Bridge Boston has a long history of investment in educator development, beginning with our founding Teaching Fellows program, which grew out of our commitment to full-service education and began with the purpose of providing a second adult in every classroom to support students with high needs and deliver individualized instruction and care to all.

Today, our Associate Teacher and Academic Tutor programs build upon the original ethos of the Fellows program to equip developing educators with the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed in the education sector.

Associate Teachers 

• Work in our Lower Division (K1-4)
• Support Lead Teachers to Ensure the academic and social-emotional growth of all students
• Work with a specific grade level and grade-level teacher

Academic Tutors

• Work across our Upper Division (5-8)
• Provide data-driven interventions to support student growth in Math & ELA
• Push into classrooms where they work with consistent small groups of students to address targeted academic goals
• Work with our Director of Academic Intervention and other subject specialists

Our AT roles attract educators who...

• Are interested in working with a specific grade level of students, witnessing and contributing to their growth over the course of the academic year
• Want to grow their educational practice alongside and under the guidance of a specific lead teacher
• Are inspired by the idea of supporting whole-child learning - in academics, as well as social-emotional learning

• Are interested in teaching, but hasn’t found their grade-level niche
• Want to grow their educational practice in specific subject areas, under the guidance of many experienced educators: teachers, administrators, literacy & math specialists, and more!
• Are inspired by the idea of moving students academically - seeing their progress each day in a small group
• Enjoy working with adolescents (middle school) 

Matt Owens has served as both an Associate Teacher in 3rd Grade and an Academic Tutor!

Matt was originally drawn to both Bridge and the AT role by his desire to one day become a school guidance counselor. Working alongside Ms. Vellaccio in 3rd Grade allowed him to "get his feet wet" as he took on more responsibility in the classroom: leading small groups, developing classroom management skills, helping friends with challenging academic / social-emotional moments in a 1:1 setting, and more. Through this experience, Matt learned how to be open to feedback and use it to better understand what each member adds/provides to the team. Since transitioning to Upper Division as an Academic Tutor, Matt has been able to build his intervention skills in a way that has strengthened his classroom management abilities overall.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Owens is passionate about his work with the boys' football and basketball teams, describing it as the "full-service work that makes Bridge, Bridge." For Matt, it's seeing the students persevere together in moments of intensity or pressure to experience the "jubilation and euphoria of success" that makes it all worth it!

Melissa Cordis began her career at Bridge as an Associate Teacher in 1st Grade and has since been promoted to Lead Teacher!

Like Matt, Melissa grew as an educator from her partnership with 1st Grade Teacher Ms. Hanley. She learned that communication (with parents, students, and colleagues) is key to creating a successful classroom and the importance of finding a balance between meeting curriculum targets while catering to the specific needs of her students. These are lessons Ms. Cordis draws upon often, now in her first year as a 1st Grade Lead Teacher. Through the coaching and support of more experienced educators in the building, Melissa looks forward to developing professionally as a Lead Teacher.