The inclusion of a mentor teacher in a novice teacher induction program dramatically improves early career teacher feelings of satisfaction and desires to remain in the profession. Mentors require various tools and trainings to best develop resilient novice teachers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine mentoring experiences of nine secondary mentor teachers to discover how they perceive their role and what supports could best improve their mentoring efforts. Data was collected through personal, semi-structured interviews from mentor teachers in one large suburban Midwest school district. Several crucial findings emerged that are relevant for school building-level administrators, district-level induction coordinators, and state legislators. Participant data revealed that mentors saw themselves committed to service. Furthermore, they described their role as a builder of multi-faceted practitioners and curators of novice teacher growth. Participants articulated a desire to have more influence in the mentor-mentee matching process and an improved understanding of their role and practice within the induction model. These findings indicate that mentors who feel versed in the social-emotional aspect of mentorship felt more confident in their role. Recommendations include the need for ongoing training in the areas of stress management and social-emotional novice teacher development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]