ST. SARKIS HAGOPIAN SATURDAY SCHOOL: TEACHING DURING THE PANDEMIC

Looking back on the past school year, the St. Sarkis Suzanne and Hovsep Hagopian Saturday School, of Douglaston, New York, encountered a few non-technological challenges, such as teaching a single class that had both native speakers as well as students who did not speak Armenian very well or at all. Teachers tried to create different types of creative activities to keep their students engaged, such as games, storytelling and additional reading.

However the biggest differences were with technology. Teaching remotely provided some challenges as well as some unexpected opportunities.

The time limit on Zoom calls made teaching difficult. It was also challenging to keep students engaged while on a video call, but it also provided a chance to use videos to show our Armenian heritage. Some teachers even enjoyed trying to come up with new activities that incorporated technology.