Flying into Missoula was a bumpy ride, but I felt surprisingly calm for me! I was excited to get there to teach Kind Dining training, and was determined to put this roller coaster like plane ride in a new context, as part of my normal commute to work!

Kind Dining classes are designed to teach servers as a mixed group from all departments, nursing, foodservice, housekeeping, etc. Many in my classes are between the ages of 16-22, and many are in their first job, and/or serving meals to elderly residents for the first time. Working with teens and young adults brings a new dimension into our discussion, and I find that few in this age group receive server training specific to serving our elders needs.

The staff in Missoula was very welcoming. We had 18 people in our 2-day training session. I learn something new with each group of learners I teach and I will share those insights over the next several days.

Sometimes it is hard to know if as an instructor we are striking a chord with the group. One of the young women in this session was just cute and I would guess around 17. She was required to be there of course, and looked half interested in moments. At other times, she acted tired and was dressed in jeans and a hoody, which she wore over her head most of the time. However, when we got to Module 7 and Emotion control, she asked two of the most informative questions of the day…..

Here is the first: “What do we say when a resident starts sharing their personal information with us?” And second; How do I act when a resident is rude? She explained she was taking an order at a table in the independent dining room and a resident who came late to the table behind her, actually reached over, pulled and untied her apron strings, saying in a loud voice; ” You can take my order now, I am ready.”

I’ll share how we answered these questions in tomorrows blog.