Erica Barclay

Recipe for Educational Leadership

(from Cook, Bake, and Serve Your Best with ASB.)

Serves: An entire school
Level of skill: High
Prep time: Varies per cook
Total Time: Indefinite (like a good sourdough base, once created it can be kept forever but needs
to be continuously refreshed)

Not all will attempt this recipe due to the complexity and skill level involved. There are many
pressure points in the cooking of this dish and many ways in which the balance of flavor can be
thrown off. It is suggested that each cook refine their ability to carry out many of the techniques
required for this recipe by practicing the individual skills before attempting this particular dish.
However, that does not mean that all techniques need to be perfected before attempting this
recipe. The desire and drive to give this recipe a try typically results in a solid dish.

Essential Ingredients
Communication
Decision Making
Delegation
Education
Empathy
Experience
Flexibility
Humility
Listening
Logistics
Organization
Professional Development
Sense of Self
Students First

In a large pot set on a low simmer:

1. Begin with one entire carton of Students First. This is the foundation of the recipe and
whenever the flavor seems to be getting unbalanced, come back and add more Students First to
the dish as needed. {TLMS Domains I through VII}

2. Combine 2 overflowing cups of Experience as an educator (classroom experience is especially
helpful in achieving the best flavor). {TLMS Domain IV}

3. Mix in 1 cups of personal Education it is preferred that this be of the professional variety
such as an advanced degree (certifications or specific trainings are also helpful). {TLMS Domain
IV}

3. Add in at least 1 cups of Professional Development mixture (some may prefer more - adjust
this quantity to taste but do your best to have Cognitive Coaching, Critical Friends, Design
Thinking, and Responsive Classroom initially in your PD mixture). Your mixture can be bought or
created in your home. Each new time you make this dish you can adjust the PD mixture
accordingly so the dish evolves along with the cook. {TLMS Domain III}

4. Stir in 4 tablespoons of Communication that has been steeped with several generous sprigs of
Listening. These flavors complement each other and without Listening, Communication tastes
flat (without Listening, Communication will also very likely be unpalatable to others). {TLMS
Domains I and VI}

5. Incorporate 1 to 3 teaspoons of Decision Making. There are several options of Decision
Making use per preference but keep in mind the bigger flavor of the overall dish and that it
should connect back to the foundation of the dish, Students First. Note, sometimes the recipe will
need more and others it will need less. Be careful each time you incorporate more or a different
option of Decision Making as you cannot remove it once added.

6. Toss in several handfuls of Organization and Logistics this is not an exact measurement and
the cook will have to make a judgment call as to how much is needed for their dish. {TLMS
Domain II}

7. Pour in exactly 1/3 of a jar of Delegation. Turn up the heat. Stir the dish until it comes to a
rolling boil. Allow for the complexities of Delegation to permeate the dish but take care setting the
heat back to a simmer once a boil is achieved too much Delegation and the flavor will become
overly diluted and this dish of leadership will not be achieved.

8. Whisk in dashes of Flexibility. Depending on when you make this dish will determine if you will
require more or less Flexibility.

9. Season well with several shakes each of Empathy and Humility. The seasoning of the dish is
incredibly important and is what brings it all together. Be sure to taste along the way and be sure
the seasoning is well balanced. {TLMS Domain VI}

10. Garnish with a heavy hand of Sense of Self. It is best if this has been cultivated though your
own hard work and is harvested regularly. {TLMS Domain III}

You are now ready to share your dish with others. It is great served family style but can also be
served up individually. Be sure to serve it warm and solicit feedback as to how the recipe can be
adjusted to make it even better. When serving this to a diverse population there will be many
suggestions of how to improve the dish. Take note but also remember to go with your instinct.
{TLMS Domain VI}

If you are seeking to refine and truly personalize your skills and techniques for making this recipe,
here are several resources you can consult as suggested by our consulting cooks: {TLMS
Domain VII}

Books/Articles/Blogs
The Art of Nonconformity - Chris Guillebeau
Linchpin Seth Godin
Daring Greatly Brene Brown
Good to Great James C. Collins
Brain Rules For Babies John Medina
Mindset Carol Dweck
Managing Oneself Peter Drucker
Ungifted: Intellegence Redefined Scott Barry Kaufman
Making Hope Happen Shane J. Lopez
Ready for Anything - 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done - David Allen

Experts
Seth Godin
Shirley Clarke
John Hattie

Special thanks to consulting cooks N. Chaudhuri (Early Childhood Associate Principal), S.
Hoffman (R&D Coordinator), A. Kasky (EC4 Grade level team leader), W. Wanjohi (Founding
Master Teacher at Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, formerly 3
rd
grade teacher at ASB) who
have helped me reflect on what leadership is in various situations and who have reminded me of
all the skills necessary to not only possess but also to continuously refine.


References:

Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium. (2010). Teacher leader model
standards. Retrieved from:
http://www.teacherleaderstandards.org/downloads/TLS_Brochure_sm.pdf