Career Reflection

According to the National Restaurant Association, one of every three Americans claim restaurants as their first job, and half of all American adults have worked in the restaurant industry, and millions have successful professions in the industry. Cooking is a life skill that can turn into your passion and profession. I remember twenty years ago when I was deciding to go to culinary school, that everyone has to eat so I’ll always have a job. After graduating and working as a cook, Chef Manager, and General Manager, I began my teaching career as a culinary instructor.

My first teaching job was at the Lake County Technology Campus outside of Chicago, IL. Students from Lake and McHenry counties attend the school. The “tech” campus had many programs that included culinary arts, early childhood education, auto mechanics, computers, and many more. I was extremely excited to use my culinary arts degree and experience as a food service manager to teach teens how to cook. Even if they didn’t want to become a chef, they were learning a life skill that I could teach them. I taught with three other chef instructors. One chef instructor was responsible for the student-run cafe, one for the staff lunch and hotline, one took care of the dining room and catered events, and I taught the baking and pastries portion of the program. We taught the National Restaurant Association’s ProStart program. ProStart is a two-year culinary and hospitality management program for high school juniors and seniors. I felt lucky to be paid for what I loved to do.  This was my dream job!

I believe strongly in Career in Technical Education for high school students. Not all high school graduates are ready for college. Some might not want the financial burden that comes with high tuition rates and students loans. And others want to be job ready after high school with some type of certification or skill. ProStart students can achieve this. Whether they want to begin working after graduation,  go on to culinary school, or a four-year college. ProStart can prepare them for their future. Currently, I am bringing the ProStart program to Douglas County High School. There is a value in implementing the ProStart program at my high school. Job growth in the hospitality and culinary field with demand for trained professionals is increasing. Culinary teaching and training jobs, I believe, will always be in demand. Whether it’s training high school students for a post-graduation job, training workers in restaurants, or conducting food safety training online. Everyone has to eat. People love to travel and are spending more of their money on experiences instead of “things”. A skilled workforce is needed to meet that demand. Online culinary and hospitality degrees are available now through Escoffier Culinary School in Boulder, Colorado. Career and technical education teaching opportunities continue to grow in Denver area schools also. Cherry Creek School District is opening a new Innovation Campus in the Fall. They are hiring two culinary instructors; one to teach ProStart and one to operate the student-run cafe. Littleton Public School District is in talks to open a new CTE building. They would like to model it after the Cherry Creek Schools Innovation Campus.

Since my first teaching position at the “tech campus” I’ve taught as an adjunct instructor at Metropolitan State University. At MSU Denver I taught my first hybrid class. Food Fundamentals was almost completely online except for one lecture a week. This was the first time that I used the online learning management system, Blackboard. The instructional designers at MSU Denver and the head Hospitality Management Professor did an excellent job designing the online course.

I’ve always wanted to earn my Masters degree and learn how to be a better teacher. When deciding on a Masters program I looked at the University of Colorado Denver’s ILT program. I thought that the program would help me learn how to be a better culinary instructor. The curriculum could help me design a flipped classroom experience for my students. Because I am not a trained teacher I was excited to learn how to become better at my job. Since beginning the program two years ago I’ve put together media projects, developed online coursework, and use Zoom for my Advisory Board meetings. There are many tools that I have been introduced to that I’m able to use in my classroom right now.

I began my teaching without any formal education training. I am learning every day in the classroom and through my program how to be a better instructor. The University of Colorado Denver’s Masters in Information and Learning Technologies with an Elearning concentration has strengthened my abilities as a teacher in many ways. My goal is to continue to grow as a culinary instructor and to use the tools and skills learning in my ILT program to benefit my students. I am excited to bring culinary and hospitality education through the use of technology inside and outside of the kitchen classroom.