Empowering Future Teacher Leaders Through Peer Mentoring

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a peer mentoring course for undergraduate elementary education teacher candidates. A group of teacher candidates advocated for and co-designed a weekly seminar-style course for their peers completing a pre-student teaching practicum experience. The senior teacher candidates took on mentor roles and co-facilitated the course for their peers. This paper will discuss the course's co-creation, co-facilitation, outcomes, and future directions. The benefits of engaging teacher candidates in leadership opportunities through curriculum development and facilitation, as well as the reciprocal benefits of peer mentoring relationships, are examined.