Learn to Cook CCA – Teaching Students Basic Skills in the Kitchen

Cooking is an important skill that becomes a huge part of many people’s lives. However, it’s often overlooked by many kids. Many people don’t learn how to cook until they’ve become independent and become overwhelmed. I wanted to help build that independence early among students so that they don’t have to face that. That’s why the opportunity to lead the Cooking CCA was one that I couldn’t refuse.

I worked with Jonathan, a DP1 student, to lead the Cooking CCA. It was a unique opportunity as adequate safety precautions because of the pandemic would mean that the CCA could not run unless it was online. Other CCAs were negatively impacted by being online but it was an opportunity for me. We researched to make different recipes every time that would not only be feasible in the 45 minutes to an hour that we had but also make it possible for us to teach the students different cooking techniques like cutting vegetables, adjusting the seasoning, cooking time/heat and other small skills. This was the focus of the lessons for us rather than the product. I wanted the students to take away a new skill or hack every session (while having fun). It was a great experience as I learned so much while directing lessons in both an informative but also enjoyable and engaging way.

As a leader, I had to direct the lessons and make sure nobody fell behind. The major issue was making sure everybody could keep up while staying within the time constraint. Additionally, there would be students who would need help (sometimes at the same time), and this would be a challenge as I wasn’t there to easily assist them physically. It made me develop my skills as a communicator to make sure that everyone understood. Something difficult to plan was when students didn’t have certain ingredients. One incident stuck to me for this. The recipe called for some vegetable stock which the student did not have. As the vegetable stock is a bit more of a unique ingredient, the student was concerned about finding a substitute ingredient during the lesson. After a minute of scratching my head, the lightbulb went off in my head. I recommended him to use Maggi Masala instead as this was an exact situation that I was in some time ago. I enjoyed the small hurdles like this, it helped the students think creatively and make them better problem-solvers and more independent without even planning for it.

A key element to my and Jonathan’s goal was teaching them something that could be applied to a wide variety of situations. Things like kitchen organization and time management in the kitchen were things that we agreed were important and so we focused on planning lessons in a way that would build that. A lot of the students were quite a bit younger than us, which we initially thought would be a challenge, but we were able to overcome it by designing our lessons to be manageable and making some great effort on the students’ side as well.

It was an extremely fulfilling experience as well. Although I am not anywhere near a professional chef in any regard, I was still able to pass on some of my knowledge to the students. I felt like I was learning with the students every lesson. I’m grateful that I was able to not only partake but lead the activity. It was quite a rewarding experience; both the students and I would learn and get to eat a delicious meal by the end of the session.

by Srihan, DP 2

Human systems and economic activities	The study of how and why people construct organizations and systems; the ways in which people connect locally and globally; the distribution of power and authority.
Social organization and culture	The study of people, communities, cultures and societies in the ways in which individuals, groups and societies interact with each other.
Continuity and change through time	The study of the relationships between people and events through time; the past, its influences on the present and its implications for the future; people who have shaped the future through their actions.
Human and natural environments	The study of the distinctive features that give a place its identity; how people adapt to and alter their environment; how people experience and represent place; the impact of natural disasters on people and the built environment.
Resources and the environment	The interaction between people and the environment; the study of how humans allocate and manage resources; the positive and negative effects of this management; the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment.

Living things	The study of the characteristics, systems and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with their environment.
Earth and space	The study of planet Earth and its position in the universe, particularly its relationship with the sun; the natural phenomena and systems that shape the planet and the distinctive features that identify it; the infinite and finite resources of the planet.
Materials and matter	The study of the properties, behaviours and uses of materials, both natural and human-made; the origins of human-made materials and how they are manipulated to suit a purpose.
Forces and energy	The study of energy, its origins, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines. (IBO, 2009)

Learn to Cook CCA – Teaching Students Basic Skills in the Kitchen

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