Whereas teaching of sociology is discussed in terms of innovations to make theory more attractive and accessible, teaching applied sociology remains an unfashionable topic for intellectual discussion and analysis. It is described as a service area taught by ‘invisible sociologists’, removed from the pursuit of explicit theory. Taking the case of an education degree, it is argued that teaching in applied courses can produce a kind of sociologist able to see the world of schools through a sociological eye. The aims in this article are to: outline the conditions constraining sociology in applied situations; reflect on the context of sociology in an education degree and justify a rationale for teaching sociology through concepts; argue for a method of curriculum design and course activities built from student ontology and self-understanding of their future occupation; describe how a school system is constructed in a one-semester course; and argue for implicit theory in applied courses as a defensible sociological practice.