The Heights Forum welcomed nearly 50 teaching men and women from 16 states as well as Portugal and Poland to the May Art of Teaching Boys Conference. This conference is dedicated to exploring what it means—in theory and, more importantly, in practice—to educate boys according to their nature. Participants gathered for an immersive program that included lectures, discussions, and classroom observations.
After a welcome reception, Nate Gadiano kicked off the conference at the Bolger Center with introductory remarks followed by a talk by Alvaro de Vicente, who highlighted our shared mission and the great need to educate boys well. The evening concluded with a delicious dinner at the Bolger Center where many learned how to eat Alaskan King Crab.
Thursday’s programming began with the Head of the Lower School Colin Gleason talking about the physical formation of boys, teaching them according to their playful, energetic nature. He offered a memorable analogy of boys to young puppies, both full of endless energy and excitement to experience the world. The Head of Mentoring Joe Cardenas presented his talk on the moral formation of boys, emphasizing boys’ need for a mentor who can walk alongside them, developing a personal relationship that encourages growth. Rusty Campbell of the Herzog Foundation gave a brief talk on their mission of accelerating Christ-centered K-12 education and why Herzog has joined forces with The Heights Forum to this end. After lunch, Tom Cox, upper school teacher and Forum managing editor, presented a lecture on the intellectual formation of boys.
Throughout the day, attendees divided into breakout sessions and office hours with other Heights faculty to discuss the education of boys at their respective schools within the context of the day’s lectures.
On Friday, attendees shuttled to the Heights campus where they attended campus tours, observed lower through upper school classes, and had the opportunity for either Holy Mass or silent reading—as Nate Gadiano put it to the attendees, “You will face the same choice the students have everyday: Mass or study hall.” Because the shuttle back to the Bolger Center broke down, the final break-out session took place on campus, providentially giving the attendees more time to experience campus life and to casually chat about the conference with each other in the beautiful May weather.
Among the many ideas presented during the conference, the one that perhaps captured the group’s imagination most was how to create room for boys to be playful. Colin Gleason offered an idea: “remove hazards, not risks,” so as to allow for the freedom to make low-stakes decisions. The cultivation of freedom in boys and letting them take risks permeated many of the lectures and discussions.
The Heights Forum is deeply grateful to the Herzog Foundation, whose generosity made it possible to offer the conference free of charge. Their support reflects a shared recognition of the cultural and formative importance of schools dedicated to helping boys become men fully alive.