Congratulations to Laura Green who has been nominated in Scots Teacher o the Year sponsored by Scottish Qualifications Authority in the Scots Language Awards 2019. Vote now!
We asked Laura Green the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
Ah’m a wife, mither o twa braw weans (an wan bonnie big dug, if that counts), an teacher. Ah come fae a faimly o Scots speakers, an grew up right in the middle o the central belt – West Lothian.
Ah taught English in secondary schuils fir 13 year, then left in 2017 tae concentrate oan wirkin wi Scots, as weel as anither position Ah haud (still tae dae wi education). When Ah was teachin Ah did a sma amount o wirk fir Education Scotland, redevelopin their ‘Blether’ SharePoint oan ‘Glow’; developin some teachin resources oan Wee Windaes; an visitin schuils tae inform the report cried ‘Scots Language in Curriculum for Excellence’. Syne Ah left the teachin, a stertit wirkin wi the Scots Language Centre daein education an outreach. Twa year furrit, an Ah’m communicatin wi teachers regular tae support whit they’re daein in schuils; visitin schuils tae teach weans aboot Scots; supportin events lik ‘Wee Write’ in Glesga an the ‘Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail’ in Dundee an Aberdeen; maintainin the education page o www.scotslanguage.com; an developin lairnin resources fir www.scotslanguage.com/learning. Aw, an Ah run a twitter account cried @LairnScots.
Why are you involved in Scots language?
Wan – a teacher wha gied me a row fir yaisin the wird, ‘Aye’. Twa – a lecturer at uni wha, when Ah telt him that Ah wisnae really a Scots speaker, Ah mair jist talked wi a regional accent, says, ‘Dae ye hink sae?!’
Apairt fae thaim, the weans Ah taught ower the years hae been the main reason. Every time a disaffectit wee laddie or lassie in ma class pit their haun up tae tell me whit a Scots wird meant, or a wird that they kenned that the rest o the class didnae, or that they had feenished their scrievins in Scots, an could they dae anither yin? They’re the reason. Ah’ve aye believed that folk should be proud o the wey they speak an the leid they yaise, an it was gey important tae me that Ah made shuir that aw the Scots speakin weans Ah taught kenned that their voice was valid, important, relevant.
Any particular career highlights?
A career highlight fir me was visitin the schuils tae inform the Scots Language in Curriculum for Excellence report fir Education Scotland. It was great tae see the excellent practice goin oan in schuils. Anither highlight has been ma involvement in developin resources fir www.scotslanguage.com/learning – it’s guid tae see parents haein tae tear their bairns awa fae the gemmes, acause they’re enjoyin them that much!
What are your plans for the future?
Plans fir the future are tae launch new educational animatit videos tae help folk learn Scots. They feature dialects o Scots an regional accents fae aroon the country. The mair Scots that can be heard, the better.
Aw, an tae continue windin folk up, via LairnScots, at Hallaeen by askin them if they think folk should cry a neep a tumshie.
Read more about Laura Green
http://https://www.scotslanguage.com/pages/view/id/9
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: http://https://twitter.com/lairnscots?lang=en
Instagram: http://https://www.instagram.com/scotslanguage/
If you wish to attend the Scots Language Awards, tickets are available to buy via: https://www.ticketsglasgow.com/Pages/EventDetail.aspx?EventId=8fd8b867-811e-4bfc-a2c0-aab900efc42b For box office call 0141 353 8000. Performing on Friday 27th September include Iona Fyfe Trio, Susi Briggs, Steve Byrne and more to be announced.
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