Diaspora Teachers Meet and Celebrate

Fifty seven teachers from Latvian diaspora schools abroad participated in this year’ s teacher training course in Salacgrīva, Latvia, organized by the Latvian Language Agency.

The course ran for three days from 10th to 12th July at the recreation complex „Kapteiņu osta”, Latvia. Teachers enjoyed an intensive professional up-training and a cultural programme as well.  During the classes teachers, many of whom are not professionally trained in paedagogy, studied te latest on methods for work wit students in informal education setting. Some of the themes presented: „Constructing knowledge: path to knowledge that does not disappear”, „Teaching teenagers: what, how and why we teach?”, „Planning educational processes focussing on attainable goals”, „Masterclass on Public Speach: How to engage pupils and make them listen”, „New study material for diaspora schools”, „ Tools for creating Facebook content”. Teachers were particularly positive about the chance to exchange experiences. Līga Gemute, long time teacher at Latvian diaspora schools in Australia and the U.S.A., author of several study materials, told about her current work on writing a new series of study materials „Adventures” , in cooperation with the Latvian Language Agency. This material will offer a tool for teaching grammar rules in the form of excitings adventures, and will be available to interested teachers already later this autumn. Teachers from Sweden Inese Vallenberga („Radošā rakstīšana diasporas skolās”) and  Gunta Neimane („Spēles un uzdevumi latviešu valodas apguvē”) held presentations about their already published teaching and study materials, which are available free of charge at the website: www.maciunmacies.lv . Ilze Stīpniece, teacher from Ireland Latvian school „ Jumitis” hared exciting experiences in managing and carrying out different kind of school related activities.

Evening programme featured a solo performance of Laima Jansone with the „Story of Kokle”, an engaging mystery of sounds with Latvian traditional string instrument „Kokle”. On the second day teachers met two folklore activists Vidvuds and Iveta Medeņi, who really rocked Salacgrīva with their folksongs, dances and traditional games. Teachers gained valuable practice and practical knowledge that can be used in working with their students back at their respective schools. One of the major goals of Latvian diaspora schools is to promote and preserve traditional culture, celebrations and traditions among the Latvian population living abroad. .

For diaspora teachers these summer courses are a celebration of getting together and gaining inspiration and creative impetus for the next academic year. Some of the feed-back responses left after the training: „ Very inspiring and useful content, also I got the feeling that we are not alone,” „The value of networking and finding new contacts during events like this are of incredible value,” „I have gathered so much infrmation, can’t wait to start using it in my work in the little school.”

Teachers from twenty three countries participated in this year’ s summer course for diaspora teachers: Australia, Austria, Belorussia, Belgium, Brasil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Estonia, Iceland, Ireland,  Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the U.K., the USA  and Sweden.

Latvian Language Agency is an administrative government agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Science. Its primary objective is to promote sustainable and stable development of the Latvian language and support its status as the official state language of the Republic of Latvia and the official language of the European Union. One of the primary functions of Latvian Language Agency is to provide assistance and support to learning and teaching the Latvian language, as well as to incentives to strengthen the preservation of this language.