Culinary Arts Teacher
West Ashley High School
Charleston, S.C.
Age: 45
Biggest challenge you’ve overcome:
Pushing to build a culinary program from scratch. When I was hired, the facility was a home economics room that did not have knives or cutting boards. By building relationships with the district and community, I have had the facility renovated into a commercial kitchen.
An important lesson learned:
When I first started, I tried teaching the students everything I knew about culinary arts. It took me a while to learn that I first need to build relationships before true learning can begin.
How you view tech differently:
I’m fascinated by technology and jump on any chance to improve. Some co-workers are hesitant to allow tech, but I embrace it. We have Chromebooks for each student, and I teach them to build their own ePortfolio websites documenting their achievements. All recipes are shared online through Google Classroom for future reference.
Most rewarding moment so far:
When my students become part of the local restaurant scene and the owner or manager calls and asks for more.