The Tale of Fancy Hot Chocolate and Lessons in Integrity: Sipping Contentment Without a Teapot

[#storyoftheday📖🤓] The temperature is beautifully cool and crisp here in the #UAE now, especially in the evenings. That means cosy shawls and hot chocolate in the evenings. 😍☕️

At a restaurant I love, as expected, hot chocolate is indeed a very popular winter beverage.

But folks, this place doesn’t do just a regular hot chocolate…

I would call this "fancy hot chocolate".

The kind you have your own teapot for (!), which you pour over some marshmallows, which come with a drizzle of salted caramel syrup, which…

…now, now, let’s not get distracted by this yummy little beverage.

Focus, focus...

This coffee shop faced a problem: they had so many orders for hot chocolate, that they had run out of teapots!

😬

So when a staff member carefully placed our drinks down, we immediately noticed one hot chocolate had a teapot… but the other one didn’t. 🥀

He explained with an earnest expression that there was a teapot problem... he assured us they put the same amount of hot chocolate that we would have in the teapot into a bigger cup, along with the marshmallows. And said sincerely that he hoped we would still enjoy it too.

He had a positive attitude and had made an effort to balance out the missing teapot. A quick look quantity wise showed all was still fairly distributed - probably the bigger cup contained a little more hot chocolate.

More hot chocolate, I thought?

I’m in!

I might not have my teapot but I was quite content. And I had a lovely experience. #grateful

When I reflect on what they did, it is something quite nice to learn from. I think it’s an attitude to #integrity and #fairness, that we can take to our #teachingpractice.

For example, they:

1️⃣💡 Understood thoroughly the resources they had available in light of their goals

2️⃣💡 Considered all their guests thoughtfully

3️⃣💡 Distributed their resources evenly, adapting creatively where needed

4️⃣💡 Communicated discrepancies with integrity

When we communicate clearly any reasons for obvious, perceived or real imbalances to our #learners, they aren’t worried about being left out, and instead become fully invested in the tasks we set for them.

Take me as a case in point: I was quite happy to drink my hot chocolate, minus a cute teapot.

They had been thorough, thoughtful, fair and communicated with me truthfully.

I like that.

I think most people do, too.

#learning #teaching #fairness #storyoftheday #lifelessons

P.S. If you read my last post about #facilitation, you’ll know that a teacher in a workshop I delivered last week pointed my attention to the word #fairness.

And who knew?

A simple trip for a hot chocolate, pointed me again to #fairness.

A word that, uncannily, brings me back to…

#differentiation.

Still a hot topic for every #teacher I talk to at the moment.🙂

I’m paying attention.

I believe in signs ✨

P.P.S this was the only clear photo of the hot choc. So as a bonus, we get to wave hello to Margi Kulsoom Orchard! 💛🙋🏻‍♀️👋🏼

🔗 www.linkedin.com/posts/sumbella_storyoftheday-uae-grateful-activity-7020009014302257152-lzro