Unless a boy is free to make some decisions on his own, he will not be as capable of making good decisions as a young man. Boys need to be given freedom so that they have the chance to “opt-in” to all that is good in the world.
In the first of Joe Bissex’s series on using drama as a teaching tool, he discusses how the exercise of process drama can help a student learn through personal discovery. Learn how blending drama into a conventional curriculum can result in an arts-integrated classroom.
Here are some ways that high school students can begin the journey to financial stability, which often goes hand in hand with peace. It’s not about getting rich quick; it is about making choices that lead to contentment.
In our most recent webinar, How to Keep a Nature Journal, Eric Heil and Peter Vitz expose the importance of journaling. They talked specifically about why and how nature journaling, the act of recording observations of the natural world in a notebook, can be of benefit to children and adults. A recording of this webinar (as well as past webinars) is available for free on The Heights Academy Webinars Archive. During the webinar, Eric and Peter list some reading recommendations for parents and teachers for studying, reference, or lesson-planning. That list is…
When I was in middle school, it felt like every kid and his mother owned a guitar. I’ll confess, about less than a third of them could really play (sorry guys, but only knowing “Wonderwall” and/or the first part of “Stairway to Heaven” doesn’t count), but it seemed that everyone was inspired to attempt the journey of acquiring this new ability. Of course, it’s not uncommon for boys to begin some hobby and then drop it right when things get difficult or less exciting; but think about how much they’d…
Welcome to the new year! In a recent Mentor’s Compass episode, Alex Berthe discussed the importance of setting concrete and simple goals. For most of us, simply deciding to “be better” or “get better grades” or “get in shape” won’t cut it. We need simple things to keep in mind throughout the day. Here is a list of some of the simple things that our mentors might encourage their boys to try this new year. RISE (MAKE, SHOWER, EAT) THEN SHINE: Those first moments of the day are crucial, which is…
This article presents to the broader Heights community a 2016 letter written by our headmaster, Alvaro de Vicente, to Heights parents. Former Heights Headmaster, Dr. Robert Jackson, used to say that education is about the passing on of a culture. Our culture both represents and shapes who we are. Although inescapably exposed to the general culture in our society, while they are living at home, your sons’ most influential cultural experiences should be dictated by home and school. To this effect, we at The Heights seek to collaborate with you…
I bought my house in 2012, and it definitely needed some work when I moved in. Fortunately, I had two things to help build my confidence with home projects: 1) I didn’t have any money to pay someone else to do the work, and 2) My father did a ton of home projects when I was younger (and still does now). Seeing my father do all these things gave me confidence in knowing that I don’t need to be a professional handyman to get work done. And when I can’t…
We asked our teachers here on The Heights Forum how to improve the family dinner. They came up with 20 great ways to foster culture and family over a meal.
Here are some practical steps that parents can take to address the unmotivated underperforming boy.