Younger staff covet the older teachers' bag of tricks for classroom management, stockpile of time-tested lessons, and collective ability to influence school dynamics and program. Just the technology issue alone can be a divider, with new staff speaking zip drives, PCI slots, peripherals, and graphics accelerators, while some older staff still think IBM is an acronym for a bowel function. Fortunately, the intergenerational staff has the potential for being extremely powerful and effective. Build on strengths. They're less effective if the one doing the mentoring claims to be the incarnation of John Dewey and pretends to have all the answers.
Newcomers can inject freshness by challenging the traditional way of doing things.
That might light a fire under someone's porch, but the exercise of reexamining old assumptions is healthy. Veterans know how to shred red tape. They know what to do when students conspire to make them appear foolish or seem inadequate. They know how to approach an angry parent who disagrees with their teaching methodology or grading procedures. I've also seen veteran staff generously open their files to younger staff members, who react as though they've been given the keys to the candy store.