Hi,
I'm Mrs. Payne! I am the Junior High ESL Instructor at Columbus Community School. This is the start of my
9th year of teaching. In the past 9 years, I have taught 5th grade, Title I Reading, and ESL all at Columbus.
I love teaching ESL! It's very rewarding to see students progress in English. Second language acquisition
is a quite a challenge, but I hold very high expectations for my students and I strive to help them succeed. Besides
ESL, this year I will also be the Current Events teacher for 7th graders.
I received
a degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Elementary Education, along with a minor in Reading Education. In addition,
I have my Social Studies endorsement. I earned my ESL endorsement through William Penn University. Most recently,
three years ago, I completed my Master's degree in Professional Education from Morningside College. I continue to
take classes every once in awhile.
Outside of school, I enjoy spending time
with my family and friends. My husband, Jason, and I live in Columbus Junction. The rest of my family also lives
in Columbus Junction. I have an older sister and a younger brother. My sister, Kelli, and her husband, David,
are the parents of my wonderful nephew, Drew. You'll hear me talk about him a lot! He's a big part of
my life. My brother, Jay, is married to an awesome woman named Amanda. Of course, one of the most important people
in my life, my grandma, also lives in town and I visit her quite a lot. I also have a great family of in-laws.
My husband's family is really into playing board games when we all get together! It's always a fun time.
My husband even has a twin brother! We have a lot to celebrate with our families.
BUT, the most exciting news in my life would have to be the recent birth of our first baby........Madelyn
Mae Payne was born on April 26!!! (This is why I missed the end of the last school year!) Madelyn is AWESOME!
She's a lot of fun and I enjoy everything about her! Being able to spend several months with her before school starts
again has been such a blessing. You'll DEFINITELY see lots of pictures of her and hear me talk about her a lot in
class!! She is a very special part of my life now!
Besides family and friends,
I love to read! I am always looking for a good book! I also really enjoy crossword puzzles and logic problems.
I watch a lot of movies (my husband and I have over 400 DVDs) and I get hooked on reality TV shows! Some of my other
favorite things are: taking walks, getting facials, eating guacamole, listening to music, and staying organized!
