I’m a laughable cook, but a pretty proficient baker. That doesn’t mean I don’t still have sizable lapses in my knowledge. This morning, I engaged in a Twitter conversation with MJ, a representative at King Arthur Flour. Here was my takeaway:
The impact of the positive baking reinforcement I'm receiving from @KingArthurFlour is directly related to the feedback we give our students
— Shannon Houghton (@MsHoughton) June 22, 2013
Not only did MJ provide fabulous customer service, our conversation also mirrors what I hope a writing / math / literacy conference looks like in my class.
Walk with me through our exchange. I’ve bolded critical moments that we both took as student and as teacher.
First, I took a risk. I started with a vanilla scone mix and made the choice to cut up some fresh raspberries. I also ran out of regular milk, so I used almond milk instead. Struck with a lack of confidence, I Tweeted:
I've either made the most glorious @KingArthurFlour scones or potentially a disaster. Used almond milk and fresh raspberries in my batter.
— Shannon Houghton (@MsHoughton) June 22, 2013
Often my Twitter appeals are made to the ether, but I received this:
@MsHoughton As long as the dough is not too wet, they should come out just fine, nice and tender and light. ~ MJ
— KingArthurFlour (@KingArthurFlour) June 22, 2013
It was a timely response from MJ, which offers a suggestion with “as long as the dough is not too wet,” as well as encouragement, “nice and tender and light.” Both comments are immediately practical and specific.
@KingArthurFlour You have the best Twitter presence. They are soggy. 8 mins to go, though! No fault of the product's, obvi.
— Shannon Houghton (@MsHoughton) June 22, 2013
I recognized my error, but I persevered and shared my results:
Not too shabby, eh @kingarthurflour? http://t.co/4iOkwvW506
— Shannon Houghton (@MsHoughton) June 22, 2013
And bam:
@MsHoughton They are gorgeous! I love the fresh pink color from the berries. Just need a little cream on the side & you have heaven! ~ MJ
— KingArthurFlour (@KingArthurFlour) June 22, 2013
There’s the positive reinforcement. MJ recognized my effort with a specific compliment, “I love the pink color,” and she also nudged me further and gave me next steps with “just a little cream on the side.”
Then, she gave me this Lucy-Calkins-esque “off you go” statement:
@MsHoughton Teaching and learning is what keeps us going forward. Enjoy your yummy scones! ~ MJ
— KingArthurFlour (@KingArthurFlour) June 22, 2013
Finally, as I was typing this post up, surprised that just three tweets could have such a huge impact on my baking experience, I realized the last key to this effective conference was that MJ kept it brief.
Here are my scones!
Where do you find conferring moments in your extracurricular activities?
WOW! Yummy looking! I bet they turned out tastey! I was impressed the way you showed us how your twitter conversation could be interpreted as a teaching/learning experience. Also, I think, maybe all of us need to take a class in “customer service” just so that we can relate to each other in a kind, humane way. Love you.
I will have to share this with my 15year old daughter, who GAGGED on a nice bean and tortilla casserole and wonders why I don’t enjoy cooking more. Too funny, but also rather nice! (you, not her!)