Bryant Currie

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.

The greatest motivator I have ever had was my high school football coaches. They had a very unique talent of crticizing lackluster performance, while at the same time encourqing us to always strive for excellence regardless of the environment or the opponent. If, as instructors, we can all become coaches in our classes, we will find a much greater effort from our students and they will strive for excellence.