Travis McKellar

Background

About Travis McKellar

Currently, I serve as a Civics Literacy Coach with the Florida Department of Education, where I support the implementation of Florida’s new K–12 Civics and Government standards statewide. Drawing on my background in instructional design and my master’s degree in Instructional Design & Educational Technology, I help develop and beta-test active e-learning platforms that support teacher engagement and student learning. I’ve delivered professional development to thousands of educators across Florida, including in-person and virtual sessions, focusing on depth of knowledge, scaffolding, and the integration of instructional technology aligned with the new benchmarks. Before this role, I spent over 20 years as a highly effective classroom educator, teaching U.S. History and Civics at the middle school level. While serving as Social Studies Department Chair at Three Oaks Middle School, I led a team of 10 educators in establishing common instructional goals, refining the curriculum through research-based design models (ADDIE, SAM), and organizing student engagement initiatives, such as the History Fair and Debate Club. During that time, I was twice recognized as a Lee County Teacher of Distinction and was a semi-finalist for Lee County Teacher of the Year. Earlier in my career, I taught special education across grades 6 through 12. That experience instilled in me the value of collaboration, adaptability, and individualized instruction—principles I continue to apply in every setting to support learner success and equity.