Season 3, Day 9: Is this working??

Sadly, our time Madrid is over and we are currently on the 3 hr TRAIN to Barcelona. Long time readers (both of you) will know that I’m a HUGE fan of traveling by train in Europe. (Woo,woo!!! 🚂 - lo siento - won’t happen again) Comfy reclining seats, fancy glass car doors that slide open as if they came from the Death Star, and a cafe stocked with some pretty darn good coffee and snacks?! What’s not to love!?! (Man I want to do one more train sound right now! 🤐)

Before we left Madrid, we enjoyed a big family dinner together at a nearby Italian restaurant. Twenty four people enjoying pasta, pizza, and light hearted conversation - a great way close the first chapter of our journey together. I’m so thankful for this group of students. They’ve really embraced the family dynamic of the class. They invite each other to events. They look out for each other. They tease each other when someone (it was Ryan) spills 15 lolly pops while getting on the train. (In fairness he thought it was one giant lolly and wasn’t prepared to manage so many at once.)  It’s hard to imagine this group didn’t know each other just 9 days ago. 

After dinner, Garrett asked me an important question (as he tends to do) - Do I feel like I am “teaching” during this class? I’ve given this question some thought as well as a related question - Is this class working?  I have to say -Yes to both. Now this is not the typical “professor lectures at students” class format. I don’t administer quizzes or exams. I don’t hold office hours. I don’t really do anything that I normally do in a traditional class that I teach at the university. 

So what do I do? First and foremost, I recruit a group of capable, motivated, and crime free students. (Seriously, you gotta pass that background check!) There are no guarantees but I think I’ve done a fair job of identifying students who are up to this challenge. 

As far as teaching goes, I see my primary role as curating an experience and giving these students opportunities to learn. I’ve identified specific learning outcomes which I put in front of these students to keep them on track. I work with our vendor (CIEE - bless you!) to identify experiences that reinforce the learning outcomes. And then I let them loose. Students are simply asked to explore, observe and reflect on their observations. To survive in this foreign country, they MUST also get to know each other, be patient with each other, communicate, work together, and problem solve. These just so happen to be the professional skills that we try to promote in our traditional classes as we know these are the things they will need to succeed as future healthcare providers (and humans). 

My first argument in support of me actually working/teaching during this class (and not just finding a clever loophole to travel Europe each summer whilst being paid) is that I’m tired. I feel like I’ve put in a good day of work each night. I also do a lot of counting heads, checking in on students, making sure they get from A to B, and just being available when needed (like a Jedi knight you might say).

My second and strongest argument - the students are learning. Not just getting good grades…learning. In 9 days, these students have learned:  

• What hostels look like in Europe (they can be lovely)
• The tenets of the Mediterranean lifestyle
• How to cook four new Spanish dishes (Gazpacho is a drink…confirmed)
• How to eat and order food in Spain
• How to navigate a food market in Spain
• How to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak English
• How to create ridiculous AI images of their professor that should never see the light of day outside their group chat (Credit: Collin)
• How the U.S. healthcare system compares to the Spanish universal system
• How police, safety, and facilities & maintenance systems contribute to the healthcare system
• How empty some ICU units are in Spain
• How to navigate a complicated public transit system
• How to score tickets to a massive electronic music festival
• The amazing talent of Pablo Picasso and Goya
• A fair bit about the history of the Spanish royal family (very Game of Thrones like!)
• The brilliance and beauty of Spanish architecture 
• How Spaniards exercise and stay fit
• How to practice yoga
• The importance of packing lightly when traveling by train (still working on this one)
• How to travel in a large group (not easy)
• And how to live in a city of 3.5 million people (6.8 million in the greater metro - no big deal)

And I’m sure this is not an exhaustive list. These students have seen so much that I’ll never know about.  They are natural born explorers……and are now on their way to a new land where they will find Darth Vader, vanquish him and his followers, and bring peace to the galaxy!! (What happened?!? I think I dozed off.)  See you in Barcelona…

A sign in a local coffee shop sums it up “Madrid is always good vibes”

Yoga in the park. Footage of me doing a full headstand was unfortunately lost in a giant fire. 

A local physician explains how Spain’s universal healthcare system costs less, covers everyone, and results in better quality care. Maybe we should consider making a switch. 

Ryan - Capable, motivated, no criminal history, Lolly pop guy.