What does it mean to teach relationally? For Karyn Brown, assistant dean of communication and media at Mississippi State University and a Grisham Master Level Teacher, the answer begins with a simple conviction she's carried since her first day in the classroom: you cannot be an effective teacher without first building genuine relationships with your students.

In this episode — the very first of InCITEful Teaching — host Dr. Shannon Harmon sits down with the professor who first inspired her own teaching, in a conversation that is part reunion, part reflection, and entirely about what it looks like to see, know, and motivate the students in front of you. Karyn shares how she approaches the classroom as a community, why "warm and demanding" isn't a contradiction, and what she's observed about student motivation across more than two decades of teaching.

If you've ever wondered how to help students care more deeply about learning, or how small moments of connection can change the trajectory of a semester, this conversation is for you.

Welcome to InCITEful Teaching, a podcast from Mississippi State University's Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence. I'm your host, Dr. Shannon Harmon.

I've spent my career in higher education as a teacher, researcher, and faculty developer — first as a tenured Associate Professor of Elementary Education at Middle Tennessee State University, and now as an Instructional Support Specialist here at MSU, where I work alongside faculty to strengthen teaching and learning across campus. My research and practice have always centered on one core conviction: that educators grow when they learn from each other.

That's the heart of this podcast. Each episode, I sit down with faculty and staff for honest conversations about what's working, what's challenging, and what's worth rethinking in today's classrooms. Whether you're just starting out or you've been teaching for decades, I hope InCITEful Teaching becomes a trusted part of your professional development — and a reminder that the best ideas often come from the colleague down the hall.