Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

I am under the impression that having students grade one another's papers is a direct violation of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Students are not supposed to have access to grades other than their own. Just wanted to bring it up...

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Sharing Formative Evaluation Information

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… >>>

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Learning Chains

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… >>>

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Challenges incorporating different styles

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… >>>

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Mini-Demos as well as Mini-Lectures

In a class where the students change every three weeks, but most of the food preparation tasks remain the same, I have seen many of the same mistakes being made repeatedly. To pre-empt this, I have found that performing small, quick, well organized mini-demos throughout the first week of class as a very effective communication tool. This gets important information to the whole class, avoids many unnecessary mishaps, helps the class run more efficiently and prevents much frustration in the students.

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Getting updated contact information

On the first day of class, I always ask the students for updated contact information. Usually, the phone numbers on the roster are seriously outdated, or used only as secondary lines. In addition, I have taken to testing their numbers that day in class at roll call (other days cell phones are prohibited) to insure I have recorded accurate information. Contacting tardy or absent students is required of the faculty.

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Managing Class Time

I have a tight schedule in the Culianry Arts lab course I teach. I make it a point at the beginning of every class to inform the students of the specific time-line expected for the day and call out reminders regularly. It creates a sense of urgency and also creates specific short term, measurable goals. At close of day, we discuss the successes and challenges, and I remind them there is always time to improve both speed and accuracy... and usually they do, almost without exception.

Gina Melita

Discussion Comment

Need tips on countering negativity amongst students

The class I teach (Culinary Arts- Restaurant) is the final class taken at the school prior to the students graduation. Occasionally, the "honeymoon" is past and the realities of school/life are taking their toll. What are some tips to keep the few "groaners" from creating a climate of negativity for the others, and some thoughts on re-igniting enthusiasm in the groaner?