Requirements to be a Chef Instructor: Are You Ready to Teach?

Professional chefs teach and mentor the next generation of culinary superstars. How can someone become a chef instructor? How does formal education play an important role in achieving this goal? Read on for all the delicious morsels about a future in the culinary arts! 

From Entry Level to Chef Instructor

The pathway to becoming a chef instructor begins on your first day working in a commercial kitchen. Your experience teaches you the daily realities of cooking in restaurants, cafeterias, and eateries of all types. Fulfilling your daily duties with excellence and striving to perfect your craft are important steps toward your goal. Helping to train new hires at your place of employment is a great way to assess your ability to teach the finer points of the culinary arts.

Once you’ve gathered at least 3 to 5 years of practical experience, the next step is certification. The American Culinary Federation offers certifications that can qualify you to work as a culinary educator in colleges, vocational programs, high schools, and military institutions.

What Goes into Chef Instructor Certification?

The American Culinary Federation requires applicants to complete an associate or bachelor culinary degree program. They must also attend 120 hours of Education Development courses which cover:

• Curriculum planning and development
• Evaluation and testing
• Teaching methodology
• Educational psychology

In addition to a list of minimum work and education requirements, the American Culinary Federation requires candidates to pass written and practical tests of their knowledge and skills. A video demonstration is also required. In the demonstration, candidates pretend to teach a class. Their ability to interact with students while effectively communicating the material is assessed. Without certification, it is unlikely that you’ll find a legitimate teaching position.

How Formal Education Could Help you Succeed 

Formal culinary training offers many benefits to aspiring chef instructors:

• You won’t need as much work experience. Teachers, especially in colleges and vocational training programs, need a wide knowledge of different types of cuisines, preparation methods, and techniques. Even the most popular restaurants use a limited range of ingredients and recipes. You would need to work in many different eateries to gain the same breadth of knowledge obtained through a training program. 
• The people you meet in your training program will be a lifelong source of references and referrals. Friends you make at school can keep you informed of new positions and interesting opportunities. Your first teaching job could even be at the college from which you received your degree.
• Being a great chef doesn’t mean you’ll make a great teacher. Teaching requires a completely different skillset. Formal culinary training that includes the necessary education requirements will prepare you to impart your cooking knowledge in an effective way.
• Are you sure you want to be a teacher? The realities of teaching may not match your expectations. Attending a culinary degree program gives you the chance to watch current instructors in action. You can use their experience to evaluate your true level of interest or ability.

You should consider starting your journey as a chef instructor with a culinary degree program to realize your goals faster.

Culinary Training for Future Chef Instructors

Do you want to be a chef instructor? If you want to help teach the next generation of chefs, consider earning an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts first. This will help you gain the background you need in order to instruct your future students. For more information, connect with a friendly admissions representative at ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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