Food Tech - what would you do?

[ibbydibby]

DS1 (Year 9) was told last week that the group would be cooking pizza today - ie Tuesday 11th Jan. However by Friday he had received no list of ingredients, so I impressed on him the need to track down the teacher yesterday to check what was needed.

So DS tracked down the teacher yesterday, and was told to check a recipe book for a pizza recipe. He told a few others in the group.

I had bought some mozzarella previously intending to use it for something else, but kept this for him, in case pizza cooking still on, which it apparently was. So he and I assmebled pizza base ingredients, plus topping. Planned to eat for tea tonight.

DS arrived home announcing that no cooking done. He also added that teacher yesterday had said they would "probably" cook. He found out today that at midday yesterday she had decided they would not cook, and told some people this (but not all, obviously)

Just posting as v annoyed about this, and wondering what to do - it seems like a waste of ingredients (not sure if fancy using mozzarella that's been out all day) and we have had to cook something out of freezer for tea. Maybe trivial in scheme of things, but DS was wondering it to do Food Tech next year as GCSE, and I am going off the idea.

What would anyone do in similar situation?

[BikeRunSki]

Sounds like the teacher was being very slack to me. Could you ask her to provide a list of what they will be cooking and the ingredients they will require when? Thsi sounds like a very sensible idea to me for parents, teachers and children.

She is also not setting a very good example about not wasting food!

[DITDOT]

Very strange indeed.

Am a Food Tech teacher but def not your sons I as didn't have Y9 today!

It annoys me as it gives Food Tech teachers a bad reputation and puts the subject in a bad light. However, I always give ingredient reminders a week before ( I would be annoyed if my daughter brought a list home the day before the lesson) and students are provided with a book at the start of their Food Tech rotation.

I do sometimes find that students fabricate information for their parents regarding ingredient messages and when reminders were given. I usually call their bluff and say I will phone parents. I am not saying this is what has happened here at all.

If I was in a similar situation I would phone and speak with the teacher as there may have been a genuine reason that they didn't cook (it has happened on very very rare occasions in my school). I would expect teacher to have told the class why though. If no joy then ask to speak to Subject leader for Food if not the teacher in question.

With regard to doing it at GCSE, is this a one off? Does he really enjoy it? He may not have this teacher. GCSE Food Tech is an academic subject and enjoyed greatly by students in my school due to the great mix of theory and practical.

Hope you have better Food Tech experiences in the future

[johnthepong]

Hello-also a food tech teacher here. I would agree with DITDOT and say there has been some sort of communication error here. Food tech teachers dont really have the option of "probably" cooking- its either a practical lesson or not, especially at KS3. Check the story with the actual teacher.

[ibbydibby]

Thanks for your comments. Still undecided as to whether or not to contact someone about this, as don't want to start off on the wrong note if DS does decide to do it as GCSE subject.(Will be the same teacher, who up until now seemed v nice and one of the more approachable ones)

Take the point that DS may have got the wrong end of the stick about this, and may be communication error. On the other hand he has also said tonight that next week they will be cooking on 2 consecutive days. (Pizza is one of those days) No ingredients list though.

[Decorhate]

That sounds odd - presumably he only has food tech once a week so won't see the teacher again till next week - so how is she going to get the list of ingredients to the class?

If it was me I would definitely phone up to clarify the situation. I would mention the need for advance notice if the ingredients required & that you won't be happy if the lesson is cancelled & food wasted. Food tech ingredients can be expensive...

[ibbydibby]

He has food tech twice a week, and it transpires this morning that he does have a list of ingredients for one of the lessons next week (has only just told me, despite me asking last night).

Have probed further re yesterday's situation and he still maintains that the teacher said "probably" on Monday, although now saying she could have siad "probably not". As johnthepong (love the name) says, probably not really an option in food tech. He then asked one of the classroom assistants about the ingredients, and they suggested he consult a recipe book.

[kayah]

my dd food tech teacher is excellent, always had list of ingredients at least a week in advance

teacher inspired my daughter to try new things and get her hands dirty - so thanks to school she is cooking more at home :)

shame there's no obvious way to thanks her - must write a letter soon :)

[Goingspare]

At DD's school they're given a spiral-bound recipe book at the beginning of each year, which contains all the recipes they're likely to use throughout the year. It does mean that as long as they can remember what they're cooking and when, the ingredients list is always available (until they lose the book of course).

I must say that when my DD says that something is 'probably' or 'probably not' going to happen at school, it usually means that she really hasn't the faintest idea what's going on, usually for listening deficit reasons, though I guess cock-ups do happen on all sides.

[campion]

Another Food Tech teacher here. It really sounds like a communication error here - as in, 'was your son listening carefully?'

Checking with the teacher would be a really good idea too.

Sometimes, no matter how much advance warning, writing in planners and Food Tech folders, printed sheets,reminders on whiteboard and verbal information are given, some children just don't take up all the help offered.

Part of the subject's point is to encourage forward planning and self-organisation but it can take time!

The mozzarella will be fine to use, by the way.

[Ruralgeek]

I know this was several months ago but I was rather disturbed about some advice given to my son today. His school gave him a list of ingredients at the beginning of the year and at the start of this term he was given the dates on which each one was to be made. In preparation for today's sausage balls I bought 500g sausage meat a few weeks ago and froze it, being a working mum it's hard to get some things and the butcher said he doesn't always have it available.

On Sunday night I defrosted the sausage meat but this morning my son expressed some confusion over whether they were actually cooking today. He couldn't be sure so I gave him the ingredients as the meat needed to be used. When he came home with no ingredients or food I asked what had happened, he said a stand-in teacher had told him to leave the ingredients in the school's fridge ready for Friday's lesson! I'm concerned about the food safety implications of this and have written to the normal cookery teacher. I don't want to give him any ingredients for Friday because of the expense but I would like the cheese, egg and oats back which should still be edible! It would be so much easier if the school would buy all the ingredients and charge us for them, at least we then wouldn't need to supply small quantities of spices and seasoning, etc!

[cuckooclock]

This would seriously annoy me too. At dd's school (year 10) we pay a certain amount per term and that covers all ingredients. The only things she has ever had to take to school was an empty pineapple tin (to bake a christmas cake in!), a box to bring the stuff home in, & her apron. So I guess we are quite fortunate. If I had defrosted sausage meat in my fridge for more than 2 days I would be binning it, not eating it.

[bruffin]

I love DC's school, we never have this problem.Like cuckooclock we pay a fixed amount a year and they provide the ingredients.

[inkyfingers]

It's a much better system to have parents pay in advance. I can see where the school's coming from by planning ahead for parents to get the ingredients, but to give dates of practicals at the start of term is likely to be a hostage to fortune - far to early to predict absences/being off timetable etc.

[campion]

The sausagemeat would be fine until Friday if kept in the fridge. He'll be cooking it at a high temperature anyway.

I wonder who's doing all the ordering, fetching and carrying ( not to mention storage) of the ingredients when the school provides them. And who gets it all ready? It's certainly easier for parents but it's useful experience for children to help prepare their own ingredients.

[amerryscot]

Children need to learn about shopping for the ingredients, not that it all magically appears in front of them.

We usually stop off at Sainsburys a day or two before the lesson and the DDs do all the work. I just get to pay.

[DITDOT]

As a food tech teacher I didn't train for years to be a glorified shopper!! Not all schools have technicians and in a 1 hour lesson students don't have time to weigh, cook, wash up and be out in time for the next lesson so I would spend all my time weighing out instead of being a teacher!
It is sometimes unfortunate that a practical is planned and the teacher is ill. The stand in teacher should have told your son to take ingredients home so at least you could have used the perishables that evening.
I never give dates for practicals more than a week in advance as the amount of things that crop up unexpectedly can ruin a carefully planned schedule.
I agree with school supplying small amounts of an ingredient but as amerryscot says children do need to learn about shopping for ingredients and that they do not just appear in neat little tupperware boxes on the morning of your practical.