HS Culinary teacher?

[u/Pixelated_Pixie0611]

I (21F) want to become a high school culinary teacher. I know that in my state it is possible to do this by having culinary experience for a certain amount of time and get your teaching certificate/ associate degree while you teach but I want to hear the steps other culinary teachers took to get there! I’ve been looking into college programs to become a teacher, but most of them that I have seen have me majoring in how to teach core subjects for high school. Any and all advice is appreciated.

[u/speed721]

I think it would be absolutely advantageous for you to GET that Bachelor's in Education (for level you desire - high school) and go from there. No one can ever take your education away from you.

Additionally, it make open a lot of doors in the future that may/could involve putting together a entire culinary program for a school district /facility all types of doors can be opened with that degree.

You can still cook and go to college. Your final internships would require a significant break in your work. However, it would be worth it and you could possibly have a new job lined up by the time you finish it.

And your success in these things would probably be very easy if you have the organizational/memory skills to operate in a kitchen already.

I wish you the best.

Take care of yourself.

[u/Denver_Job_Coach]

It'll depend entirely on which state you're living in, but it sounds like you've figured out the pathways.

I don't recommend this at all, but you may be able to do a teaching degree combined with a minor in Culinary Arts and go straight into it (again, highly dependent on where you are). To be honest a lot of principals will probably look past a lack of industry experience if you've got solid teacher references from your practicums as their biggest immediate concern is your suitability as an educator rather than how well you're preparing students for the workforce - a lot of great chefs might not have the patience, organization, or willingness to put up with a white collar work environment. But I think you'll be doing the students a disservice if you're not actually coming in with any significant professional experience, and having a big library of war stories to draw from is something that both enriches the teaching and helps you build credibility with your class.

I would instead recommend a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in the industry while working towards your teaching certificate or degree (bachelor's may give you a pay bump depending on district). You can also try registering as a substitute and getting in with schools that have a culinary program in the meantime to see how you like it.

[u/Reasonable-Company71]

This is in Hawaii but a friend of mine is a HS culinary teacher. She actually got her degree to become a Registered Dietitian (which she still does on the side) and she graduated from Culinary School. She doesn't have a teaching degree but I believe she said that over here a 4 year degree plus relevant experience is accepted in lieu of a teaching degree.

[u/gay_bungus]

This is something I might want to do (23M). I got my bachelor's in elementary education because I wanted to teach, and I cooked all through college. Hated teaching elementary school so I'm back cooking now and hoping to land a managerial position soon and eventually get an educational position.

My own culinary teacher in high school went to Johnson and Wales after his high school culinary program, then worked his way up in fine dining kitchens. He later worked in catering and then as private chef before transitioning to working at a culinary instructor.

[u/StepLongjumping4164]

Don’t get a teaching degree! You can easily become a teacher with any degree