Merlene Jones has been teaching at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for 13 years. She previously taught all subject areas for 14 years in elementary schools both in Nevis and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Chair of the mathematics department, she holds certification as an assistant administrator, secondary mathematics teacher, and elementary teacher. Currently she is teaching seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics in the pre-advanced placement classes at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School.
Ms. Jones’s teaching style is first to reach the child on a personal basis and then begin with the instruction. She presents well-prepared lessons and displays excellent classroom management. Her love for children and her belief that everyone can and will learn has produced outstanding results. Results of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills revealed that her seventh-grade students were 94-percent proficient in mathematics. The eighth-grade students were 100-percent proficient.
A member of the School Improvement Team, Ms. Jones regularly mentors new teachers in the writing and execution of lesson plans, provides demonstration lessons for interested mathematics teachers, and assists in planning the curriculum for remediation mathematics classes. With a strong and sustained commitment to teaching mathematics, Ms. Jones continually hones her skills to benefit all students. Her professional development activities include various summer mathematics institutes as well as courses in special education and technology education.
Ms. Jones is a recipient of numerous honors, including Teacher of the Year, President’s Club Award, Who’s Who in Black Universities and Colleges, and the St. Thomas/St. John Chapter Administrator’s Award.
Ms. Jones has a B.A. in elementary education (magna cum laude) and an M.A. in administration and supervision from the University of the Virgin Islands.