Nayiri Shahnazarian and assistant teacher Anie Shahnazarian (right) with their students
On June 10, 2023, the 21 students of the Armenian school of Greater Baltimore took the stage to showcase what they learned throughout the school year. They sang songs, performed dances, recited poems and even presented a play. It was truly remarkable for me to see our students and all of their incredible accomplishments.
This was my third year as an Armenian school teacher and I absolutely loved it. It’s difficult to put into words how exciting it was week after week to watch the children get to know each other, learn vocabulary words and build bonds within our local Armenian community. Every Saturday, my students surpassed expectations and impressed me with their willingness and yearning to learn. Whether it was catching themselves using a word in English and then switching to Armenian, or sounding out words in Armenian completely on their own, this year I was filled with pride and gratitude to have these children in my life. My students pushed themselves to learn longer, more difficult poems and practiced writing the alphabet. I would hear stories from parents about how seriously the children took their homework, and it showed when they would come back to class the following week ready to show off what they had completed.
Each year that I am a teacher, I find myself growing and learning more as well. I started taking online private Armenian lessons from a teacher in Armenia in order to improve my own skills and teach my class more effectively. I find myself more confident when I speak, my reading level has improved, and my vocabulary is so much larger than it was before.
I also was able to connect with a teacher at the Hamasdegh Armenian School located at Soorp Khatch Armenian Church about an hour away from the Baltimore school. We talked about our students, and she offered some tips on how to teach dance to the younger children that I look forward to utilizing. I also realized how much I genuinely love teaching and decided that over the summer I would offer private lessons. I conducted my first two last week. Even in just one hour working with my students one-on-one, I witnessed significant improvement, and there is nothing more joyful than seeing the light bulbs go off in their heads.
I look forward to the fall when school begins again and am excited to see what new things my students and I will learn together. Armenian school is a gift, and I wouldn’t want to spend my Saturday mornings anywhere else.
If you’re in the Baltimore area and would like more information on our school, please email asgbmd1@gmail.com, or reach out to us on Instagram or Facebook.