Erasmus+ Invited Expert in Talsi, Latvia: Innovative Teaching (10–12 Nov 2025)

If you ever decide to visit Latvia, this week in November is probably the best time. Flags hang from every building, people gather with torches and candles, Riga glows during the Festival of Light, and the country’s birthday brings a deep sense of pride and togetherness. Latvia peacefully separated from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has grown into an independent, charming, welcoming 34-year-old.

There’s something special about Latvia in mid-November: the atmosphere is reflective and proud at the same time. The lights, the flags, and the quiet strength of people celebrating their country’s journey make you feel like you’re witnessing a living lesson in identity, community, and values.

In March 2025 we welcomed two wonderful Latvian teachers from Talsu 2. vidusskola (Talsi, Latvia) to one of our courses in Split, Croatia. Little did we know that our story wouldn’t end there, it would become the beginning of a real friendship. Dārta Suboča and Agnese Metuzāle were not only the kind of course participants every trainer hopes for, but also some of the most warm-hearted people you can meet. Later that year, they invited me to their school as an Erasmus+ Invited Expert for innovative teaching from 10–12 November 2025 — an invitation I happily accepted.

Talsi is a tiny, charming town about 100 km from Riga. It may be small in size, but its people have enormous hearts. I was welcomed with open arms, smiles, and genuine curiosity from the very first moment. If you’d like to learn more about the school, you can visit their website: https://www.talsu2vsk.lv/

Very quickly, the teachers shared what they were struggling with most: declining focus and motivation. With the rise of AI, some students now believe they no longer need to do all the hard work, because “the tool will do it.”

This is exactly why innovative teaching matters more than ever: not to fight technology, but to teach students how to think, create, and communicate with and without AI.

We only had three days and so many things to explore. Teachers were especially interested in using AI to support lesson preparation and reduce prep time without reducing quality. We focused on practical, classroom-ready use:

• MagicSchool for worksheets, differentiation ideas, exit tickets, rubrics, and lesson structures
• Gamma for building clean presentations, posters, lesson flow, and learning sequences in minutes

The best sign? Some teachers tried the tools immediately — not as a “wow effect,” but as a real workflow: plan → adapt → teach → reflect.

We also discussed one non-negotiable: ethical and responsible AI use. AI can support learning, but it can’t replace it, and students still need to build the core skills that make them independent thinkers.

Our sessions also included Teaching with a Twist, as well as drama games and engagement techniques that help teachers bring energy into the classroom and motivate students to participate actively. What I love about being a teacher trainer is watching teachers relax into creativity while laughing, taking risks, and playing like children.

Because I truly believe that if you’re having fun, your students will too.

My visit was never only about learning tools. It was about giving teachers methods they can use immediately: activities, games, structures, and techniques that make lessons more engaging and creative.

I truly hope everything we practiced will be beneficial both for the teachers and their students, and that it will open the door to creative, innovative paths and methods, especially at a time when so many classrooms are searching for motivation and focus again.

It was truly a pleasure meeting such passionate educators, and I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this Erasmus+ invited expert visit so meaningful.

Special thanks to:

• Principal: Oļegs Solovjovs — for his amazing hospitality and warm welcome
• Teachers: Dārta Suboča and Agnese Metuzāle — for the invitation (and for the joy of meeting again)
• Teacher: Elizabete Laursone — for her time, kindness, and support throughout the visit
• Coordinator: Iveta Rorbaha — for wonderful organisation and making everything run smoothly

This isn’t a goodbye — it’s simply till we meet again. 🤗

If your school is looking for an Erasmus+ invited expert to deliver practical training in innovative teaching (AI tools, engagement strategies, drama-based learning, inclusion, wellbeing, or lesson planning, STEM, civic education), Platform21 can design a tailored program that teachers can apply immediately in their classrooms.