During her first few years teaching English in Taiwan, Debby Egly sensed that many kids were not having a positive experience learning a new language. She turned to UW–Madison’s Master of Science for Professional Educators (MSPE) program to create a solution: a school of her very own.
“I wanted to be able to establish positive spheres of support around children to promote academic and emotional growth, as I have found this sometimes to be lacking in traditional Taiwanese school systems,” she says.
Today Egly serves as founder and director of the All Aboard English Academy, where she crafts English-learning environments that are supportive, engaging, and fun.
“As our school continues to grow, I use my MSPE education more and more to enhance learning experiences for students, develop new curricula, grow our school community, and improve upon our school culture,” she says.
Connecting home, school, and community
While Egly built a strong foundation in several other UW–Madison programs—undergraduate programs in Chinese and East Asian Studies and certificate programs in Global Cultures and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages—the MSPE experience helped her synthesize her knowledge and apply it to her new venture.
The two-year online program allows teachers to continue working while earning a Master of Science in Educational Psychology degree. It also helps them become stronger leaders.
In addition to imparting skills in areas such as curriculum development, learner assessment, school-community partnerships, and educational technology, the MSPE program gave Egly the confidence to helm an entire school in another country. Her coursework and capstone project reinforced something she had long suspected: that connecting students’ home, school, and community lives can benefit them socially, personally, and academically. Plus, she strengthened her ability to identify and address problems.
“I am more capable of identifying areas that are running smoothly at school and areas that may need improvement, and I feel very confident in my abilities to lead change after [completing] the MSPE program,” she says.
For more information on the Master of Science for Professional Educators program, see here.