More International Teaching

As I mentioned in my last blog, I am back in Gdansk at the same University (Politechnika Gdanska) teaching for about a month http://www.zie.pg.gda.pl/. This was arranged as I was leaving last June. We agreed I would come back twice (January and May) to teach some classes over a short period of time.

A couple of differences this year- I am also teaching full time at Rockhurst and Fulbright is no longer paying me. This is truly a visiting professor gig. I even have a new title profesor wizytujący (Visiting Professor). You can see my faculty page- http://www.zie.pg.gda.pl/spis-pracownikow (I think you have to click on “G” and then my name).

This works out pretty well with Rockhurst’s schedule, as European Universities begin their fall terms in Oct and end in very late January. Then the spring term starts in February and ends at the end of July. Rockhurst’s terms end the first or second week of December and then the second term ends the first or second week of May. So in each case, I have about a month or so to do these things.

Scheduling is also tough- as my wife continues to remind me, we have children. There is that Christmas thing and we have two birthdays in January (Abbie and Trey’s). I missed Abbie’s birthday last year- as I was in Barcelona. I will likely miss it again next year- as I will be in Barcelona again (I will write about what we are doing in Barcelona at some other time). Anyway, Abbie was quite clear that this year I was to be home and pay my due homage to her birthday. Of course, who can say no to Abbie.

So, as I might have come to Gdansk right after New Years- I stayed until after Abbie’s birthday on the 7th. We went to her school for lunch. Took her to dinner. Gave her presents and otherwise had the world revolve around her. Then the next day, Saturday afternoon the 8th, I jumped on a plane for Poland.

Getting to Gdansk is straight forward- but long. It is 5,000 miles from door to door. You first go to Chicago, then get on a Polish airline (LOT) to the capital city of Warsaw (who would have thought a Polish airline would fly in and out of Chicago...). Then you go through EU customs, and hop a short flight north to Gdansk. About 15 hours of traveling and a 7 hour time change (we are in the Central European Time zone, CET, same as France, Germany, etc).

As noted, my friend Charles picked me up at the airport and took me to my new flat. Add travel time and time zone change- It was now Sunday afternoon.

I was scheduled to start teaching the next day.

Now, Politechnika basically has me teach the same classes I do in the States. I teach Strategy Management, Statistics, and International Business. A rather odd combination of classes- but that is me. The only other class that I teach in the States, but NOT at Politechnika is Managerial Economics. I don’t teach Managerial Economics (probably my real speciality) in Gdansk, as there are 26 other economists on faculty. So, they need me to teach those other classes.

This term, they asked if I would teach three classes over a one month period. Two sections of Statistics II and one section of Strategy. All semester long classes, crammed into 4 weeks.

So, my classes run back to back Monday, Tuesday and Wed from 3pm until 9pm. Then on Thursdays, I start at 8:15am and go until 9pm, with a couple hour break in the afternoon. In Poland, it is not unusual for students to have classes starting at 7:15am or going until 10:00pm. They truly go all day.

A typical day- I teach a group Strategy for a few hours, then they leave and 15 minutes later another group comes in for Statistics II, then they leave and third group comes in for Statistics II again. Rinse and repeat each day.

Long days, I get home about 10pm. But then I do not have to be back on campus until about 1:30 the next afternoons.

My classes are still very international in demographics. About half of my students are Polish. However, I also have Portuguese, French, Spanish, Chinese and I think a German. All are Master’s students. Of course, all classes are taught in English. At this level- the young Polish students are very, very fluent in English. Sometimes my slang or phrases throws them off however. I used the term “rule of thumb” in class- and no one had heard of that. So, I have to watch my phrases.

So that is my teaching week. But it is not all work and no play. Next posts will be on some of the fun stuff I get to do.