After three years there are a lot of things I can say I have tried. Some of the things I have tried are really not worth nor will ever be mentioned for numerous reasons, but one thing I will mention is the fact that for three years I have been fortunate enough to be apart of the Culinary Arts program at Maple Leaf Education Systems where I was a department head in my third and fourth year.To any incoming or newcomer teachers, I would sincerely recommend ensuring yourself a spot in this department. There are countless opportunities to do many things in life but how often do you have a chance to inspire the love of food in students who may have never even boiled an egg before!?
When I began teaching the "Food and Nutrition 11/12" course (presently Culinary Arts 12), I was replacing a teacher who had left abruptly and shadowing another who was soon to be leaving. After shadowing and getting tread in the course, I was joined with an experienced teacher who had a love of eating, and was excited about this opportunity. This new teacher to the program was the replacement Department Head and then left the following year.
Fast forward to third year, I am the Department Head of Culinary Arts and Planning 10, teaching alongside an experienced foodie with a home flavour style of teaching. I have been blessed with opportunity and there have been obstacles, head butting in different areas but in the end, this experience has been one worth the extra work.
The course began as a hybrid between what is now Food Studies and Culinary Arts, but was originally a healthy balance of academic researching and practical student cooking skills. The course will always include health and safety as well as vocabulary enhancement (especially being in an ELL school). The goal I have though is to move the program into program that moves into Food Security, building not only cooking skills and a love cooking in students but a sense of purpose in cooking. I want to build a course in which the end goal is not just cooking, but "cooking to conjure change".
This newfound inspiration began when I was travelling through Southeast Asia and found myself mingling with impoverished locals who even though they had nothing, wanted to give you everything. Food is love, respect and essentially life. Sharing food is probably one of the biggest signs of respect since the beginning of time and has been proven as such through a famous idiom still commonly used to this day "Breaking bread with..."
This experience of living and adapting into cultures as an outsider builds a sense of awe and wander. Some people lose this, others don't understand it and over indulge; but I hope you can find the healthy balance and use it to change the world.
