The teacher who was once terrified of a room of teenagers
Ms. Egbal knows exactly what it feels like to stand in front of something that seems "not for you", because that's how teaching itself began for her.
From the tech world to Room 213
Before the classroom, there was the tech world: an economics degree, a diploma in management information systems, and a career that passed through Intel and the IMF. Ms. Egbal knew what technology careers looked like from the inside, the opportunity, the pace, the doors they open.
Then came the classroom. And with it, honest terror: how do you reach a room full of teenagers who didn't choose to be there? It took real work to find the answer, and the answer became the method. Start with the person, not the subject. Ask questions. Give choices. Offer second chances. Connect every concept to something the student already loves.
Seventeen years later: more than 1,400 students taught, a middle- and high-school computer science department built from nothing, AP passes from students who once begged to switch out of the class, and a teacher still in the classroom every single day, which is why nothing she trains or teaches is theory.
This year, her students voted her "most spiritual teacher", their words for what parents describe as patience, and what students experience as someone who believes in them before they believe in themselves.
Qualified for both tracks
Formally trained
Master of Education in Educational Technology · MicroMasters in Instructional Design · Teaching Certificate · Diploma in Management Information Systems · B.A. Economics.
Battle-tested
17 years of classroom teaching, 1,400+ students, and a school CS department designed and built from zero using backward design.
Two worlds, one bridge
A career that began at Intel and the IMF means she can show students where the track leads, and show teachers how the outside world actually uses these tools.
Three rules of Room 213
Person before subject
Every learner gets known first, a survey, a conversation, a connection to what they love. The subject follows the person, never the reverse.
Choice creates ownership
Students choose how they demonstrate what they know. Teachers in training choose which tools fit their subject. Choice is where motivation lives.
Second chances are trust
A second chance says "I'm counting on you." No one, student or teacher, should be written off for a first stumble with something new.