What's missing from this picture? An adequate supply of truly great teaching chefs. In higher demand than ever, teaching chefs can cash in today on students looking to be a part of the $476 billion restaurant industry. While many teaching segments are suffering a lack of jobs, the culinary arts are actually seeing an increase in certain teaching positions.
A Walk Through the Teaching Kitchen
So what's it like inside a cooking class? Details vary, but the best culinary schools keep class sizes small, with anywhere from five to 12 students in a given class. Generally, each student stands before his or her own assigned burner (often a two-burner induction cook top), though students may be required to double or triple up for certain assignments.The course segment is usually a completed dish or a three-course meal; this ensures that students are taken from start to finish on all aspects of prepping, cooking and plating a dish. Many schools put a heavy emphasis on plating (the presentation of the food), an art form made famous by the French but now common in even simple dishes and a requirement for any good chef.
The best teaching chefs don't relegate themselves to the head of the room, shouting out directions. Instead, they walk the aisle to give hints or corrections to students while they prep and cook.
The Right Credentials
As urgent as the need is for great teachers, individuals looking to land the best teaching chef jobs should be aware that requirements are often precise. For instance, most culinary schools insist on certification from a national organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Here is a list of ACF accreditation schools.An aspiring teaching chef should also keep in mind that teaching is very different from doing. Teaching has its own pace and style that must engage students and keep them motivated. Teaching chefs should always have control of the class, with students addressing them formally as "Chef," but it's a balance: all demand and no praise makes for school drop-outs -- and fewer great future chefs.
Some chefs try their hand at teaching on a less formal basis before making the decision to court a teaching chef job at a culinary school. This is usually accomplished by hosting isolated, short-term teaching classes such as home cooking or cake baking. Classes can even be held in one's own home and may be advertised on the Internet or the local newspaper.
Truly great teaching chefs are both born and made. With the right blend of talent, drive and teaching ability, today's teaching chefs are grooming the great cooks of tomorrow -- and are making culinary schools one of the hottest career places to be.
