Category: HeightsCast

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

Lower School Head, Colin Gleason, continues a discussion with Tom Cox and Austin Hatch on Prudence, as presented by Josef Pieper. Often we understand this virtue as nothing more than a cunning tactic, when in reality, prudence is far more. The virtue encompasses a capacity for silence, an understanding of reality, and an ability to make right decisions. Prudence is a virtue for the magnanimous. Listen in to learn more. Resources Mentioned in Podcast: The Four Cardinal Virtues, Josef Pieper Phaedo, Plato Little Women, Louisa May Alcott Summa Theologica, St….

Find out why Dr. Mehan believes that “a healthy politics requires a healthy poetics.” He discusses the importance of poetry in the formation of leaders. It’s not all fun and games, at The Heights, when our boys are memorizing. They are both memorizing and readying themselves for prudential statesmanship. Dr. Mehan pulls it all together for us, and offers an introduction to his forthcoming book:  a children’s poetry book that Hamlet should have read. To preorder your M5, visit: www.mythicalmammals.com Also, you can follow Dr. Mehan on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MTMehan

Lower School Head Colin Gleason leads a discussion with Tom Cox and Austin Hatch on Prudence, as presented by Josef Pieper. Often we understand this virtue as nothing more than a cunning tactic, when in reality, prudence is far more. The virtue encompasses a capacity for silence, a understanding of reality, and an ability to make right decisions. Prudence is a virtue for the magnanimous. Listen in to learn more. Resources Mentioned in Podcast: The Four Cardinal Virtues, Josef Pieper Tell All The Truth But Tell It Slant, Emily Dickinson…