- August 2019
Preschool teacher
College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences
MSU Child Development Center
Years in Position: 11
Years at MSU: 13
Clarissa Doss is a preschool teacher for 4-year-olds at the Child Development Center on the Mississippi State University campus.
Her main responsibilities include developing lesson plans for her 16 students, making sure all the children are well cared for and supervising MSU students as they fulfill their lab credits working with children.
“I really enjoy helping with the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It is my responsibility to keep my classroom’s records up to date,” Doss said.
One of her favorite aspects of the job is working with lab students. Doss said she loves to see the children interact with the students, and she loves watching the students grow in this new experience of teaching young children.
“I have had such a good experience at this job with my coworkers. I love working along with the children,” she said. “I chose this career because I have such a passion for children. I love to see their growth and creativity. They learn from each other.”
Doss wants people to understand how fun it is for her to wake up every morning and care for her class.
“The parents are always saying that they don’t know how I do this all day. I am full of joy every day I get to work,” she said.
She said the kids call her their “mom at school,” and that makes her whole day.
Doss added that being patient and understanding are the most important in this career.
“The children come from all the different backgrounds. If you don’t have patience, you will have a hard time enjoying your job,” she said.
Doss has three elementary-school-aged girls of her own. In her free time, she spends every minute with her daughters and her mother. They enjoy shopping and other recreational activities as a family.