Connect English

Some teachers treat teaching like cooking a big warming pan of soup or stew. They throw in a pinch of this, a splash of that, and trust that with enough stirring it will turn into something nourishing. Others treat teaching more like baking a cake: every ingredient carefully weighed, every step checked, because one wrong move could make the whole thing collapse.

Both approaches exist in our profession. In fact, both can be seen in the same teacher depending on context. When you’re starting out, it’s tempting – and often necessary – to stick with the cake recipe. A detailed plan, carefully timed stages, and strict adherence to the method can feel like the only way to make sure things don’t fall apart. As Jim Scrivener points out in Learning Teaching (2011), planning is a form of “safety net” that helps newer teachers make sense of complex classroom processes.

But as experience grows, some teachers become more like stew-makers. They learn when to season the lesson with an extra task, when to stir things longer because learners need more practice, or when to throw in something unexpected that keeps the whole group engaged. This flexibility echoes Donald Schön’s (1983) idea of the reflective practitioner: professionals who can adapt their knowledge and skills in the moment, not just apply pre-packaged solutions.

I remember once planning a tightly structured lesson on reported speech. It was a “cake” lesson in every sense – meticulous steps, clear timings, and a very detailed handout. About halfway through, though, a student asked how to report jokes and funny stories in English. That single question led the group into a lively 20-minute storytelling activity that wasn’t in my plan at all. My careful cake turned into a stew – messier, perhaps, but full of flavour and energy. And in the end, the students practised the target language far more naturally than I had anticipated.

What’s crucial to remember is that neither approach is “right” or “wrong.” Teaching is not about choosing between soup or cake – it’s about recognising that both require care, attention, and craft. A too-rigid “cake” approach can limit opportunities for spontaneity, while an overly “stew-like” approach can risk lacking structure or clear progression. Effective teachers, as Scott Thornbury (2006) notes in his discussion of methodology, are those who can balance structure with improvisation – bringing both precision and creativity into their practice.

Perhaps the real art is knowing when to bake and when to simmer. Some lessons, contexts, and learner groups call for strict recipes; others thrive when the teacher adds ingredients on the fly. The key is not to assume there is one universally correct way of cooking – or teaching. Instead, we can embrace the idea that our classrooms are kitchens, and our role is to nourish learners in whatever way works best for them.

So next time you prepare a lesson, ask yourself: are you baking or simmering? And more importantly, what do your learners need on the menu today?