Blog 11: Lesson 1 Reflection

(Done with presentations...for now..)

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?
Overall,I was very proud of how in-depth and prepared I was for the presentation. I saw many individuals today who blanked out on what to say with time running out and I spoke clearly for the entire duration of my entire presentation. I feel I elaborated on each point in my presentation and I my hook activity was inclusive and creative of the audience. I use quite the number of in-class handouts and drawings to illustrate the points I make throughout the ten minutes I was up presenting.

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade using evidence from the component contract.
Based off the contract, I deserve at the least a P. This is because I have completed all P pre-considerations and went above and beyond by constantly referencing my mentorship and the articles I used compiling my Lesson. I spoke clearly, met time, elaborated on all my points, cited sources and included the audience in the hook activity to wake them up. I received little recommendations or negative comments and did even more research and activities than asked for.

3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson?  How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2?
If I could go back to change anything about my lesson, I would have practiced  a couple more times and included more computer-generated pictures and drawings for my presentation. I was told that although I was well-rehearsed in my presentation, the drawings I had seemed too small or too messy. I think later on in Lesson 2, I will keep the same levels of complexity, but include more flavor, color and pictures to draw in the audience's attention on stage.

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

At my place of mentorship, Cantina Grill, I spend my time being taught by the Manager Saab Shamans and his daughter Kathy how to clean, prepare, cook and sanitize the workspace and the dishes served at the restaurant. I have prepared appetizers, sanitized dishes, helped clean fresh produce and help doing small tasks around the kitchen. Indeed, I also shadow underneath Saab to learn ever more complex recipes and instructions. These small tasks help me to see how precise and carful you have to be working behind the counter as your decisions impact the satisfaction and health of others. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn of any new experts in the Pomona-Diamond Bar area.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  
As I have mentioned in previous assignments, my friend Dawson Khoury recommended I give Mr. Shamans a call after the school year had begun and I still had not found a mentor of then. Dawson had put in a good word for me thanks to his father's connection with Mr. Shamans and I finally worked up the courage one day to call him, explain that I needed help finding a mentor in the field of Culinary Arts and the rest is history.

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person
At this point in time, I feel very comfortable with Mr. Shamans and the staff of his restaurant. Having sat down, interviewed him, engaged in many friendly conversations and sharing laughs together, I consider Mr. Shamans not only a mentor but a good friend. This relationship has allowed me to decide what days and hours I choose to mentor and has attributed so far to nearly 20% of my mentorship hours being completed. 

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

I think that I was able to gain a clear foothold in what it takes to be successful not just at business but in the kitchen as well. Mr. Shamans made it clear what kind of individual it takes to be a successful cook; being dedicated, aware and willing to go the distance for your culinary career. I still think however that I need to be more clear on what information I am specifically looking for when I talk to Mr. Shamans. Although his information was very useful to my project, he seemed to stray from what I had intended to get, a fault I discovered only after the interview. I believe that the longer I stay at the restaurant mentoring, the more my intentions will start becoming more realized and we as a team can talk more about cooking rather than business. 

Interview Sound Clip

https://soundcloud.com/anclark98/interview-2-part-1

https://soundcloud.com/anclark98/interview-2-part-2

Blog 9-Advisory House #3

 

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).

I currently have a mentor, Saab Shaman, the original owner and worker for the reopened Cantina Grill Mexican Restaurant in Pomona, who now shows up every saturday to help me in my education towards learning how to clean, prepare and cook. Currently, I still have not planned the interview with him do my busy schedule but plan to plan a day to meet with him thursday the 21st.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.   

The two most interesting fields under Culinary arts that I am interested in is the field of creating new recipes/experimentation and teaching others. I personally like messing around, especially with food and I love getting creative solutions to old recipes. Forming fusion and modernized takes on recipes of old seem to me a fun way to test myself on my own cooking skills. I also really hope to spread my own knowledge of cooking onto those too scared or not experienced enough to know how to cook for themselves (such as myself). I want to be able to impress my knowledge onto others so they can begin to move away to the pre-made, microwave-based food we live on in our society and learn to adopt more home-made recipes.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

I think the most important sources of depth in my field will have to come simultaneously from both books and mentor experience. I will need to first delve into the more literary conceptual ideas to get a sense of what I should begin focusing on, then apply this knowledge in mentorships or at home in my own kitchen. I already have a couple books to sift through in my free time as well as a regular mentorship to help me piece together my ideas in reality. So far, I think i'm set for resources.

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

"What is the most important aspect to teaching someone brand new to the culinary field how to cook?"

Blog 8:Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

-For my Independent component, I plan to host a dinner party-presentation. I want my senior topic to focus mostly on being able to teach others how to cook using what is limited to them by budget or skill. I plan on taking the first major step through a two part-party. The party will feature hand-made dishes I plan to create that require little experience to cook and are rather affordable (thus furthering how easy it can be for anyone to learn to cook). The second part will feature a presentation detailing some of the basics of cooking methods, safety, style and actually handling the food preparation, where I plan to sum up what I've learned to pass on to my classmates. I will need to spend time planning the dinner, planning the power point, preparing the dinner and possibly cooking a dessert of sorts. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

- To show my work, I plan to share the presentation with the senior team as well as updates regarding the production of the presentation and the creation of my dishes. In other words, I can record and upload small clips documenting the progress regarding both parts of my independent component to my blog regularly. On top of this, I can share this progress among the class when inviting those curious to the event.

3.  Explain how/what you will be doing to help you explore your topic in more depth.

-To further my knowledge on my own subject, I will need to dive ever deeper into what tips and subjects I will need to teach others about the culinary arts. This will include more articles read and I even plan to purchase a book on the finer arts of cooking called the 'The Flavor Bible' as suggested to me by another IPoly Alumni. I also plan to enlist my (future) mentor's help deciding what dishes would be most suitable to help teach other's about. 

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

-Done as of October 7th

Blog 7-Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

Right at this moment, I do not have a mentor but are actively searching for one in my field, Cooking/Culinary Arts. I am currently seeking mentorship at the restaurant Cantina Grill in Pomona with the current chef. Until then, I have no mentorship.

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1.  How long have you been employed at this establishment and how many years in total have you been cooking for? 
2. Do you come from a line of individuals in the culinary/restaurant business? Have you had education in the field or did you simply take up work at eateries?
3. Did your parents or guardians ever do home-style/homemade meals growing up?
4. Why do you like to cook at your place of employment?
5. What moment in your life or person inspired you the most to follow a path into the culinary field?

Blog 6-Advisory Prep

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?  

The most helpful thing regarding the Senior Project is simply starting early on everything coming down the line. When it comes to anything, whether it be blogs, research checks or anything else, managing time and taking things in short steps is a crucial detail to making the senior project more enjoyable and less work intensive. On the subject of making this a fun year and experience, the concept of getting to know my topic has been an incredibly positive experience for me. When it comes to culinary arts, creating and using recipes is a step-by-step process that can prove extremely rewarding when you learn something new. The senior project is just the same, where learning to do simple things can be extremely fun, even when doing something as melancholy as a research check can be a rewarding experience. Taking our subject in small weekly increments has not only allowed me to learn a lot but simultaneously enjoy everything about the project.

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?

Personally, I still suffer from being unable to locate a mentor despite constant searching. I've already asked numerous friends, family and even some of the Senior team but I have had little luck in the matter.Currently, I am collaborating with another student, Dawson K., to seek a mentorship in the restaurant he works in.I think i could improve the chances of finding someone if I start contacting old Ipoly students and using social media sites, including Facebook, in the hopes that I would be able to find a lead to a mentor. Additionally, older blogs from previous years might be able to yield links to people in my field, culinary art, who have once served alongside another Ipoly senior. Besides this single complication, I have no other concerns for the senior project in the short run.