About Teal School
Teal School is a non-profit organisation with a mission to create a future-secured education system where kids and youths develop all aspects of being human and being themselves, in the context of a complex, global world. We wish to see an extensive dialogue about transforming the school system. A new paradigm is emerging and schools can be an important part of making the transition faster and easier.
But our goal is not only being a voice in this paradigm shift, but being actively involved paradigm shifters. To do this we are planning to start our own schools, preschools and learning hubs all over the world.
Teal School is an initiative started in 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden by Sarah Rosendahl and Shabana Bashir. Join our network and let’s change the way our society looks at learning and education.
The Teal School Team
Sarah Rosendahl
Founder and Management consultant
Shabana Bashir
Founder and Teacher
Ulrica Krantz
Board Member and Entrepreneur
Why did you start Teal School?
Sarah's story
Growing up I was the well behaved, shy and ambitious student that was all teachers' dream. My grades were high and because of that it seemed like I could easily succeed in life, I could choose my path ahead, get a wellpaid job and live happily ever after. But I lacked emotional resilience, self esteem, self love and self empathy. Leaving school I wasn't really prepared for life.
A lot later, when I had suffered and reflected my way into transformation, I had a role as a quality developer in an education company. I worked with structural, cultural and pedagogical development. In my work I aimed for two things above all: 1) all my co-workers that were stressed and unhappy should never have to feel that way again, at least not due to the organisational work environment, 2) the students should get an education that gave real understanding and competence, not only knowledge.
Since I had studied organisational psychology and quality management I started synthesizing my knowledge in the context of this organisation - and I started trying to implement changes that had almost all aspects of what I later found out could be called Teal.
During the ten years that I have worked with organisational development and management I have become more and more convinced of the absolute necessity of a paradigm shift. In all organisations, and in schools most of all. It almost goes without saying. The stakes involved in not creating a healthy environment for work and learning in schools are high. Both at individual and societal levels.
Not a single young person should leave school not prepared for life, lacking emotional resilience, self esteem and self empathy.
Shabana's story
The question "Why?" brought me to Teal. Why is it that schools as organisations still operate within an industrial model, while enjoying a postmodern approach to teaching?
Why are we simply observing the challenges these two paradigms present, instead of making fundamental moves to recreate and invigorate our organizational structures and thereby allowing innovation and creativity to thrive?
Why do we think that developing the whole child's, social, emotional and academic learning can be achieved while simultaneously shutting down the human side of the adults who work in schools, whose health is tantamount to what happens in the classroom?
That is what brought me to Teal, as I see this as the next step in developing our schools; schools which are conscious of the needs of both humans and the environment and embrace the changes our technological developments present to society.
I am passionate about this need for change, and tired of admiring the problems I see the solutions and believe it is time to take action, and make those changes. Our school system needs updating, from the industrial to Teal which I believe is most effective for today’s world and for the future we are entering.
The word educate comes from the Latin root ‘EDUCE’, educe meaning to ‘bring forth’. Let us start bringing forth what is already there naturally in our children. Instead of imposing, demanding, and over testing them. Let us see our children for who they are and stop with this one size fits all approach to education.