The high attrition rates of teachers early in their career is a well-documented problem that school districts around the United States have been grappling with for decades with limited success (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019; Ingersoll, 2003). The COVID-19 pandemic increased the attrition of experienced teachers, with 55% of teachers reporting they are more likely to leave the profession before reaching retirement age than they were before the pandemic (Jotkoff, 2022). Mentorship programs that place new teachers with experienced teachers are one solution that school districts in Oregon have implemented to increase early career retention. Current models of teacher mentorship have had limited success in reducing new teacher attrition and increased attrition by experienced educators is leading to a loss of institutional wisdom. The purpose of this study was to investigate alternative models of teacher mentorship that have developed organically in schools in the past and focusing on how these relationships impacted the mentor. Through a qualitative single case study approach, reflections of former teacher-mentors were analyzed using Gee's four-part framework of teacher identity (2000) and Lammert, DeWalt and Wetzel's Theory of Becoming (2020).I found that teacher-mentors were motivated to support new teachers by their natural identities as helpers and learners and their experiences early in their career as new teachers. Being part of a mentorship dyad reinvigorates the mentor's learner identity and increases the mentor's connection to both their institution and the teaching profession. While supporting the identity formation of their mentee, the teacher-mentor experiences an identity transformation that increases their connection to their school community and the profession. Concrete steps will be shared to facilitate an increase in the formation of informal mentoring relationships. [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.]