I find that many students tend to focus on only the negative things when they turn in dishes to me. I try to direct them not only to the things they could improve but the things that are worth repeating the next time they produce the same dish. A little positive reinforcement goes a long way.

I think the idea of students evaluating themselves is brilliant. Of course, this will only be a factor in my final grading of the group projects but I think it's a great way to ensure that students are participating and contributing to the group.

As a culinary instructor I really appreciate the point about floating through the classroom. This is essential to meeting individual student needs as they have varying levels of skills throughout their time at culinary school.

On the first day of class I have students answer a series of questions including: Why are you here? What do you want to get out of school? Where do you see yourself a year from now? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? I like them to create of a vision and stay focused on those goals.

I try to learn all my students names the very first day. When I see students in the hallway I always greet them with their first name(if I can remember it) and ask them how their classes are going.

On the first day of class we not only orient the student with their new surroundings but we introduce ourselves and talk about our experiences and all the wonderful opportunities that await them when they graduate. We also discuss student's past experiences and the reason they came to school instead of continuing on their previous path to help them define their "dream".

One of the things we do at our school is to participate in a lot of community events. It is a great way to get our students involved together when we do special events for various charities such as Ronald McDonald House, Children's Hospital, and the local military base for wounded soldiers. The students not only have fun but form bonds while practicing their cooking skills.

Our school has a formal student mentoring program. Aside from outside office hours of the instructors, we have culinary students that wear blue neckerchiefs that students can easily locate and set up tutoring when the need arises.

Every day, especially in the first week of class, we discuss in detail what is expected in the class and how the class went. What went very well and what could be improved the next day as far as work habits and execution of cooking techniques. I also stress that it's okay to make mistakes and that it is an important part of the learning process. I find students get down on themselves and can be self-discouraging.

I have my students tell the clas their favorite restaurants, foods, and types of cuisines. Some of them have similar likes and dislikes and it gets them engaged with each other and the topic of food. This is especially important on their first day when they don't know anyone and make a connection to another individual in the class as well as the instructor.