors
   * Ability to assume postures in low levels to allow physical and visual contact with children, see and hear well enough to keep children safe, and engage in physical activity with children
   * Read, write, understand, and speak English to communicate with children and their parents in English
   * All center staff applicants must meet state specific guidelines for the role
   
   Our highest priority has always been to keep our employees, children, families, and communities as safe and healthy as possible. Starting October 18, 2021, we began requiring COVID vaccinations or weekly COVID testing for all unvaccinated employees. We are also subject to state law, local ordinances, and Health Department requirements for child care workers or school staff.
   
   KinderCare Education is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.
   
   Primary Location : Mentor, Ohio, United States
   
   Job : Teacher and Center Staff

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find mentor teachers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your mentor teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit mentor teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit mentor teachers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new mentor teacher

   Once you've decided on a perfect mentor teacher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new mentor teacher first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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