I agree with some comments above about keeping instructors up to speed on curent food trends.  Visiting local restaurants, talking to local chefs, reading food articles, and generally keeping a finger on the pulse of the food world will allow instructors to continue to make class feel more relevant.

Moving forward, I will engage students more in product ID, and having tasting activities in class.  I find that there are some students who have never been exposed to what some would consider "common" ingredients, so it's important to give all students the opportunity for ingredient exposure.

Being an instructor for a few years, I have come across a lot of the points mentioned.  I have learned that it's important to understand the backgrounds of my students and the motivation for them to come to school.  The description of generations was interesting, and gives more insight into the thought process of some older students and how they can better work with younger students.