By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

The more you establish your expectation of participation and help students reach it, the better the learning experience for all.

One of the most challenging aspects of teaching is getting our students involved in class discussion and other class activities. Sometimes, they are shy or reluctant because of fear of not being articulate or making errors; other times their cultural backgrounds limit their willingness to participate in active discussions. They may also be anxious about appearing stupid or afraid they may not understand. Since we know that students who use ideas and discuss them tend to learn and remember them better, this issue of Mayo’s Clinics provides four suggestions about this dimension of teaching.

By Wendy Gay, CHE

It’s easier to teach how to set the table and serve the guest than to teach the emotional skills of being passionate, caring, hard-working and intelligent.

Teaching front of the house to culinary students can be a very interesting proposition. Most students come to school to learn to cook, “not,” as more than one student has retorted, “to act like some kind of server.” We have some students who resent and resist being outside the kitchen. “I’m going to be a chef like those guys on TV. What do I need to know about table service?”

By Adam Weiner

Letting students fail a few times before showing them the tricks of the trade will make them more receptive.

I teach my students that there are five Ps to professional cooking: Planning, Preparation, Presentation, Passion and Pride. Last year in the January/February issue I wrote about presentation, so I am a bit out of order on how to teach planning.

By Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE

NRA’s latest “What’s Hot” survey lists “local” and “sustainable” as the biggest menu trends.

The National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) annual survey of more than 1,800 professional chef members of the American Culinary Federation reveals that local sourcing of ingredients and sustainability will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2010. Locally grown produce, locally sourced meats and seafood, sustainability and locally produced wine and beer top the list of nearly 215 items in the “What’s Hot in 2010” survey.

By Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE

A pioneering program will inspire similar programs nationwide.

Across the country, educators are beginning to integrate sustainability into their curricula and operations. At Kendall, we’re taking it a step further by reaching out to the industry with education to help foodservice operations embark on their own sustainability journey. At the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapi’olani Community College in Hawaii, students have been the catalyst for their sustainability movement. San Shoppell and a few other dedicated students, supported by culinary-arts chair Ron Takahashi, have changed the face of their school.