Author: billkralovec

School leaders have demanding jobs. A board meeting to prep for, budget reviews to finalize, parent concerns to address. As head of school at Tashkent International School, my calendar is always full of urgent meetings and tasks. So when our Grade 9 students packed their gear for a camping expedition in the Chimgan Valley, the practical side of my brain whispered: Stay at school. There’s too much to do. I went anyway. And I’m glad I did.

Today’s teenagers are drowning in digital distractions. Social media algorithms compete for their attention while screens dominate their waking hours. As educators, we’re witnessing anxiety levels spike and attention spans shrink. Something had to change.

That’s why I brought experiential education to TIS—not as a luxury add-on, but as essential medicine for the digital age. We transformed our traditional “School Without Walls” program from comfortable hotel stays and museum tours into something far more challenging: camping under the stars, hiking rugged mountain trails, learning archery, rock climbing, and white-water rafting in Uzbekistan’s majestic wilderness.

The Tahoe Expedition Academy calls it “Constructive Adversity”—a simple but powerful three-step process:

Challenge: Present students with a meaningful task that pushes their boundaries, complete with proper safety protocols and skill-building.

Experience: Guide them through something that tests them emotionally, physically, and mentally.

Reflection: Help them process what they’ve learned and how they’ve grown.

This isn’t about manufacturing artificial hardship. It’s about creating authentic challenges that build the resilience and self-confidence our students desperately need.

Sleeping in a tent isn’t heroic leadership, but it sends a clear message: the expectations we set for our students and faculty apply to everyone, including me. Between our Adventure Program and School Without Walls trips, our teachers regularly trade comfortable beds for sleeping bags and rustic accommodations. If I’m asking them to embrace discomfort for the sake of student growth, shouldn’t I be willing to do the same? Don’t get me wrong—I love camping and the outdoors. The challenge isn’t sleeping on the ground; it’s carving out time from an overloaded schedule. 

But then it happens. You’re in a gorgeous mountain valley near Chimgan village, and you watch a student overcome their fear to reach the top of a cliff face. You talk with a student who’s never slept in a tent before, watching them discover they’re braver than they thought. These moments don’t happen in boardrooms or budget meetings. The thrill in their eyes, the pride in their voices, the way they carry themselves differently after conquering something they thought impossible—this is why we do what we do. This is education at its most transformative.

These aren’t just feel-good stories—they’re evidence of what happens when we give young people real challenges in real environments. The mountains don’t care about your GPA or your social media following. They demand presence, courage, and authenticity.

I’m reminded why experiential education matters so much. In a world that’s increasingly virtual, our students need visceral, authentic experiences. They need to learn they can do hard things, sleep under unfamiliar stars, and discover the strength they didn’t know they possessed. The emails will still be waiting when I return. The board meeting will still happen. But the look on a student’s face when they realize they just did something they thought was impossible? That’s irreplaceable.

Sleeping in a tent is not a heroic leadership act, but if we are committed to outdoor education, the head of school should have the same expectations we have for our students and faculty. Between the School Without Walls and our Adventure Program, many of the faculty “rough it” through camping or rustic accomodations. I love camping and the outdoors, so for me it is not a big deal. It is tricky for me to find the time in my calendar to go on some of these trips, and especially this week with a board meeting on the schedule. That concern faded away as I spent time with our grade 9 students in a gorgeous mountain valley near the village of Chimgan. Experiencing the thrill of a student conquering his apprehension and climb to the top of a cliff or talking with a student that has never slept in a tent, makes is all worthwhile.

The effort and care the chaperones put into these trips was first class. The amount of planning and work that go into taking over 300 students into the mountains at various locations, and most importantly, bringing them back safely and feeling it was a worthwhile experience, often goes unnoticed by people. Thank you to the faculty and staff of TIS!

That’s why this head of school sleeps in tents.

I still get excited for the first day of school after all these years at international schools. We started the school year on Tuesday with a “First Bell” (первый звонок) ceremony that marks the beginning of the school year in Uzbekistan. The bell symbolizes the “call to knowledge” and marks the transition from summer freedom to the structured world of learning. A preschool student (representing new beginnings) and 12th grade student (representing the culmination of school education) will ring the bells to literally and symbolically, call the students to begin their educational journey for the year. Humoyun and Emily were excellent representatives and as the oldest student, Humoyun calmed an anxious preschool Emily who was not used to being the center of attention. The ceremony took place in our beautiful TIS Park with hopeful parents, students, and employees ready to start the 2025-2026 school year. It only took a few minutes, but these symbolic gestures are important for communities to mark special occasions.

We also had a bit of fun in the secondary school opening assembly introducing the new faculty to the 300 students in the gymnasium. I was inspired by the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls of the 1990s and used Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” and introduced the teachers as they were professional basketball players. I think the students appreciated the entertaining manner of welcoming new and some returning, faculty members.

The PTO capped the week a well received Picnic yesterday. The parents organized activities, including kite flying, face painting, basketball, etc. for students. They absolutely loved it, especially the little ones! We are feeling the increased enrollment with so many more new parents enjoying the festivities.

The Tashkent International School year #31 is off and running!

I love this graphic that a TIS Professional Learning Community devised to help students and teachers integrate Artificial Intelligence in our teaching and learning. All tasks, projects, activities, and assignments will be assigned one of the five categories, “FIRE” or “N” that define how much students can use AI. Teachers are challenged to rethink what they ask the students to do. Content generation assignments are a thing of the past. With AI Large Language Models improving every 30 days or so, it is fascinating to see how this will play out.

The IT director and tech team also created a list of approved AI tools that we can use. The key factor was data privacy. The approved list of AI tools (below) is GDPR compliant. The other limited approval tools are used with caution. We ask that users do not upload school and student identifying information, financial data, etc. while using AI tools from that part of the list.

I would like to thank outgoing IT Director Brian Sullivan, DP Coordinator Stefania Iachelli, and the other teachers on the PLC who contributed to this framework. This is an ongoing process and it will be interesting to see where we are at, both as a school and society, a year from now.

It is a big responsibility to bring international school teachers and their families to a new country. I want to ensure they feel supported while settling into their new homes. At the end of the Orientation Week, it is my goal to have all of them confirm that they made a good decision in coming to Uzbekistan. It takes a team to make a successful onboarding experience. This starts when they are hired during the last school year and continues until the end of their first year at the school.

I would like to thank the many people who made this a successful onboarding, starting with our HR Manager, Yuliya, to her team of Ahat and Khurshida. To the leadership team, including assistant principals and curriculum coordinators who went above and beyond to meet the individual needs of the newcomers.

I am honored to have the privilege of working with such outstanding people and professionals. This year’s group has all found accommodations this week. The real estate market in Tashkent is always in flux. One recent trend is the availability of new apartments as the city grows. Earlier in my tenure, new apartments were few and far between and most new employees found houses of varying quality. Real estate is generally expensive in Tashkent. We offer generous living allowances for teachers to find their own housing. Often, schools assign housing, but we give everyone a choice. It is more work this way, and it can be a bit stressful at times, but I think it is worth it. We want teachers to be comfortable and ready to teach.

The main goal of Orientation Week is accommodations. It is important for the new teachers to understand the location of the school and the different neighborhoods where our current teachers live. After they establish an address, comes registering with the government, setting up a bank account, getting a SIM for their mobile phones, etc. Finally, we want them to see the school, get their laptops, and start thinking about classroom set up and prepping for the arrival of the students on August 19.

I love being part of graduation ceremonies! Last night we had perfect weather, and with the sun setting, the evening was perfect. I appreciate the occasion more as I get older, especially saying goodbye and congratulating students I connected with. It is also nice to talk with families and be a part of steering a person in the right direction.Graduation ceremonies are also important because they give closure to students and parents and leave a lasting impression on them. My big takeaway from the ceremony and my conversations last night: TIS and IB not only develop academics, but they also contribute to shaping attitudes and habits that really do as the IB says, create a better and more peaceful world. I wish more young people could matriculate at International Baccalaureate World Schools. Below is my speech.

I am honored to open the Tashkent International School Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2025. We are celebrating 30 years of our school, and this is our 27th graduating class. The first graduating class in June of 1998 had one student. Today, the 32 seniors on stage will bring the total number of TIS graduates to 618, and they will be joining our illustrious and very successful Owl alumni. 

This is a big milestone for not only graduating seniors, but also for the parents, guardians, caregivers, drivers, and everyone from the extended family that helped these students through their school years. I would like to thank the parents for trusting TIS with the education of their children and allowing us the special privilege of sharing with you their educational journey. I would like to recognize and congratulate the parents and guardians of the Class of 2025. Please stand up and let’s give them a round of applause. 

I love being part of graduation ceremonies. Interacting with the graduates always gives me hope for the future. Seniors, you have the gift of youth and possibility, savor this time in your life! I would like to thank all of you for making a positive difference in the TIS community, and I look forward to hearing more about your accomplishments. 

It gives me great pleasure to introduce our Secondary Principal, Mr. Robert Jackson.

TIS annually holds a “Cyclothon” at our school. The main goal of the event, in my opinion, is to have students experience the joy of cycling! The campus is ideal for cycling with an 800-meter loop that winds its way around our beautiful forested grounds. My colleague, Shawn Perry, holds a “bicycle rodeo” to teach elementary students who are new to the sport how to safely turn, brake, and fall. Students need to pass the test course in the gymnasium before starting the main event. Elementary students absolutely love cycling and counting how many laps they can do. There are always some scooters and skaters as well, and this year, we had three runners.

Greener Tomorrows, our student environmental conservation group, managed the event to raise money to upgrade a playground and soccer field in the mahalla adjacent to the back of our school. Secondary students served as bike patrol and counted laps. One feature of the morning is that the rider who completes the 1000th lap, gets to throw a pie in the face of the director (me). Grade 2 student Maya enjoyed the experience as did the students watching!

I think the Cyclothon was started by Matt Wright, a former TIS teacher and incredible cyclist. He left a good legacy and with help from teachers like Shawn and Stefania, the tradition continues.

Launched in the 2023-2024 academic year, the Tashkent International School Adventure Program was created with a bold vision: to inspire students to exchange screen time for extraordinary real-world experiences within Uzbekistan’s breathtaking landscapes. In today’s digital world, many young people lack opportunities to develop crucial risk assessment skills and physical resilience. Our program addresses this gap by immersing students in transformative outdoor experiences—from scaling majestic mountains and navigating pristine waterways to skiing down exhilarating slopes and mastering essential wilderness skills. Beyond physical challenges, the Adventure Program creates a social environment where meaningful connections flourish without digital distractions. Students develop confidence, leadership abilities, and lasting bonds with peers and mentors while discovering the natural wonders of Uzbekistan. Each expedition becomes more than an adventure—it’s a journey of personal growth, environmental appreciation, and community building that equips students with invaluable life skills impossible to develop behind a screen.

With the program growing, I am focusing on keeping our students and faculty safe. Viristar is a company that provides expert services to outdoor, adventure, and experiential programs. In April, I completed the company’s 40-hour course, Risk Management for Outdoor Programs. The course is framing my thinking around risk management. My big takeaways from the course are as follows:

• A great definition of Risk Management is a systematic, intentional, and ongoing process of maintaining risk at a socially acceptable level.”
• Incidents or near misses are caused by complex reasons, and it is not by blaming one person or occurrence. The course introduced me to the idea of Risk Domains (diagram above). Risk Management takes into account many factors and embeds a safety culture in the program.
• I have two goals inspired by the course #1- Develop an Adventure Program Specific Risk Management Plan #2 Obtain accreditation from the Association of Experiential Education

I also learned a lot from my classmates. Experiential Education teachers from the Singapore American School and the International School of Kuala Lumpur among others were also taking the course. Outdoor Adventure Programs are popular offerings in South East Asia international schools and many use outside providers to organize and lead trips.

TIS is different in that we do not rely on providers and do all the trips ourselves.We also consistently through the school year, take students out into nature on weekends, breaks, and some school days. Therefore I think it is important that we are doing everything we can to continue to offer these experiences safely and the accreditation process is crucial.

I like to thank Jeff Burlein and my classmates for helping me grow my Risk Management skills.

The Tashkent International School supports a Boy Scout Troop run by parents and teachers. I am the Charter Organization Representative (COR) and recently completed training for that specific position. The COR is the point of contact between Boys Scouts of America (BSA) and the Charter Organization, in my case, the Tashkent International School. I was not a Boy Scout as a child but I do see the value of promoting citizenship, service, kindness, and learning outdoor skills. BSA helps our TIS Adventure Program, especially the focus on developing wilderness skills. I have also completed Youth Protection Training that integrates well with our Child Safeguarding practices at the school.

We are losing several key parents this year and I hope we can continue to have a thriving Scouting program at TIS. If you are interested in helping out, please contact our Outdoor Learning Coordinator.

I felt exhilarated after joining the TIS Cross Fit training session on Tuesday morning. Cross Country Coach and TIS Adventure Lead Robin Marsh leads a group of students, parents, and teachers every Tuesday before school. After the workout, I took these photos of a simultaneous sunrise and “moon set” on our winter morning campus. Beautiful! It is good to stop and soak in the beauty of nature. It was a cold, dark winter morning and I didn’t feel like exercising, but afterwards felt great. Thanks TIS friends!