I find that by using the Formative Evaluation Process it helps to let the student know where they are and need to be in order to be successful in my class. When all is said and done there are no surprises.

I teach in a hands-on culinary classroom, and have found that doing a verbal "re-cap" at end of day can help reinforce what the students have learned, and gives all students in the class a chance to benefit from these experiences. I begin with "So, who leaned something today?" or "Who got their money's worth today?". I try to turn even the most amazing disasters into something we gain knowledge from, and to alleviate embarassment- as in "it's something we've all done (or will do)... burn the soup!". Then discuss how to take precautions or adjust techniques to avoid this in the future and, in doing so, broaden the discussion.

Students feel motivated when they know how they are performing in the class. By doing daily and end of the course evaluation my students strive to do better than they did the day before

It is hard to make students take good notes during lectures and critique. I found having a suprise open notebook test on occassion will encourage them to be better at this.

I have always found it beneficial to students who are not paying attention to direct questions directly to them when they doze off or are not paying attention. I know the text states not to do that, but how else can you get those students engaged in the discussion when it is obvious that their minds are somewhere else.

It is no secret that many of our culinary learners are either visual or kinesthetic learners. Our stuednts must see items being produced and then must produce those items with thier own hands in order to grasp the information and learn the technique. However, in the theory classes, these techniques might not alays work. I have found that if yo can turn theory courses into hands on activities and bring that information into the visual realm rather than the auditory area, culinary students learn at a faster pace and they tend to retain more.

I have found that even asking the class as a whole it does not get all involved so I started asking each student somehting that was covered or even sometimes more than one question. I have even asked other students if they can help the student with the question, is this a good way to get the students involved with the questions being asked or should I leave it with an open floor when asking or covering the material that was in the lesson?

I love this quote: "The problem with teaching facts and techniques is that they often soon become obsolete. The object of education is the pursuit of knowledge and this is inherently an ongoing process. As instructors, we must instill in our students the process of continual learning. Our students need to learn how to be self-directed learners and problem solvers so that they will be the successful in their field when faced with similar situations." This is so very true in cooking! As a chef instructor, I constantly have students confused about the varied techniques taught within the school for the same (or similar) dishes. I encourage my students not to be frustrated by this, but to take these varied methods and begin to develop their favorite styles and to discover what works for them individually. This personalizes the topic and creates an excitement that they are not just students learning facts, but future chefs whose opinions and tastes matter.

I have found that fluctuating voice tone and levels helps to keep attention. Also, to not focus for more than 5-10 minutes on one subject before transitioning the next part of the lecture. Please share techniques you use during your lectures.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR AN INSTRUCTOR TO HAVE THEIR OWN STYLE... STUDENTS SEEM TO ADAPT EASIER TO THE COURSE BEING TAUGHT.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM INSTRUCTOR TO STUDENT OR STUDENT TO INSTRUCTOR IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. A SENSE OF BECOMING COMFORTABLE IN THE CLASS.

When students have a comfortable environment, they seem to retain more of the subject matter.

I have found that students are often at a complete loss to describe their learning style- and many demonstrate improved grades after a conversation where we identify their dominant modality. Now I start each semester off with a discussion of learning styles and suggestions for students.

I am a culinary instructor in the school restaurant. I find it difficult to incorporate different styles of learning because the very nature of the class is demo/hands-on. In order to cover different learning styles, I have begun implementing mandatory 'daily prep lists' generated by the students for each station. In creating these, the students must mentally walk through the work, prioritize, and begin to get a grasp on the overall weight of the work load. I also assign, to each station group, the creation of a new dish for the next season's menu. If the item is chosen, their names will appear on the printed menu, which is a real honor! In addition, I post a "final exam review" document on the student portal that asks questions and covers topics they will need to adequately review for the test. This works much better than the verbal review I used to do, the students can print it earlier in the rotation, have a written guide to refer to, and frees up about an hour of class time.

At the beginning of class I write the objectives on the board and that starts the days conversations with the students.

I had a group of Master Instructors visit my class. They had some input that was effective. They suggested that you should try to lead a student toward the answer of a question, rather than just answering it. By asking the student a question you can draw them toward the initial questions answer. This tends to promote thought. Students will join in the discussion.

For me teaching a culinary career is difficult for the fact that it not only requires physical abilities but a lot of mental ablilites. A lot of other careers require this. What is an easier way to relay that information besides through personal experience?

The students like to observe the instructor doing it and they they like to try it themselves.

I use two books. Black book, white book. When assessing students product I use the black book on Monday and my associate will use the white. The next day we switch and continue to alternate. This way the students don't always have the same instructor grading their plates. The students really like it and since the associate and I are on the same page as to what the plates should be like the grading tends to be very even and fair.

I find it is very important not only to get to know your students, but also how each one will act and react within the classroom enviroment.