Robina Sommers

Robina Sommers brings 30 years of public-school classroom teaching experience to her role as Associate Professor of Education. A graduate of Goshen College in Elementary Education and Piano Pedagogy, she taught in both elementary and secondary classrooms before moving into teacher education. Her work bridges classroom practice and teacher preparation, with particular interests in educational psychology, classroom management, and curriculum and instruction. Her scholarly interests focus on the experiences of first-generation college students in teacher preparation, teacher development, and how instructional design, transparency, and authentic relationships can foster access, belonging, and student learning. 

Education:
● BA in Elementary Education and Piano Pedagogy, Goshen College, 1989
● MA in Education, Indiana University, 1997
● PhD student, Concordia University Chicago (current)

Memberships:
● Indiana Council for Teachers of English
● National Education Association
● National Association of Multicultural Education
● National Association for Gifted and Talented Children
● National Society of Leadership and Success

Sommers, R. (2026, May). Teaching students with ADHD: Instructional architecture for attention.
Mennonite Schools Conference, Goshen, IN.

Sommers, R. (2026, March). Flipping our lids: Why self-talk is a literacy skill. Indiana Council of
Teachers of English Conference, St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN.

Sommers, R. (2025, February). The effect of standardized testing on the United States education
system. Christ University, Bengaluru, INDIA.

Sommers, R. (2024, August). Classroom management through building authentic relationships. Faculty
professional development, Central Christian School, Kidron, OH.

Lehman, G., & Sommers, R. (2005, June). Poetry in the classroom. National Literacy Collaborative
Convention, Purdue University, IN.

Goshen Community Schools Outstanding Educator Award:

2004 / 2005 / 2007 / 2009 / 2011 / 2013 / 2016 / 2017 / 2021 / 2022 / 2023 / 2024