The Kitchen Environment
I am fortunate to be teaching in an environment (the kitchen classroom) that is able to combine most learning-style delivery methods as long as I pay attention to their needs. For example, the tactile learners are cooking; frequent chef demonstrations help satisfy the visual learners; a flip chart with assignments and recipe conversions helps those who need to see it in writting; as well as constant verbal coaching and time checks. The trick is to keep all fronts working, which takes a bit of juggling.
that seems to work....IF they are paying atention.....
Hello,
Timing is an important part of culinary training. Yes, speed will come without sacrificing quality or safety.
Often students think they have the control of a skill,yet they forget (to ask themselves the question) "what's next"?
thx
Gil Gaitan
It is juggling. Like you, I am also in a kitchen classroom. When I lecture I use the dry erase board for visual, I demo the recipes for the days lab and walk around correcting or praising as i see needed.
Tina
I like to use PowerPoints, but not give them out until completed. I limit them to 20 minutes then demo the subject and have them complete the subject by replicating the demo.
Hi Karla- Welcome to Ed 103! You are right -your Hands-on/kinesthetic learners can't wait to get into the recipe etc. It will serve them well in their careers though if they learn how to write out recipes and procedures to use if they are not there or to train new employees. The better they are at this, the more opportunities they will have. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Suaan
Hi Anis - Welcome to ED 103! Do you require your students to take notes during the demo? Sometimes that makes them pay more attention to steps, procedures etc. Susan
That's true, many times Just watching the demo students thinks that's so easy, they will remember all the details etc... But in the next 5" It's like they never saw it, and a lot of question not stupid but didn't pay attention to it.
I strongly agree with your comment. I also work ina kitchen environment and it is very rewarding to see that you are reaching out all the students one way or another. Most of the students I feel that are more tactile learners since it's easy to read when it finally the concept clicks, and that is when they finally get to do their practical work.
Chefordy - I LOVE it! I teach Public Speaking, Ethics, Leadership and Education.
Sounds very simliar to my day!
Susan,
We actually play "Chefoardy" if you can beleive that! What do you teach?
Yes, as a culinary instructor we use both lecture and demonstrations in our instruction. It's key to both visual and auditory learning. We also use formative and summative evaluation in our curriculum.
Hi Alyson - Sounds like you have a current class of Kinesthetic learners. The best thing is to get them up and moving as much as possible. We use things like games like Jeopardy played with teams - it keeps them motivated.
I also teach culinary arts. It is very interesting how the learning styles seem to be quite consisitent. The style I encounter the most is visual. We do a mix of demos lectures snd power points. The current class I have cannot sit quietly in a lecture for any length of time so i try to injuct "bullets" of information thoughout the class.
Yes, I agree that in the kitchen there are a variety of learning styles and each of them learns at a different pace and being able to work with them takes patience especially since the kitchen lab is mainly tactile learning and it has to be done whether they are fast or slow. Lecturing, PowerPoint Presentations, videos, chef demos all provide a good foundation of reaching different learning styles to the achieve the required skill - tactile learning.
Hi Barbara - Welcome to ED 103! What you describe is so often a description of our Career College students.
yes, juggling comes naturally to the seasoned chef and chef instructor. Being a kinesthetic learner myself i am very conscious of those who must envolve themselves physically in the learning process. This is why small classes are best for this type of learner and short lecture classes with frequent breaks and activities suit this group best. Many of these students struggle in the class room but excell in the lab.
I find that most culinary arts students tend to be kinisthetic learners with some tendency toward visual learning as well. The combination of demo and then hands on production seems to work well for them.
In my kitchen, I must reach students from ages 20 to 60. Therefore I utilize dry erase board with day's agenda and timeline, lecture during all demos and follow up constantly with helping students during production and assessment of product.
