Staying Young and Having Fun…Working with Student Members
Retired members have many ways to use their expertise, time, and energy making a difference working with IEA-NEA student members. While doing so, be prepared to have some fun, meet really nice people, feel a bit younger, get excited, and have many choices for being involved in one-time to on-going activities.
The programs that get the most notice are the Mentor Program and the Living Library. Retirees who sign up for the Mentor Program are assigned a student mentee who plans to teach in a similar grade level or subject area. Communication is done mostly by e-mail and allows the retiree to share their expertise with someone just getting started in the profession. The Living Library is an electronic file cabinet system where retirees scan, attach Word documents, or type ideas, advice, activities, worksheets, games, etc. into their own electronic file cabinet for access by student members. This is a great way to preserve your best ideas and even have them at your access when substitute teaching.
Another option close to home is to get involved with the nearest IEA Student Program campus organization. Retired members attend campus meetings to help distribute information and materials, present programs about discipline, IEA programs and activities, unions, contracts, and other areas of expertise, and serve on panel discussions. We attend to explain and promote the Mentor Program and Living Library. Just mixing with the students and chatting with individuals about being a teacher and communicating about IEA-NEA has proven to be helpful to students. For those of us who substitute teach, running into students, whom we met at campus meetings, when they are interning and student teaching in the schools is fun for both. Some campus student chapters hold their own professional conferences. Assisting with and speaking at these professional development opportunities is a good way to give back and share our expertise. Several retired chapters in the state have “adopted” a campus chapter and work with them as a group activity. Occasionally, Retired Region Council Representatives partner with the students to take them to region council meetings and introduce them to IEA beyond the campus and student program.
At the state level, retired members help at the 2 IEA Student Conferences. We assist by running a book sale which generates money for the student program and student scholarships. In addition we present programs in our areas of expertise, assist with other activities such as their service project, and mix with and meet the future teachers of tomorrow. If a retiree is a participant in the IEA Mentor Program, this is the perfect place to meet and chat with their assigned mentee.
In return, student members attend our retired conferences and assist with our scholarship auction. The IEA Retired Program presents 1 or 2 scholarships to student members on a yearly basis to encourage and assist future teachers.
An on-going activity is the collection of gently used teaching materials. These are collected, sorted, and bundled for silent auctions at the 2 student conferences each year. The funds raised are used toward scholarships and student program activities. Retired members, if you have boxes of good teaching materials taking up space, consider donating the best of them for this cause.
Retired delegates to the IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies are partnered with the student delegates as their mentors. We are seated near each other for the purpose of explaining the process and issues as needed. We encourage their participation in debate and other convention activities. Just prior to the NEA Representative Assembly, the annual NEA retired and student conferences are held. Several joint activities are held including the Outreach to Teach event where student and retired members spend a day together refurbishing a selected public school in the area of the RA city.
So, retired members, what’s your choice? Get involved, have some fun, and make a difference. Contact me at or 815-692-2172 to learn more and become a part of the action.
Janet Kilgus
IEA Retired Liaison to the Student Program