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?
