I was recently reminded of the smaller things in life – quite literally, by a class of second graders. I was recently asked to visit my 
son’s school and teach his classmates how to make omelets. Each child had the choice of their own ingredients and got to make their omelets with me. Their choices included bacon, sausage, mushrooms, onions, broccoli and an assortment of cheeses. The most popular by far was the bacon and cheddar combo. I can’t say that I blame them – that’s my favorite too!
Part of the curriculum for second grade students includes learning fractions. During the cooking process we incorporated fractions while following the recipe. As I remember it as a child, knowing that my school lessons could be used in real life made the lesson far more memorable to me. I hope this was a lesson they won’t soon forget.
It occurred to me during that afternoon that some of these children may not have ever cooked anything before. I realized that I could be exposing them to their first culinary experience while they were learning. Two of the children had never eaten an omelet before. What a great day of firsts! It was a nice feeling to share with the students my professional life and show them a possible career choice.
That was certainly a morning that I will remember and I hope that the children will remember their experience – and their fractions too!
