Heights students are given the freedom to choose their outfits, so long as they adhere to the dress code. What are the virtues that our boys can build by dressing well, and how can we as teachers bring that growth about, one half-widsor and tucked in shirt at at time? Listen in to hear Mr. Joel Sellier address all of these questions in this episode of HeightsCast.
Headmaster Alvaro de Vicente addresses freedom and smart phones. These devices can be incredible tools, but only if used with a proper sense of self-mastery. Is there an age when boys are ready and can be deemed to have the necessary self-mastery? Though we are thoroughly skeptical of the high school age, there are no hard and fast answers to that question. Regardless, our headmaster is able to offer some helpful factors to consider.
Last episode we addressed the importance of properly and prudently handling wildlife. Once your boy has the prudence and courage needed to fully experience the wild, a nature journal is a great next step for our budding naturalists. Join Mr. Eric Heil for a conversation about how to keep a nature journal. Of course, this is only an introduction to what is covered in more detail here. Happy journaling to all youngsters of adventurous good will during these, the last two weeks of summer!
We’ve all been there. A boy in your care looks earnestly into your eyes, rabid with excitement; he’s found a critter and he wants to catch it. What do you do?
We are a liberal arts school, but we embrace contemporary literature that leads our students to the good, the true, and the beautiful. Not all of it does, though. And, even those moderns that are positively formational often do so by leaning, in some way, on the older great authors of the older great books. To fully appreciate the new, you must be familiar with the old. Contrary to the notion that we are hiding our students from contemporary literature, we are, instead, curating a selection of books–old and new–that enriches…
Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, joins us for a conversation about college that will benefit students, parents, and teachers. He challenges the assumption that every prep school grad should attend college right away at any cost, and he offers fantastic insights about the entire college experience–from college choice, to choice of majors, to engagement with students and faculty who think differently. Continuing the introduction: The Conservative Heart Gross National Happiness The Arthur Brooks Show Finally, for another, excellent discussion with Arthur, check out Conversations with Bill Kristol.
Our students and sons start learning the moment they set foot on campus. Every time we greet a boy in the hallway, we are teaching him. Every time we are late to class, we are teaching him. Tone is a powerful teacher, and Alvaro de Vicente shares his thoughts on how to foster a positive tone, both at school and at home. Your students will forget 90% of what you teach them, but will likely recall 90% of the tone you set. For schools, and school leaders, a good tone…
Tom Longano spends an episode unpacking his recent webinar on how to anchor summer reading in leisure. Can a 3rd grader actually achieve this? Yes. How? Listen in.
American boys are failing to keep pace with their mathematical peers internationally. Our test scores aside–and we are skeptical of attempts at standardized measurement–there is the deeper problem of many boys hating math and failing to learn the skills they need for professional success, and the habits of mind needed to fully appreciate reality. Heights math teacher, Dave Maxham explores the causes for this visceral reaction that so many boys have. He sums it up in four causes: the problem of standards, the problem of common core (concepts vs. algorithms),…
Heights teacher, Joe Breslin, discusses the problems with the contemporary approach to writing, and offers his strategy for raising craftsmen of letters. By turning your classroom into a workshop, you can engage your boys and train them in the arts of observation and effective communication. Resources Mentioned in Podcast: Joe Breslin’s webinar on The Heights Academy: Writing From the Sentence Up