Learn a few things about Dr. Harris!

I love being a faculty member in the School of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Missouri State University where I teach in the undergraduate and graduate areas of the Psychology Programs.

This is also the home of my new research lab, The ROOTS Lab - Reproductive Outcomes, Opportunities, Transitions & Support.

One of the great things about being on a college campus every day is that I get to build relationships with my young sorors of Sigma Lambda Gamma. This week, my fellow soror and soon to be graduate of Missouri State with a degree in Psychology asked me to answer some questions for her as extra credit for a religious studies class she is taking. They were great questions and I thought I would also share them with you! So, below is my interview with Jasmine.

Why do you teach in the field you teach?

I have always liked people and getting to know people and to hear their stories. That is how I ended up pursuing a career in psychology. I teach now because it’s a way to give back to the profession and to make broader change in the world by preparing students to enter our profession and work with people both as therapists and researchers interested in improving quality of life in their communities.

How did you wind up teaching at MO state?

I came to Missouri State to work in the Counseling Center following my graduation from my doctoral program. I was able to complete my postdoctoral fellowship hours there. An opportunity came up to take a split position as the Asst Director of the Learning Diagnostic Clinic (now situated as part of the Collaborative Care Clinic) and an Instructor in the Psychology Dept. A mentor and former supervisor of mine was the current dept head, so I talked to him about the position and decided to apply. So, after one year in the Counseling Center, I walked across the sidewalk from Carrington to Hill Hall and started in Psychology and at the LDC. After a few years in this split position and the birth of my son, I left the LDC to become a full-time instructor and I’ve been doing that for 6 years now!

What are three major goals you hold for students who take your classes?

The first major goal I have is that students leave with a better understanding of themselves. I teach developmental psychology and diversity in psychology, which allows for a lot of reflection about the lives they have lived to this point and the things they experience as citizens in a diverse world. I hope this reflection helps them understand themselves better and prepares them to work with diverse patient groups in the future.

The second goal I have is that students begin to understand diversity as a much broader concept than just race. In our geographic location, often students say we do not have a diverse community, but we really do! It’s just not always the most racially diverse community. So, I hope they leave considering diversity beyond race and gender and are more thoughtful about accessibility and affordability as drivers of a lot of disparity in society as they move into their next chapters.

My third goal is a little silly, but also important – I hope my students understand that they don’t have to be perfect to move forward in their lives. I am far from perfect and teaching diversity, I know and openly acknowledge that I do not know everything and I have not encountered everything. I hope I am able to model a professional presentation that is effective and confident while being able to navigate the chaos of life and the uncertainty of not having all the answers.

What is ideal student behavior/engagement in your classroom?

People who are willing to talk. Our experiences as a group in a classroom are so much enhanced when students share their experiences, respectfully disagree with each other and support each other through validation and shared experiences. We don’t do much in the way of PowerPoints or videos, students are asked to consume that kind of stuff outside of the classroom so our 50mins together can be full of conversations.

What do you consider inappropriate/disrespectful behavior in your classroom?

I think the most inappropriate behavior is just people who are on their phones or buried in their computers and not listening to or contributing to the conversation. Students take chances and are vulnerable to share their experiences and to ask questions which may reveal their lack of understanding or differing position. When they are taking chances and people are not respecting them with a shared commitment to holding the space and participating, then the balance of the class can get thrown off.

What is your perception/position regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence in your classes?

Fortunately for me and the way I run my courses, I am mostly asking students to talk about their experiences and to engage in personal reflection. I share with them that my hope is that they put the effort into truly sharing their own stories and don’t use AI to make those stories up. Most of my students do attack their assignments with that level of personal engagement and I do not see many problems with AI in the classroom. But I know I have also been intentional to design assignments and points based opportunities in a way that using AI would not necessarily be helpful or attractive.

I also take time at the start of each semester to hopefully generate buy-in from my students to participate in the reflections and assignments for themselves so that they understand why reflecting is going to be so helpful to them in understanding their biases and tendencies and where those early messages came from so they can be better positioned to serve their future clients in the helping professions.