Oakton has been changing rapidly it seems like something new is going on every day. Recently there has been teachers visiting us from some foreign countries and speaking during some of our classes. These teachers have been talking about their home countries, Mrs. Tatian shared about Hasmik Khoylunts who is visiting Oakton all the way from Armenia. By having these teachers come in, we are getting to see some different cultures. Ms. Khoylunts talked about the culture of Armenia, the gorgeous land and and the contemporary life of an Armenian person during Mrs. Tatian’s class. “I found the most interesting how beautiful Armenia is, when she showed us how Armenia all I could think is, I want to hike that” said Tatian.

It is very important that we learn about other countries because we are so lucky to be getting an education in America. Here, kids complain about school a lot, and the American education system may not be perfect; but, we should be grateful that we have access to a good education. Education is not the only important thing even daily life is different in other countries. One of the most exciting things about visiting another country is that you get to witness their landmarks and customs that make that country unique. So maybe you can’t afford to take a trip to another country; many people have never been out of their home country before. Meeting people who come from a different background than us is an important part of learning that is very exciting to see in schools. When you think of learning in school, you think of the basics: math, science, english, and history. But when we have the opportunity to learn something new that maybe doesn’t get as much attention in school as it should, like other modern cultures, it is important that we take that opportunity. Not only is it good for the students, it’s also a good experience for the teachers. “Ms. Khoylunts exposed me to some amazing Armenian writes and I am excited to share their writing with my students,” said Ms. Tatian.

The fact that Oakton was able to bring in someone from Armenia is important too. A lot of times kids will find information about certain places from very biased websites. Although we are taught in English class to always make sure we are using factual, honest websites, not all kids follow through. By bringing someone in who has dealt with the experiences and problems with this country first hand is very important. “We had an exchange teacher a few years ago from Russia, I think it was so important for my students to learn about Russia from a different perspective because most often when you see Russia in the media it’s about government,” said Tatian. Giving kids a chance to learn about these different aspects of a country by just having someone talking to them is a great experience that hopefully they can remember forever.