Education
At Rollins, future educators find a pathway to a purposeful career. As an elementary education major at Rollins, you’ll learn research-proven strategies to engage your students and hone those new skills through immersive fieldwork in local classrooms. Along the way, you’ll be supported by seasoned educators and faculty—mentors who prioritize your professional growth and model the skills you’ll need to make an impact.
With an array of research and study-abroad opportunities, you’ll gain meaningful experience, and Rollins’ long-standing relationships with local school districts will give you a head-start on your career. When you complete Rollins’ state-approved program, you’ll be eligible for Professional Teacher Certification in Florida, giving you the ability to jump right into your career or pursue an advanced degree.
Why Study Education at Rollins
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Accessible Faculty
At Rollins, you’ll learn from professors who are personally invested in your progress. In fact, you’ll meet with them regularly, not only in classrooms but also on-site at the local schools where you conduct fieldwork.
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Career Connections
Rollins’ connections with local schools offer a direct path to employment. In recent years, 100 percent of education grads who have chosen to teach have secured jobs in the field.
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Global Context
With study-abroad programs spanning multiple continents, you’ll gain new perspectives on education and build your ability to instruct and innovate within diverse classrooms.
Interested in Studying Education at Rollins?
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“The experience I had at Rollins, and specifically the education department, was invaluable. From my first class in the program, I knew I had found my family. I now have a solid support system of colleagues and mentors. Having this support has made the transition to teaching so much easier.”
Rollins Education Careers
Rollins education grads are inspiring tomorrow’s brightest minds at schools in our backyard and around the country.
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Christina Manahan ’17
Mathematics Teacher, Milwee Middle School
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Caroline S. Teague ’15MAT
Second-Grade Teacher, Dommerich Elementary School
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Brie Penaherrera ’16
Course Instructor, Exploring the Chemical Engineering Workplace
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Megan Matthews ’15
Kindergarten Teacher, Lakeville Elementary
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Mike Reese ’03 ’10MAT
Assistant Principal, Baldwin Park Elementary
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Mark Shanoff ’98
Superintendent, Osceola County School District
Real World Experience
Rollins’ deep connections to local schools allow education majors to hone their skills through hands-on field experiences.
Experience Rollins IRL
There’s no better way to get a feel for life at Rollins than by scheduling a campus tour.
Schedule a VisitPopular Courses
Through courses and field experiences, you’ll learn to help students link their existing knowledge, skills, and attitudes with new learning. Rollins’ interdisciplinary education also allows you to meet statewide requirements for teacher certification while learning subjects outside your major.
RED 309 Foundations of Reading
Examines the foundations of reading instruction through historical, linguistic, social, psychological, cognitive, and curricular lenses. Provides the theoretical groundwork for reading and language arts methodology courses. Emphasizes the Science of Reading, structured literacy instruction, and the integrated nature of reading and writing development.
EED 319 Integrated Arts in the Elementary Schools
Provides the student with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to integrate arts into the education of elementary school children in ways that will enrich and enliven the educational experience for all.
EDU 324 Curriculum and Educational Assessment
Study of the relationship of curriculum approaches to contemporary issues in school program design and instruction. Encourages an awareness of language development and academic progress of all students.
EED 363 Social Studies for Elementary Schools
This course reviews special methods of teaching social studies in the elementary grades. Topics include cooperative learning, contemporary affairs, and recently developed materials designed to introduce young children to the evaluation of significant social issues.
RED 369 Research-Based Practices in Literacy Instruction
Teacher candidates will scaffold student learning by applying comprehensive instructional practices to integrate the six components of reading. Teacher candidates will review recent research with an emphasis on techniques used to implement literature and writing experiences across the elementary school curriculum.
EDU 406 Strategies for Instruction, Learning & Classroom Management
Learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate instruction in an increasingly diverse school environment based on current research and through a hands-on field experience.
Beyond the Classroom
International Fieldwork Rollins education professors lead field studies to destinations like Austria, China, and Rwanda, focusing on topics like education in rural schools, instructional strategies in urban schools, and education for sustainable development.
Undergraduate and Graduate Research Faculty and students frequently collaborate on school-based research. Recent settings include a local first-grade classroom and Rollins’ Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center, a laboratory preschool that serves children of all abilities and creates opportunities for research and learning with undergraduates.
Kappa Delta Pi This honorary society offers opportunities for professional development, service learning, and leadership. Membership is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering the field of education.
EducaTARS Established in 2024, EducaTARS is dedicated to supporting students and professionals at Rollins in achieving their professional development goals while fostering a strong sense of community within the College’s Department of Education.
Dive Into Education at Rollins
To fulfill its mission, the Department of Education educates students with a deep liberal arts foundation and a strong foundation in understanding student learning, schooling issues, and forms of pedagogy for teaching in diverse classrooms.
What You Will LearnExpert Faculty
Every Rollins education professor holds a terminal degree in the field. These experts are true partners in your educational journey, leading international trips, collaborating on research, and offering personal advising.
Department of Education
Telephone:407.646.2242
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Angela Griner, EdD
Senior Lecturer of Education and Director of Pathways to Teaching Program
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J. Scott Hewit, EdD
Associate Professor of Education, Emeritus
Research interests: Innovative instructional strategies in Rwanda, emerging technology in developing nations, and educational policy around the globe
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Jenn Manak, PhD
Professor of Education, Director of Graduate Studies, and Reading Coordinator
Research interests: The interconnected nature of reading and writing instruction, the impact of culturally responsive and inclusive pedagogies on diverse students' literacy learning
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Jenni Sanguiliano Lonski, PhD
Lecturer
Research interests: Diversity Equity and Inclusion Education, Gifted Education, Teacher Professional Development, and Education Policy
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Jason Surian, PhD
Assistant Professor
Research interests: student identities in curricula materials, the influence of teacher behaviors and instructional approaches in developing peer acceptance and appreciation of student identities, and students' sense of belonging in the school community.
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Debra Wellman, PhD
Professor of Education, Emerita
Research interests: The impact of field experiences on preservice teachers, book clubs as a model of discussion-based learning, and content area instruction
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Jie Yu, PhD
Professor of Education
Research interests: Curriculum studies, narrative inquiry, phenomenology, and multicultural education
