Leadership Lessons From the Road

Over the course of our year traveling as a family of six, we stayed in 25 countries, 75 cities, and countless beds. Sometimes we stayed for just one night, sometimes for two weeks. Our backpacks and carryon duffle bags became the most permanent things we owned. Our first stop was Iceland, and I still remember walking up to the second floor of a home behind a cluster of houses, nervous about what we’d gotten ourselves into. On the surface it looked nice enough, but the shower

The first time I stepped into a grocery store in Prague, I realized I couldn’t speak a word that would be understood. The letters looked familiar, the products seemed ordinary—but the sounds, the rhythms, and the way people moved through the space felt completely unfamiliar. Everything looked familiar, yet I had lost what normally connects me with other people. I couldn’t even say “excuse me” as I tried to move through the aisles. For the first week, nothing sounded recogniza

Walking through Kuromon Ichiba Market in Osaka, Japan. One of my favorite parts of traveling is knowing that no one knows who I am. I am not “the coach,” “the educator,” or “the leader.” I am simply another person walking, noticing, breathing with an opportunity to reflect on whether I am still adhering to my authentic self. It feels like shedding a heavy coat I didn’t realize I had been wearing. When I stepped down from my principalship, I did not realize how much I had been

In education, the first six weeks of school are considered the foundation for the year. Masterful teachers know that the time spent establishing clear routines, expectations, and classroom community during these weeks pays off all year long. Skeptics often claim that when we spend too much time forming these habits, we lose learning time. As a former teacher and principal, I disagree strongly. The teachers who are willing to focus on these important classroom tools and skills

Whether on the road or at home, finding purpose matters. About a year ago, my family and I packed up our lives—four kids, one carry-on duffel and one backpack each, and a shared dream—and set out to travel the world for a year. We traded school lunches and morning meetings for rickshaws in India, back-alley adventures in Vietnam, and Shabbat candles lit in unfamiliar places. The adventure was equal parts chaotic and clarifying. “Learning doesn’t pause when you pack your bags—