Teaching in the Kitchen
Teaching in the Kitchen
One of my first jobs, outside of the farm, was working at the local bowling alley/bar and grill. This place is the spot. I grew up meeting my friends there for bowling league after school, had birthday parties, and even started an early entrepreneurial endeavor of reselling the stickers I was buying from the vending machine (this was quickly shut down.) So when it became time to start saving up for a car and all the expenses that came with, it was natural to decide to work there (and make money legitimately.)
Now, I’m not calling myself a chef. In fact, on one of my first shifts, I almost poisoned a customer with a barely-cooked-still-cold chicken sandwich (did I mention I was 15?) But I worked hard, improved a lot, and really enjoyed trying to make the best meal I could for someone (out of frozen burger patties and deep-fried bites.)
Along with the thrill of creating a little pocket change for myself, I became enamored with the chaos of a Friday night fish fry rush.
Orders flying in, trying to stay organized and keep hot food coming out in a timely manner. A busy night on the grill was an absolute thrill; the type of fun that you are too busy to even notice you’re having. The type of fun that is only fun when you look back on it the next day after passing out from exhaustion.
Upon reflecting on my time as a cook/waitress/bartender, I’ve realized that I, Chelsea Kuhlow Mikecz, am an adrenaline junkie.
People that know me are probably rolling their eyes and saying “duh!” but I swear, it wasn’t apparent to me! Okay, the rocking climbing should have given it away.
But really it was reflecting upon the similarities between being in a kitchen and in a music classroom that came my “ah ha!” moment.
Hear me out:
FX’s TV show “The Bear” does a wonderful job of depicting the juxtaposition of madness and care that goes into cooking/being a chef. They put their heart and soul into each bite of food but have to manage a fast paced environment with high stress demands.
In a music classroom, you have about 30 minutes (give or take!) to capture and maintain the attention, interest, and wonder of 15-30 students.
Each second is crucial in providing the best experience possible for those students.
You have to move quickly to maintain attention, but not so quickly that you sacrifice quality.
You have to provide detail to maintain intrigue, but not so much you overwhelm the senses.
You must be fun yet calm to create an environment of comfort, but not messy and disorganized.
After those 30 minutes are up, it’s time to flip the table and the next round of customers are walking in the door. With less than a minute to catch your breath between the dessert from the last class to the appetizer for the next, the importance of your mise en place, your lesson planning and preparation, is evident.
After even 3 rounds of service you are getting tired but you care so much about the experience for each of those students walking in the door that you push through. You hope that you send them off with that last night bite that makes them excited to come back for more.
After a full day, you drive home as the adrenaline rushes through you and reflect on the day. Completely exhausted, recounting the highs, and analyzing the lows, preparing for tomorrow’s service with a foggy mind but the rush doesn’t completely wear off until you can finally go to sleep just to wake up and do it all over again.
So why do we do it? For the kids, right? I know that’s what I say, and what a lot of my colleagues say. I won’t speak for others, but I think I can fully admit now that it’s true we do it for the kids and the future of music and the future of our community… but we also enjoy the rush!
Here is your permission to enjoy the rush, you crazy music teachers! Your kitchen is serving up the highest quality food-for-the-soul that money can (and can’t) buy.
Happy Fall and Best Wishes!