About me

My name is Delgel Pabalan. Most people refer to me as Ms. Del. I graduated from the University of California Davis with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology and a Minor in Education in 2010. I was a high school biology teacher, teaching all levels of biology including Enhanced Freshman Biology, IB Biology HL 1, Biology ELL. I also taught an AVID class and ran our school's Bridge Program.

My path to teaching took many turns. My years in college was split between art, science, and education. I was always fond of art and science. Art offered me an outlet to express myself, and I was too intrigued about the natural world that science was my favorite subject. In college, I first wanted to become a medical researcher. Then it turned into working in the food or agriculture industry. When it became challenging to balance the art classes with the science classes, I turned to education. My first exposure to education was my first official job as a tutor at Modesto Junior College. I never really thought of myself as an educator until I quickly realized I loved working with students and helping them reach their "a-ha's." I was working full-time at Campbell's Soup Supply in Sacramento when I was offered a full scholarship to attend UC Davis' student teaching program. I knew it was an opportunity that I would regret if I did not take it.

In my seven years of teaching, I strived for a classroom where relationships came first. I wanted to know my students' interests and worked with their parents/guardians to provide the support they needed outside of the classroom. I also built partnerships with outside organizations to bring resources into the classroom that I knew I was not able to afford, so I partnered with the Center of Biomolecular Modeling to bring models, UC Davis' Plant Pathology and Genetics Department to bring model organisms, and North Valley Biotechnology Center to bring biotech equipment. As a teacher, I valued student autonomy, but I also recognized that group work is a key component of learning. My classroom provided plenty of opportunities for students to interact and collaborate. Not only students were engaged in modeling, they were also engaged in technology and inquiry.

For the last two years, I worked as a STEM curriculum specialist. As a secondary high school science teacher, I was working in K-5 school sites to support the implementation of my district's core curriculum, which was ELA, math, and science. With the pandemic, my focus turned to supporting teachers in the use of technology in a distance and hybrid learning format. I worked closely with our Microsoft partners to plan and conduct professional development for all stakeholders. To support STEM implementation, I helped brought community resources and STEM professionals into teacher's guest speaker sessions as well as our STEAM Activity of the Month student workshops.

Starting July, I will be working as coordinator of educator assessments and data at Teachers College of San Joaquin, supporting new teachers who are entering the world of education.

To learn more about the Teachers College of San Joaquin, please click HERE.