Minot State University
Minot State University
29/08/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 29/08/2024 22:00
Barrett joins Minot State School Psychology program
By Michael Linnell
University Communications Director
MINOT, N.D. -The Minot State University School Psychology program will have a new, yet familiar, face among its teaching ranks this fall.
Charles Barrett, a nationally certified school psychologist (NCSP) and district-level administrator in Virginia who serves as an adjunct professor at several universities, will bring a mix of class and real-world experiences to MSU.
"I love giving students the balance of what the principles or theories really mean in practice because I'm still in schools, still working with kids, and still involved in evaluations," Barrett said. "All of those things have a lot of real-world examples that make the content really speak to students as they are learning."
While Barrett just started his first semester with Minot State, he has known MSU adjunct professor Tamara Waters-Wheeler for multiple years, guest lectured for various classes, and met MSU students at the 2024 National Association of School Psychologists Conference.
"I always try to do whatever I can to support students and to support programs, so the process to come on as an adjunct at Minot State was pretty simple. They asked, and I said yes," he said. "It's really through my time with Tamara, her initial introduction, that I became aware of Minot State."
Barrett admits he wasn't aware of school psychology early in his academic career but found psychology out of necessity, pursuing a full-ride scholarship. After getting the opportunity, he met school psychologist and professor Raymond DiGiuseppe.
"I always say he changed my life in five minutes," Barrett said of DiGiuseppe. "He was a really cool guy, and I got to know him, trusted him, and he was the one that ultimately said he thought I would like it. I got to grad school, did my training, and 17 years later, I'm still loving it.
"I'm passionate about developing the next generation, so I started teaching undergrads at a local community college, and that started me down a path of teaching adjunct classes."
The author of multiple books, Barrett believes his initial foray into being an author was equally by chance as his path to school psychology.
"I joke that it was another stumbling into something bigger," he said. "The book I'm using now started from simply posting thoughts about my day, and it would end with a hashtag, 'It's always about the children.' After about 10 years in the field, I wanted to give people a window into how I think about the field and approach to serving students. I also wanted to make it broad enough that teachers, principals, and school sites can use it."
He uses the book in his class to this day.
"A bunch of public schools and school psych graduate programs have adopted it and provided it for their staff, for which I am grateful," he said.
While much of his work has been in a suburban setting, Barrett is equally as passionate about working with students from a more rural setting,
"There is a national shortage of school psychologists, and that has been happening over the last couple of years," he said. "We hear a lot about the urban areas and cities, and it is a challenge there, but we don't often talk about rural communities, some of our communities that are serving tribal nations, and that is equally important. The inequities that children experience in those settings are just as significant.
"I'm very excited to be a part of developing psychologists in Minot and in North Dakota."
For more information on the Psychology 525: Role & Function of the School Psychologist class and the MSU School Psychology program, see the program's WEBSITE.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 08/29/24