From the desk of Mrs. Kountapanya

Here are a few examples of my work I wanted to share with you.

Philosophy of teaching and learning
All experiences can be learned from. Classroom experiences should be open-ended to ensure that learning is mostly self-taught, with little instruction. Play centers, containing supplies which promote social, emotional, creative, physical and intellectual development, and where all areas are equally important, are the basis for empowering students with choices to build self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation to learn for themselves and from others. Social interaction is the key in my classroom, used to encourage mutual respect for and celebrate everyone’s individuality, uniqueness, and multi-culturalism. The teacher is the facilitator of the learning experiences, guiding through structured independence. The teacher is both truthful and honest with students, utilizing only natural and logical consequences when needed to maintain a safe, fun learning environment where every student is included and all students can succeed.


A portrait of the students
Purity. Innocence. Uniqueness. Unspoiled essence. Red rivers, purple pigs, and Sponge Bob Square pants. These are the things that I think of when I think of my Kindergarten class. It’s a half-day Kindergarten in a public school located in middle-class metropolis. We have students from all walks of life, some of whom speak a different language at home, some who went to preschool, some in foster care or who were adopted, some who immigrated to this country recently, some who’s parents volunteer in the classroom or in other ways donate time, some who’s parents donate supplies, and all of who love to learn. We have students who come from heritages such as; African-American, Euro-American, Asian-American, Native-American, and South-American. They are 5 and 6 year old Monets and Picassos.

Organization of the classroom
I’m the kind of teacher that makes a big deal about loose teeth, learning to tie a shoe, rain, sleet, and snow, birthdays, and new baby sisters. I keep every picture every child has ever made me. And I am always looking for new things to teach that will really spark an interest in the students. My bulletin boards are interactive (see below), and I sit on the circle rug cris-cross applesauce. My classroom reflects this enthusiasm. The classroom theme is Pirates, which the behavior management system and classroom decorations are modeled after. My classroom library, which we call the "Reading Pond" because it is decked out with a water theme and calming colors, is, by far, the largest center in the room, with class made books included as well. We have well stocked art, writing, and math centers. Our science center is constantly changing, but almost always contains some kind of living plant(s) or animal(s). Dramatic play, my favorite center, changes with the monthly theme as well; it’s been a pirate ship, a grocery store, a farm, and a campsite. The circle carpet serves as a music center during free center time. Plastered all over the walls and hanging from the ceiling are Pirate inspirational posters and the children’s work.

Incorporating Science and Math

One of the easiest ways to incorporate math and science into the classroom is also a very sneaky way. I not only plan on having engaging math and science centers in my classroom, but I will use several ways to assimilate a math and/or science lesson in with reading, writing, or even recess time! For example, we will keep daily picture journals, during our plants unit, on growing sunflowers. We will do a lot of cooking in class as well as creating our own playdough (both edible and not). During recess, we will trace each other’s shadows and see how they change during the different times of the day. Of course, there will be those times where a pure science experiment maneuvers it’s way into my curriculum, or there are math problems we need to solve so we whip out the number line or the counting blocks

Learning Evaluation and assessment

Through my classes on assessment, I have learned that assessment can be the most painstaking part of a teacher’s job, however it is also a very important part of teaching. Assessments will be done at least three times a year (beginning, middle and end of the school year) to chart student’s baseline knowledge and subsequent progress. Evaluation methods will include, but not be limited to; pictures, collected and logged work samples, running records, anecdotals, experiments requiring application of science/math knowledge, pictures, observations, and checklists.

Here is a sample of my bulletin boards:

(As mentioned, they are all interactive)

August: Match the Landmark with it's proper name.

September: Write synonyms for "Magnificent".

December: Draw a gift you would like to give to someone else.

February: Make your own silly holiday.

Here is my first e-book. It was actually an assignment but I like the way it turned out...