5 Challenges to Cooking in World Language Class

And, how you can solve them!

“Mrs. Bartels, can I get the griddles ready for you?  I know what to do!”

I normally supervise the ‘hot’ part of cooking carefully, but Luke was confident. “I cook for my family all the time. I’ll just turn them on and melt some butter.”

“That would be helpful, Luke.”  I stepped away to organize a few last minute items…

Five minutes later, my classroom was filling with smoke. The griddles were too hot, causing the melting butter to smolder. It smelled great (and posed no real danger) but as the smoke wafted toward the fire alarm, I started to worry.  “Open the windows,” I directed my students, “and turn on that fan.” I grabbed a folder, climbed up on a desk and began crazily fanning the air next to the smoke detector.

“Careful planning and specifically preparing your students can mitigate a lot of the safety challenges related to classroom cooking.  ”

That’s the closest I’ve ever come to setting off the school fire alarm! It’s a mistake I never repeated, and it goes to show that cooking in your classroom is not without its challenges! In part 1 of this blog post, we examined the tremendous benefits of cooking with your students. Now, let’s discuss some of the very real challenges classroom cooking can introduce, and how you can mitigate them with smart choices and careful planning! 

Challenge:  Cost

Solution:  Have parents donate supplies

Even in my low-income school, I’ve had success with asking parents for donations of ingredients. Some tips:

• Use an electronic sign up list, such as Sign Up Genius (which lets you create a free account and easily monitor your sign up list.)

• Share the link with students during class, but also send directly to parents if possible

• Send your link at least a week in advance, to give parents plenty of time to shop

• Keep items to $5 or less each. 

• Be clear: I once asked for ham slices - meaning lunch meat - and a student very generously brought in an entire Honey Baked ham!

• Don’t forget paper products! Plates, cups, cutlery, and especially paper towels!

Challenge:  Limited Time in a Class Period

Solution 1: Careful Prep

My class periods are 90 minutes long, which allows for a comfortable cooking lesson. For 1 hour (or shorter) class periods, choose a recipe that goes together very quickly, have everything laid out and prepped in advance, or do the prep one day and the cooking / eating another day.  (Read part 3 of this blog post for some recipes that work in most classrooms)

Solution 2: Get some help

Bring in a volunteer parent or friend to help with your cooking lesson. I like to have my teacher’s assistant monitor the food prep (like mixing up batter) and/or the ongoing clean-up while I supervise the part involving heat.

Challenge:  A classroom with no sink, stove, refrigerator, etc.

Solution 1:  Switch classrooms with another teacher.  

If there is a home economics classroom in your school, see if the teacher will switch classrooms with you for a day. I love using the home ec room because I can demonstrate once and then have students all cook at the same time. Science lab classrooms may also be better equipped with sinks and burners. This can also alleviate time pressure if your class period is short. Just be sure to leave the classroom in great condition so you’ll be invited back!

Solution 2: Invest in some key equipment.

My #1 recommendation for equipment is an electric griddle.  Here’s one on Amazon that costs $35.  

This appliance plugs into any outlet and operates like a frying pan. Use it to cook sandwiches, crepes, or tortillas.  

To make your lesson go faster, try to procure two or three of these so several students can cook at once. Use PTA funding, a crowd funded grant, or other income stream to help. It’s a bit of an investment, but one you’ll be able to use year after year.  

Another worthwhile investment for French teachers is in some small waffle irons for teaching about Belgium. Here’s an example from Amzaon: two waffle irons for under $13  

 I found spider-web shaped waffle irons on clearance after Halloween for $6! 

Solution 3: Choose recipes that work for your space

I’ve found quite a few cooking projects that work within the limitations of my classroom. In part 3 of this blog post, I’ve included some recipes that can be done with minimal equipment and without a sink.  

 Challenge: Maintaining Health and Safety

Solution: prep carefully and teach kids food prep safety

Individually packaged ingredients and gloves improve sanitation

• Give kids a clear briefing and demonstration. Assume they’ve never used the cooking equipment before. Tell them exactly which surfaces are hot or otherwise need attention.

• Choose recipes that are easy to handle safely. Personally, I never use raw meat in class, and I only let students use butter knives.

• Before cooking, I take the entire class to the restroom to wash their hands, and I have hand sanitizer available at the cooking station.

• I personally supervise the cooking surfaces and never leave them unattended

• During Covid, I still cooked with kids; I prepackaged all the ingredients in disposable containers and gave each student gloves to wear while using the common equipment. I sterilized the table tops after every 3 students. You can take similar precautions, depending on the needs in your situation. 

• Talk with kids about how to behave while they’re waiting for their turn. I usually have a low-stress assignment for them to complete while waiting, and I talk with them about the importance of good behavior if they want to cook in the future.

• Be aware of the limitations of your electrical system. Electric griddles, waffle irons, and microwaves take a lot of energy, so one appliance per outlet is a good rule of thumb. I learned this the hard way; I once used a power strip to plug in three electric griddles at once; this blew out the power to my classroom and the neighboring teacher’s classroom. It was not an easy fix: someone from our district maintenance department had to come to the building to restore our power, and I earned a bit of a ‘crazy professor’ reputation (Or, as my colleague said, “You never do anything halfway, do you?”)

I’ve cooked with all of my classes in grades 6-12 for over fifteen years, and I’ve only had one injury; a student touched a hot griddle and sustained a minor burn - and she has served as a cautionary tale for EVERY student since! Careful planning and specifically preparing your students can mitigate a lot of the safety challenges related to classroom cooking.  

Challenge: Dietary Concerns 

Solution: Provide options

Be aware of your students’ known and potential dietary restrictions and provide alternatives. Allow students to leave off or substitute ingredients. Research gluten free, halal, or allergen free alternatives if necessary.

Special caution: Religious Dietary restrictions

• If you have Muslim students, look up the dates of Ramadan and plan cooking outside of this month-long fast.

• Several religious traditions forbid consumption of pork. For some students, even eating from cooking implements that have touched pork is not permitted. I have one griddle and spatula that have never touched bacon or ham; I’m careful to ensure these tools are available for students who need them.

Challenge: Losing Control

Solution: Let it go!

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a control freak. Letting go and accepting mess, inefficiency, and imperfection is the toughest part of cooking with my students.

At the end of the day, the important thing is that kids are learning, and that they feel supported and have some fun during the process.  So - we may have a few spills and a few do-overs… but this is part of my students’ learning process too. I find the cooking goes best for me when I let go a little, take my own advice, and embrace the process!

I hope these tips encourage you to implement some cooking lessons in your classroom. For specific ideas on recipes and food items you can try, read part 3 of this blog post. And, did I miss anything? Share your own tips in the comments!