Staff Profiles

Mrs. Winnie Anderson-Brown

A graduate of the Mico Teachers' College who has a B.A. General Honours Degree and an MA majoring in Linguistics. She has over twenty seven years teaching experience, over twelve of which have been at the tertiary level. She lectures in Linguistics and College English courses. She has been involved in a number of international training programmes such as the Landmark Education Courses, Violence Prevention, and Child Abuse Prevention and Detection.

Mrs. Anderson-Brown is the founder of the Bagatelle Citizens' Association, the Convenor of Project Footprints and the Respect for Life Initiative. She is a published author and regular letter writer to local newspapers.

Mrs. Anderson-Brown is a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and Reiki Master, a motivational speaker and lay preacher. She has presented at wellness conferences held locally and internationally. She also has a certificate in event planning and management.

Mrs. Janice Beckford

Mrs. Janice Beckford joined the Language Arts Department in January 2007 where she teaches Literature and College English. She holds a Diploma in Teaching from Shortwood Teachers' College, and a Bachelor of Arts (Literature and Linguistics) and Master of Education (Educational Administration) from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She has over fifteen years experience in teaching English and Communication Skills at the St. Andrew High School for Girls. While there she acted as Head of the English Department and Vice Principal for the Lower School and was staff advisor for the Tourism Quiz Club and Debating Society. At the Boulevard Baptist Church, she has worked as Sunday School Teacher and Youth Counsellor and has been Training Co-ordinator and District Commissioner for the Girl Guides Association of Jamaica. Since 2003, External Examiner – CAPE- Literatures in English.

Mrs. Phillipa E.A. Beckford

Mrs. Phillipa E.A. Beckford has over thirty years teaching experience, twenty-two of which have been spent at Shortwood. She obtained a Teachers' Certificate at Excelsior Community College and a B.A. General (Honours) degree from the UWI, Mona. The M.A. is pending. She currently teaches Literature and College English courses in the diploma programme and is also engaged in teaching in the CITE programme.

Mrs. Beckford has written "Aspects of Old Story Time" for Journal of English Teaching, (1996) and was one of the presenters in the (2005) workshop "CXC English for English Teachers".

Mrs. Margaret Clarke

Mrs. Margaret Clarke is acting senior lecturer in the Department with responsibility for the Literacy courses. She has a Teachers' Certificate from Mico Teachers' College and a Diploma from St. Joseph's Teachers' College. She also holds a Bachelor of Education in Primary Education, and a Master of Education in Language Education, from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Literacy at the University of Calgary, Canada. Since 1978 she has taught the early grades of the Primary school which has prepared her for teaching the Language Arts in the Early Childhood Curriculum course at Shortwood. She also teaches College English.

She is also deeply involved in church work and has served as Sunday School Coordinator. Mrs. Clarke has also served as welfare officer for the Language Arts Department and as Chief Faculty Advisor for the College ushers.

Mrs. Ina Crooks

Mrs. Ina Crooks a Shortwood graduate, holds a Certificate in Education in the Teaching of English, and Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Education Degrees from the University of the West Indies.

She as served as the In-service ROSE trainer for Language Arts Teachers. Since 1973, she has taught primarily at the All Age and High School levels and since 2001 has been lecturing in Language Arts Methodology and College English at Shortwood.

She is a member of the Research Committee, as well to the Professional Development Committee charged with arranging the annual professional development seminars for the College staff.

Mrs. Wilhelmina Hewitt

Mrs. Wilhelmina Hewitt is a graduate of Shortwood Teachers' College who has a BSc. in Applied Social Studies and a MSc. in Language and Literacy. She has over twenty-five years teaching experience. She lectures in Literacy courses and College English.

Mrs. Hewitt is also a trained Social Worker. She holds a Certificate and a Diploma in Social Work and has worked in a Child Abuse/Child Protection Team for ten (10) years. She has done voluntary work in a Child Resiliency programme for Inner City youths and the National Children's' Home in Kingston.

Mrs. Hewitt is an External Examiner in the Grade 4 Literacy Test and has participated in workshop in Literacy for Early Childhood teachers.

She works in the young adults' programme of her local church.

Mrs. Janette McLaren

Mrs. Janette McLaren is a graduate of Moneague Teachers' College where she majored in Primary Education. She subsequently completed a Diploma in Drama Education at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Central Connecticut State University, and a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education in collaboration with the University of South Florida. She coordinates and delivers courses in Language Arts in the Early Childhood Curriculum, Drama in Education, Voice and Speech and College English. She is engaged in national adjudication of speech and drama for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, has worked on projects for the Ministry of Education, Voluntary Organization for the Upliftment of Children (VOUCH) in the training of early childhood educators and teachers of drama and is also a playwright and producer. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Early Childhood Education and is fully engaged in church and community affairs.

Miss Dahlia L. Palmer

Dahlia L. Palmer is a trained literacy specialist with specific interests in assessment, research and technology in education. As a lecturer in the Department of Language Arts, she teaches literacy related courses such as Foundations of Literacy Development, Advanced Reading and Content Area Literacy. She also lectures part-time at the University of the West Indies and teaches Research Perspectives in the Study of Literacy and Literature for Children at the Primary School. Other courses that she has taught include Introduction to Literacy Studies, Stages of Literacy Development, Language Arts in the Primary School and Language, Learning and the Acquisition of Literacy. She has worked as a Literacy specialist with CETT (Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training - a USAID funded project aimed at improving the teaching of reading in Grades 1-3). She is a certified external examiner with the Joint Board of Teacher Education and assists in assessing student-teachers who are pursuing programme of study in literacy. She also has background experiences in the areas of Business Administration and Accounts.

Miss Julette Patterson

Head of the Language Arts Department, has previously served as acting head of the Department of Modern Languages. She teaches Linguistics and College English courses and has taught Foreign Language Education. Miss Patterson has also taught a number of courses at the University of the West Indies, and has worked as an assistant teacher of English at the secondary school level in France, having been the recipient of a "Poste" from the French government.

Miss Patterson holds a Teachers' Certificate from Shortwood Teachers' College. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), in Spanish and Linguistics and a Master of Arts in Linguistics from the University of the West Indies (Mona), as well as the D.E.L.F. from the Alliance Française in Nice, France.

She currently serves as the Academic Staff Representative on the Board of Management and chairs/sits on a number of committees. She has also served as faculty advisor to different student groups clubs and societies.

Miss Patterson has written and co-written courses for the JBTE, as well as modules for language teaching courses for the Cyril Potter College (Guyana).

Miss Dahlia Robinson

Miss Dahlia Robinson is a graduate of Shortwood Teachers' College and the University of the West Indies, Mona. From the latter, she obtained a First Class Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master of Arts Degree in Literatures in English. She has been teaching College English and Literature courses at Shortwood Teachers' College since 1999.

Her teaching experience includes fourteen years at the high and technical school level in Jamaica and at the early childhood and primary levels in Grand Cayman.

Miss Robinson has been involved with the production of the College Magazine, the implementation of the Language Policy Committee strategies for improving the use of language in the College and the coordination of the activities of the Spiritual Emphasis Committee. She has also served as an Assistant Examiner for CXC C-SEC English A and B.

Mrs. Melvaline Terrelonge

Mrs. Melvaline Terrelonge has over thirty years teaching experience including 5 years as a lecturer at Shortwood. She holds a Teacher's Certificate from Shortwood Teachers' College, and a B. Ed. (Hons) in Language Education from the University of the West Indies. Her M.Ed. in Language Education from the UWI is pending. She has worked as an Assistant Examiner for CXC C-SEC English A since 1996, and is currently an Examiner. She has also worked as Head of Department and Librarian at Oberlin High School. Additionally, she is deeply involved in church and community activities.

Mrs. Terrelonge lectures part-time at the International University of the Caribbean.

Miss Pauline White

Miss Pauline White has been a member of the College staff since 2004. Prior to this, she taught Language and Literature at Dunoon Technical High School for twenty two years where she was Head of the Language Arts Department and acted as Vice Principal. During this period Miss White obtained a Bachelor in Education from the University of the West Indies and a Master of Arts in Teaching – Reading and Language Arts – from Oakland University. She graduated from Shortwood Teachers' College with a Teachers' Certificate from the Double Option English programme.

Miss White teaches courses in Literacy, College English and Literature Methods.

Her other educational activities include working as a presenter in the Technical High School Development Project and being a panelist for Language Arts Ministry of Education Youth and Culture panel inspections of high schools.