Teri Torchia, Lead Teacher & Director

Teri launched BOPN’s Pine Banks Park location after two years teaching at the Arnold Arboretum location.

She grew up near Boston and spent her early years exploring the vast forest in her backyard, where she spent hours discovering flora and fauna and engaging in imaginative play with friends. It was magical!

This planted the seed for a lifelong interest in and passion for nature.

As a teacher, Teri is committed to sharing her passion with her young students and learning along with them. She hopes to nurture the same love and respect she has for the natural world and our planet. Teri believes firmly in the importance of play and child-centered learning. As a constructivist teacher, she has always advocated for inquiry-based learning. With a deep respect for each child as a unique individual, she aims to allow them to pursue their interests and to support them in developing important skills along the way.

Teri has many years of experience as an early childhood educator in diverse settings and in a variety of roles including classroom teacher, early childhood coach, curriculum developer, and preschool director. She holds a B.A.in Elementary Education and Psychology from the University of Lowell, and an M.Ed. in Child Study from Tufts University. She is licensed as an Early Childhood Teacher and an Elementary Teacher and has worked for public schools in Medford, Cambridge, Boston and Chelsea. She also taught in Oxford, England for four years, where outdoor learning is highly valued and where she and her daughter participated in Forest Schools.

Teri lives in Medford with her husband, daughter, two dogs and a cat. In her free time she likes to travel, ski, and swim in the ocean.