Amid COVID-19 Ohannesian’s ’06 Creativity Enhances Virtual Elementary Classroom

An Assumption education forms graduates whom are thoughtful, intelligent, and compassionate. Alex Ohannesian ’06, a third-grade teacher at Woodland Elementary School in Milford, is an example of how such a liberal arts education breeds creativity and successful careers.  

Ohannesian, who creative teaching style was recently featured in an article in Wicked Local Milford, and his students have thrived during the period of remote learning, forced upon schools due to the global pandemic, and has found engaging and exciting ways to connect with his students. For example, with a hobby horse in his hand and a Paul Revere costume on his back, Ohannesian relayed a history lesson via a pop music video for his students to enjoy, and learn from.

According to the article, with the start of remote learning in April, Ohannesian used YouTube to support of his Google Classroom assignments. His videos included a math video depicting a game of Pokemon fractions with his fiancée, Allie Paladino ’13, who is also a teacher in Milford; a lesson about elapsed time with an inflatable frog; and forces in motion with car races.

Each year, the teacher holds his annual Ohannesian Idol with his classes, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he converted it into a virtual format. He uploaded a video titled “Ohannesian Idol 2020” on YouTube, featuring a song called “North Church Lights,” which is set to the tune of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. In response to Ohannesian’s video, his students, and at least two fellow teachers, created their own educational pop music videos demonstrating what they had learned. 

To read the full Wicked Local Milford story, which includes some of Ohannesian’s videos, click here.