I teach an Adult Education Cooking Class.The first 1/2 hour is for prepping.The second 1/2 hour is for cooking.The third 1/2 hour is for eating and discussing what we cooked.The fourth 1/2 is for cleaning.
I have taught cooking classes since 1976 covering a multitude of topics, and have never taught a 1/2 hour class. Not sure why you would do that, but the best advice I can give you is not to try to cover very much in such a short time.
I'm about to lead a first workshop on Jan 28 and found this discussion really helpful.
Sub-question: what was the worst thing that happened while you were teaching a cooking class (a la Julia's alleged dropped roast chicken), and how did you recover?
My boss and I do classes about twice a month throughout the year. We find it essential to have an assistant; someone to lend an extra hand, or an extra towel.
I can't immediately think of a "worst" thing - certainly no disasters - but we DO count on one of us making a mistake at some point in every class. Acknowledging that it's going to happen makes it a lot easier to handle when it DOES happen, and the class participants find it entertaining that we're not perfect.
The worst thing is having the class go over the time that's been specified. Many people have rides picking them up, and other constraints. When the class runs over, there can be multiple problems. I'm not talking about students lingering to ask additional questions after the class has finished. I don't consider that "running over." I'm talking about having all the dishes completed, eaten and cleaned up after. I hope you aren't going to try to teach a 1/2 hour class!
Is it a demonstration or a hands-on class? Is it one dish or a full menu? betteirene's suggestion to model after cooking shows is an excellent idea. But since you have more time than a show, which after all, edits all the steps together, here are the strategies that are standard in all adult training programs:
Introduce yourself and your qualifications. I also think it's a good idea to tell the class why you are teaching this class (it's a favorite treat, you love teaching or cooking, etc.). If there are fewer than 10-12 people attending, ask them to quickly introduce themselves and any special reason they signed up for the class. This should all take about 10 minutes and it makes people feel very comfortable and welcomed. Encourage questions.
Distribute the recipe, then review the recipe, review each of the ingredients and explain how to find/select, and review any other quirks (use a cast iron pan or use good olive oil, etc.).
Then prepare step-by-step, referring to the recipe. Explain as you go along, taking more time to show special tips or techniques, such as good knife cuts or scraping up fond, etc.
When it's done, review the steps again. Ask for any other questions.
Finally, ask participants to complete a brief evaluation so that you can get feedback on what worked or could be improved. Also ask what other classes they might want to take next.
I think you will find that 90 minutes will go by very quickly!
It depends a little bit on what you want to teach and a lot on who your students are. With a troop of middle school Girl Scouts, I planned 2 hours to prep and cook a giant pot of hamburger-vegetable soup, biscuits on a stick and banana boats. It went so smoothly that we were able to kick back fo a half hour while the soup was cooking. Another time, I taught a day-long class on gingerbread houses to adults for a park district, baking in the morning and assembling in the afternoon. I thought the class would never end--the participants had a million questions, all repetitive, and they wanted opinions at every step ("Can I leave out the spices? I don't like them." "Should I put the gumdrops on the roof's peak, or should I use red hots? But if I put red hots around the windows, won't that be too much?" "What happens if you overbake the dough?")
The easiest way to structure a class is to pattern it after a cooking show, such as Julia Child's. She'd give a brief introduction, usually passing along a bit of the history of the dish, before getting to the recipe. She'd not only show the steps involved, she'd give the reason why a step had to be performed exactly as she showed it, but she'd also tell you what shortcuts were reasonable or what substitutions were possible. She'd give serving suggestions, too.
Pick a recipe that takes no longer than 60 minutes to assemble and cook. Creat a lesson plan, then write a script suited to the level of your class, including stage directions ("Pour cream into medium bowl, plug in mixer and whip.") Have your mise en place in place and, if you're not familiar with Julia, pretend you're Ina or Giada, and rehearse your script with props in your kitchen when no one is home. Time yourself, then add a half hour for questions and (hopefully not) to recover from mishaps. Plan something to do while your recipe is baking or braising or boiling.
Above all, find a way to get your class excited enough (without stripping) to want to run home and cook.
1. create menu of 3-4 items
2. Invite 3-6 people - $15-$20 each
3. buy food after rsvp's
4. Day of: set out all food and condiments
5. Do bio --- teach class
Have you a theme for the class? You need to allow time to demonstrate prep but also to answer questions as you work and that's the part that will slow you down. 1 1/2 hours go by really fast.
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Sub-question: what was the worst thing that happened while you were teaching a cooking class (a la Julia's alleged dropped roast chicken), and how did you recover?
I can't immediately think of a "worst" thing - certainly no disasters - but we DO count on one of us making a mistake at some point in every class. Acknowledging that it's going to happen makes it a lot easier to handle when it DOES happen, and the class participants find it entertaining that we're not perfect.
Introduce yourself and your qualifications. I also think it's a good idea to tell the class why you are teaching this class (it's a favorite treat, you love teaching or cooking, etc.). If there are fewer than 10-12 people attending, ask them to quickly introduce themselves and any special reason they signed up for the class. This should all take about 10 minutes and it makes people feel very comfortable and welcomed. Encourage questions.
Distribute the recipe, then review the recipe, review each of the ingredients and explain how to find/select, and review any other quirks (use a cast iron pan or use good olive oil, etc.).
Then prepare step-by-step, referring to the recipe. Explain as you go along, taking more time to show special tips or techniques, such as good knife cuts or scraping up fond, etc.
When it's done, review the steps again. Ask for any other questions.
Finally, ask participants to complete a brief evaluation so that you can get feedback on what worked or could be improved. Also ask what other classes they might want to take next.
I think you will find that 90 minutes will go by very quickly!
Voted the Best Reply!
The easiest way to structure a class is to pattern it after a cooking show, such as Julia Child's. She'd give a brief introduction, usually passing along a bit of the history of the dish, before getting to the recipe. She'd not only show the steps involved, she'd give the reason why a step had to be performed exactly as she showed it, but she'd also tell you what shortcuts were reasonable or what substitutions were possible. She'd give serving suggestions, too.
Pick a recipe that takes no longer than 60 minutes to assemble and cook. Creat a lesson plan, then write a script suited to the level of your class, including stage directions ("Pour cream into medium bowl, plug in mixer and whip.") Have your mise en place in place and, if you're not familiar with Julia, pretend you're Ina or Giada, and rehearse your script with props in your kitchen when no one is home. Time yourself, then add a half hour for questions and (hopefully not) to recover from mishaps. Plan something to do while your recipe is baking or braising or boiling.
Above all, find a way to get your class excited enough (without stripping) to want to run home and cook.
2. Invite 3-6 people - $15-$20 each
3. buy food after rsvp's
4. Day of: set out all food and condiments
5. Do bio --- teach class