Who am I?
In 1991 just before paper was invented, my high-school English class was paired up with a grade four elementary class. I was partnered up with a young man who chose not to talk, in fact, he hadn’t since Kindergarten. After three hours with me, he was talking more than I was. The teachers did not know whether to thank me or not.
Ms. Catling, my English teacher, told me I had a gift, and I should use that natural talent to teach. I abandoned my dreams of becoming an Architect… lo and behold I ended up in a classroom. I have had a lot of respect for my teachers growing up, they pushed me and helped me become who I am. Being a chef, I bring firsthand practical knowledge of the industry into my classroom. I believe holding a journeyman ticket enhances my program. I model my class very similar to that of my Culinary classes at SAIT when I attended. I do not have to spend time pouring over the vast Tomes of culinary cookbooks that I have accumulated over the years. Recipes come as easily as breathing. We cook good food that tastes good. We work on our knife skills. We talk about what things should taste like and how we can be successful when cooking for others. I want them to look at cooking from different points of view. There are many means to an end. My class reflects what is expected in the industry. I bring a sense of humour and a safe environment to all of the students in my class. They know they can escape everyday life and find refuge in the kitchen to work on their knife skills or just create good tasting food. I sing a lot during my classes, often making up alternate words that have more of a culinary feel that fit the task at hand. My aloofness shows the students that they CAN be themselves. I have been told that my classroom is not a classroom and that, “We do things and don’t have to think.” I do not take offense to that comment. We express ourselves through the food that we make and make things taste great. Good food is just an extension of ourselves. My door is always open. I often have a hard time finding time to mark assignments at school, kids are always around. They have found a safe haven where they can come and talk about what is on their minds or just hang out and be themselves. I am open and honest. I have worn many hats in my life. I danced for 18 years and participated in a tour with my dance group to Ukraine, played sports and competed at the National level in bowling. I played instruments, sang, swam and studied other languages. I am a Father, Husband, Son, Scout Leader, gamer and a fierce and supportive friend. I can relate to each student with some aspect of their lives strengthening the bond of friendship and trust between us. It is not an irregular sight to see past graduating students show up at my door to visit or even throw on a chef jacket. I know I make a difference. It was apparent when four years ago we were asked to cater a basketball banquet for 480 people. There was a mix-up in scheduling and I needed help. After finding out about this, my former students took time off and showed up. They took control of my kitchen helping make the banquet a success. It reminded me of a parallel scene from Mr. Holland’s Opus. We do make a difference! I run a social gaming club. Not a video game club. My club rotates around games where students can sit and enjoy each other’s company. They can unplug from the digital world. They can be as geeky as they wish and talk about what THEY want to talk about. On occasion we have discussions solely based on Star Wars, the medieval genre, coded languages or alternate universes. I think that our mantra says it all. I have a great love of gaming. I have been enjoying role-playing games for over 32 years. As we tumble forward in life and things evolve. There seems to be a greater emphasis on the digital presense and technology in general. Not too many people just sit and talk anymore. Not too long ago I saw a picture of five students leaning against the wall all staring blankly at their phones with the caption, “Zombie Apocalypse”. We need to unplug and pay attention to those around us and make them feel needed and important. There are some students that have a difficult time fitting in. Sometimes we all feel that way. I just provide the environment for students to just be themselves. Many of the students do not have a male figure: either distant or not there at all. I heard a quote once… “Friends are the family you choose and family are the friends you are given.” I think this is similar when the students relate to me as a father figure. I provide an outlet for the students to experience games. They can play board games or characters in role-playing games. This allows them to take on the persona of someone else. They can leave their everyday lives for a few hours to relax and have fun. Some of the games are an imaginative adventure while others are strategic, forcing the kids to think in a different way. I enjoy running the club. It creates a senses of family with the students where they can be open and relaxed and just have fun. I most definitely believe that the club benefits them. The club does not only benefit students, many teachers have stopped by for a game or two. If only there was a curriculum for game design. Hmm… Chef Duane Sovyn Bachelor of Education, Red Seal Chef, Self Inflicted Gamer |