Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Cole.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story as an entrepreneur, educator and owner/founder of The Willow School began in large part out of necessity. As a mother of five, I have had a large variety of childcare situations. It was very often difficult to piece it together and to find people and places that my husband and I felt confident leaving our children. That was where this whole story began. Quite by accident and good fortune, we became a founding family at a new cooperative preschool in our neighborhood (southeast Atlanta) when we were searching for part time care for our one-year-old daughter. As a cooperative, there were many volunteer requirements. The more time I spent in the school, the more involved I became in every aspect and the more I became enamored with the early childhood education process. To be clear, never in my life had I had any aspirations to become an educator of any sort. However, flights of passion are rarely expected.
I spent a total of ten years working with that school while my children attended. As I became more involved, I ended up being the president of the board and had the opportunity to go on a study tour of Reggio Emilia, Italy schools with a group of educators. The center had been studying the Reggio Emilia philosophies since it opened, which was a catalyst for my intense interest. The approach was very different from a traditional American view of the child and the education of young children. Going on this study tour as a parent, I did not know exactly what to expect. To say the experience was life changing is an understatement.
I was thunderstruck, completely taken aback, at what I found there. The infant/toddler centers and preschools of Reggio Emilia are aesthetically beautiful, the environments interesting and engaging, the teachers thoughtful and extremely attentive and respectful to the children. The first word that comes to mind to describe the children in the schools is “free”. Freedom of mind, freedom of body, freedom of heart and soul, freedom to be exactly who they are. Seeing this carefully orchestrated dance between adults and children and learning environment opened something inside of me that I never knew was missing (or maybe I did). I came home and told my husband I was quitting my job and taking a position as Director of Operations at our children’s preschool. Basically, I was leaving an established career and starting over. It felt terrifying and amazing!
Fast forward a few years at which point I had a great desire to open an early learning center for working families that could not make the co-op model work and also for families with infants. I wanted to share this way of working with children with more families and educators. I had never had a thought to be an entrepreneur, but at that point I had a very clear and strong mission and vision, which propelled me forward. In 2011, I opened a small preschool in a little blue cottage with two co-founders. Together, we built something so beautiful and special and it was not long before we had a wait list a mile long.
While looking for a new home for our school we came across a space in Decatur. The distance was not that far away, but we were divided in our desire to move out of the southeast Atlanta area. Ultimately, I decided to leave the partnership and open another school in Decatur. The Willow School opened in March of 2015 with thirty-six families and nine staff. Our initial staff included a small group that had also studied Reggio Emilia philosophies and we became mentors for others. Several of those initial staff are still with the school. They are the educators that I credit with pushing our mission and vision forward on a daily basis.
The Willow School has taken on a life that is way more than what I ever expected. Not only have we developed a reputation as a quality preschool and childcare center, but it feels like we have become a place of inclusion and belonging – something more than just childcare and/or employment. It has become a family and a community. Not everyone that enters understands at first, but there is a feeling and an atmosphere of being unique and special – dare I say, inspired? Those that join the school and are just a little bit confused, very often become our biggest advocates and the individuals that become a part of the daily life and fabric of the mission.
There is something magical and deeply divine in this work. There is absolutely no other field that is as important as the care and education of young children. I credit Reggio Emilia for my passion for this work and that is what uplifts me when things get tough. However, the children are what truly inspire me. Being witness to their light, learning and power is nothing short of a miracle. That is why the mission of the Willow School is simple: To change the world through the respect and reverence of the child.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not much about owning and running a business is smooth sailing. We have had the normal start up bumps and bruises, a few physical plant disasters (like a flood from faulty plumbing), the tragic death of a beloved teacher, a major move into a new location after a major construction renovation, and, of course, the pandemic and all of the challenges that came with that.
We also grew pretty quickly which can bring many changes. The original 36 families when we opened grew to about 170 in 2019 when we moved into our newly renovated and current location, down to around 50-70 during the pandemic and back to around 180 presently.
All changes present new opportunities and challenges. We do our best to embrace the changes and anticipate adjustments.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I began working in early childhood education in 2000 as a volunteer parent. I fully count that experience as training and apprenticeship and I had several inspiring mentors. I became a ECE professional in 2008 when I took the role as Director of Operations.
Becoming an entrepreneur in 2011 and opening my first early learning center was an amazing and sometimes humbling learning experience. I had passion, force of will and a strong work ethic. I learned everything else as I went.
Opening The Willow School was more of a challenge because it was a larger venture and required more risk – both personal and financial. However, I had gained the experience that I needed to make the opening go smoothly and I had cultivated a strong team to open with. Working with great people is the key to everything successful!
I believe that what sets me apart is that I came to this work organically and for the child – all the children. I was not a “teacher” or someone who had the desire to impart knowledge onto children. I was/am someone who believes without doubt that children teach us more than we could ever teach them. We just need to listen more.
I take pride in understanding the power of children as the future stewards of the world. I also believe that this work brings out the power in adults who may have never had the opportunity to understand how influential they can be (very much like myself). By seeking to understand others we can begin to influence them and receive their influence in return. This is similar to my very favorite quote from the Little Prince: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Early Childhood Education is and should be an exercise of the heart. And, it is essential.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I could not think of anything that people may find surprising about me except that I am really a huge introvert. I interact with a lot a people every day, meet new people all of the time and do a fair amount of public speaking. I’ve become comfortable with all of that over the years. However, if I had my choice I would be sitting in a quiet space reading a book.
I asked my husband what he thought was surprising about me and he said I was a quiet genius. Not entirely sure if that is true, but I’ll take it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://willowschoolga.com
- Instagram: willowschoolga
- Facebook: willowschoolga
