What Kids Baking Championship Taught Me About
Teaching
Teaching
I
just spent the time I should have been using to do school work watching Food
Network’s Kids Baking Championship for the first time. The rules are basically
the same as any of the five million other food competition shows on TV, but being
that the contestants were kids I figured that they would be doing much simpler
tasks…..like I don’t know, making muffins from a box? But no! These kids were
tasked with the same level of challenge that the adults usually are and given the same
tools – blowtorches, sharp objects, etc. eek!
just spent the time I should have been using to do school work watching Food
Network’s Kids Baking Championship for the first time. The rules are basically
the same as any of the five million other food competition shows on TV, but being
that the contestants were kids I figured that they would be doing much simpler
tasks…..like I don’t know, making muffins from a box? But no! These kids were
tasked with the same level of challenge that the adults usually are and given the same
tools – blowtorches, sharp objects, etc. eek!
Many
of the child-prodigy bakers are self-taught. On one hand this is impressive,
but then again pretty much anyone can learn anything with YouTube, the desire,
and the right tools. What is more
impressive is that they have parents who;
of the child-prodigy bakers are self-taught. On one hand this is impressive,
but then again pretty much anyone can learn anything with YouTube, the desire,
and the right tools. What is more
impressive is that they have parents who;
- · ALLOWED THEIR KID
TO MESS UP THEIR KITCHENS ON THE REGULAR - · LET THEIR KIDS POTENTIALLY
FAIL OR GET HURT (CAUSE: KNIVES) - · WERE WILLING TO EAT
THEIR KIDS’ BURNT OR UNDERCOOKED FOOD AND PRETEND THAT IT WAS THE GREATEST FREAKING
THING THEY EVER ATE CAUSE THEY WERE JUST SO PROUD OF THEIR LITTER BAKER.
When
I think back to “cooking” or really doing any grown-up task as a kid with the
adults in my life, I remember doing the most menial, safest tasks possible (i.e. peel potatoes). I remember always being warned not to get hurt, having all
the fun tools pried out of my hands, and the look of disappointment (or more
realistically yelling) when I spilled or messed something up, especially if the
kitchen “was just cleaned (insert angry parent taking the Lord’s name in vain).”
I think back to “cooking” or really doing any grown-up task as a kid with the
adults in my life, I remember doing the most menial, safest tasks possible (i.e. peel potatoes). I remember always being warned not to get hurt, having all
the fun tools pried out of my hands, and the look of disappointment (or more
realistically yelling) when I spilled or messed something up, especially if the
kitchen “was just cleaned (insert angry parent taking the Lord’s name in vain).”
To me, this relates
a lot to teaching. I think that we all can be prone to being the kind of
teachers who don’t want a “mess” in our classrooms or who are scared that
someone may get hurt (triggered, offended, whatever) by something challenging, and
assign projects where we have a super specific idea of what the end product
should look like.
a lot to teaching. I think that we all can be prone to being the kind of
teachers who don’t want a “mess” in our classrooms or who are scared that
someone may get hurt (triggered, offended, whatever) by something challenging, and
assign projects where we have a super specific idea of what the end product
should look like.
I know that I am
guilty of this; especially when it relates to a topic I love in Ethics– I have
an idea of exactly what I want them to learn or feel and I tailor the lesson to
a desired outcome (In other words I am giving them the boxed cake ingredients and
the Easy Bake Oven) when the reality is I should be throwing out an idea and
see where it goes (i.e giving them raw
ingredients and sharp objects) in order to see what they can do on their own.
guilty of this; especially when it relates to a topic I love in Ethics– I have
an idea of exactly what I want them to learn or feel and I tailor the lesson to
a desired outcome (In other words I am giving them the boxed cake ingredients and
the Easy Bake Oven) when the reality is I should be throwing out an idea and
see where it goes (i.e giving them raw
ingredients and sharp objects) in order to see what they can do on their own.
Kid’s Baking
Championship mirrors what our girl Carol Dweck (the Growth Mindset Lady) keeps
reminding us to do; “derive just as much happiness from the process as the
result.” It’s scary though. Cause sometimes our students are like:
Championship mirrors what our girl Carol Dweck (the Growth Mindset Lady) keeps
reminding us to do; “derive just as much happiness from the process as the
result.” It’s scary though. Cause sometimes our students are like:
It’s also scary
because we want to be data driven and have solid work samples to demonstrate that we are great teachers. We want to give our students autonomy but also ensure
that we are providing real academic skills that will help them in college. And when other people walk by our classrooms we
want to look like we have it somewhat under control. So how can we do both?? How do we provide structure and rigor AND be like the parents of the kids in this show? I don’t
know yet. Something to marinate on.
because we want to be data driven and have solid work samples to demonstrate that we are great teachers. We want to give our students autonomy but also ensure
that we are providing real academic skills that will help them in college. And when other people walk by our classrooms we
want to look like we have it somewhat under control. So how can we do both?? How do we provide structure and rigor AND be like the parents of the kids in this show? I don’t
know yet. Something to marinate on.
