Last day with Inga's students, and so much more!

I spent the morning with Inga’s English classes; it was our final day together (Inga has no classes on Thursdays, and Friday is Good Friday holiday).

We discussed phrasal verbs (i.e. get out, put up), proverbs, sports analogies, and other English usage that seems to be a challenge to Latvian students seeking to gain deeper fluency in the English Language.


We marked the final day with photos and a video greeting to my students and school that will be played on our in-school TV broadcast.


I also took my leave of the school's principal and Inga's colleagues; I thanked them for making me feel so welcome and for allowing me to be a part of the community for two weeks.


We had a busy afternoon with appointments to meet a variety of individuals. We had lunch with Biruta Pjalkovska whom I met in Lincoln at last year’s orientation with the TEA ILEP program.

She was in Riga to meet her partner teacher Kyle who arrived early to enjoy Latvia with his wife. We ate (yes, you know where) at Lido, my favorite Latvian cuisine restaurant; the food was delicious as usual!

After our midday repast, we walked to a coffee shop to meet with a former Latvian Department of Education official, Dace Saleniece, to discuss the teaching of History in Latvian schools. The decision has been made to offer two history classes to students: one lesson per week in Latvian History, and another lesson in World History. Previously, both histories were taught in the same class each lesson. At this point, Latvian history teachers are awaiting the final approval of the Latvian Parliament as they have the final say in this change. I also wanted to meet Dace because she is pursuing her PhD in Holocaust Education and Civic Education. It seems she and I have friends in common, particularly Stephen Feinberg at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where she hopes to spend nine months as a Museum scholar-fellow (she awaits the results of her application…)

As we walked to our next meeting, I found my way to a Baltic Jewelry store and found a number of items calling my name, but they were not the correct size…I am looking for a piece that has all the Latvian heritage symbols in the design…no luck yet!

We arrived at the home of Ilgvars Andernovics and his daughter, Silvija. I wanted to meet them both since their experiences and family history help illuminate Latvian 20th century history for me. Silvija serves as the head of the Latvian Teachers of English professional organization, and Ilvgars has a fascinating life history! Ilgvars was in high school when Latvia was invaded by the Soviet Union as a result of the Non-Aggression Pact of 1939 between Germany and USSR.

He described what life was like under the Soviet occupation at that time, and how things changed when the Germany invaded the Soviet Union and Latvia... He ended up in South Australia and worked to build the Latvian community there. He returned after Latvia regained its independence. Silvija returned in 1991, and her recollections of that time were also fascinating.


I also admired all the Latvian artistry in the home - handiwork of Silvija's mother...beautiful!