Article | March 27, 2026
Worthy and Willing: Forming Boys Who Will Want to Marry
Featuring Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti
Read OnHeightsCast | March 26, 2026
Automaticity: Where ‘Rote’ Fits into the Liberal Arts
Featuring Dave Maxham
Read OnHeightsCast | March 19, 2026
Parenting through the Middle School Doldrums
Featuring Andrew Reed
Read OnArticle | March 23, 2026
Sartorial Prudence: Making a Dress Code Fit You
Featuring Elias Naegele
Read OnHeightsCast | March 12, 2026
Classroom Habits of Attention in the Age of AI
Featuring Andrew Cantarutti
Read OnArticles & Essays
Worthy and Willing: Forming Boys Who Will Want to Marry
As parents and teachers, forming boys who are prepared to seek and freely choose their vocation is not ancillary to our mission but an essential part of it.
By Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti | March 27, 2026
Sartorial Prudence: Making a Dress Code Fit You
A dress code can meet the occasion or elevate the tone—without squashing personal expression or upholding Draconian standards.
By Elias Naegele | March 23, 2026
Boys Should Learn to Cook
Cooking and baking develop that intangible quality known as experience. It’s judgment, confidence, and humility found by experiments, mistakes, and taking notes.
By Robert Greving | March 16, 2026
What Is a Man?
Though it’s true that a man ought to be good, merely telling a boy to “be a good person” is not good enough. Boys want to know what it means to be a man.
By Alvaro de Vicente | March 10, 2026
Automaticity and Creativity
A common controversy in math is between the “drill and kill” camp and the “inquiry-based learning” camp. The problem is that both of them are right—and both of them are wrong.
By Dave Maxham | March 06, 2026
There Is No Manual
While good counsel can help, no one can give you the playbook for raising your child; you have to write it.
By Alvaro de Vicente | February 24, 2026
The World Needs Your Son to Be Professionally Ambitious
Last week’s article focused on leisure—wasting time well. In his latest article, Alvaro de Vicente considers the other side of the coin, work, focusing especially on professional work.
By Alvaro de Vicente | January 27, 2026
In Defense of Wasting Time
Professional and vocational work requires practice and the building up of good habits; but so does our leisure. In his latest article, Alvaro de Vicente defends the disappearing art of wasting time.
By Alvaro de Vicente | January 20, 2026
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Book & Movie Reviews
Soaring Over the Rainbow
" Wicked: For Good completes the faithful adaptation of a Broadway masterpiece. The Broadway musical Wicked first hit movie theate..."
- Mark Grannis Read the ReviewThe Power and the Glory – A Review
"Have you ever read a book that inspired in you a soul-crushing desire to eat fried chicken, shed undefinable tears through a mouthful of Spr..."
- Joseph Bissex Read the ReviewIn Search of Sacrifice: The Drama of the Family in Godzilla Minus One
"2023’s Japanese film Godzilla Minus One is more than a monster flick—it’s a true family movie. Not to be confused with CGI-heavy Ameri..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewTestosterone Tropes: A Review of F1: The Movie
"If the social media “manosphere” became incarnate as a movie, that movie would be F1. Not so much a story as a series of “manly” tro..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewLook Up: Why I Believe in Superman (2025)
"Superman (2025) is a fun and wholesome movie that’s best enjoyed on the big screen. Despite some issues with pacing and a few unfortunate ..."
- Tom Cox Read the ReviewCutting Edge, but Get to the Point
"Fantasy authors have a league of their own. They play for various intramural teams, such as The Snarky Sendups (Terry Pratchett’s Discworl..."
- Joseph Bissex Read the ReviewMelancholy, Minnesotan Medicine
"In a post-progress Midwest, beside that omnipotent and mercurial god, Lake Superior, Rainy and his wife Lark have the closest thing to happi..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewEscaping the Void: A Review of Thunderbolts*
"The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t done itself any favors since Endgame (2019). Between emasculating beloved male characters, inserting ..."
- Joe Breslin Read the ReviewA Sublime Comedy: Joe Versus the Volcano at 35
"Friday, March 9, 1990, was a pivotal day in my life, because it’s the day I picked up the phone and called the young woman who would, eigh..."
- Mark Grannis Read the ReviewPure Murder: A Review of Gladiator II
"I never want to see this movie again. Granted, this might sound a bit harsh coming from a Classics undergrad who spent most of his Classics ..."
- Conn Mehigan Read the ReviewBrowse all Reviews...
Podcasts & Videos
HeightsCast
Automaticity: Where ‘Rote’ Fits into the Liberal Arts
Could creativity and intellectual freedom actually depend on the rote? Following up on his recent article for the Forum, math teacher Dave Maxham dives into why fundamentals and drills are integral to creativity—not hindrances. Between the “drill and kill” and the “free inquiry” camps lies the golden mean: an understanding that mastery and even delight in the basics allows for real, nimble handling of creative problems. Chapters: 3:19 Defining automaticity, creativity 7:09 The automatic enables the creative 15:14 Returning to basics, overcoming boredom 19:14 Struggle and humility bear fruit 24:05...
Featuring Dave Maxham | March 26, 2026
Forum Faculty Podcast
Athlete or Academic: What’s the Real Priority in Schools?
We welcome to this conversation coaches and teachers Jeff Thompson, Joel Sellier, and Brian Carroccio. They dive into the historical importance of physical education, the post-COVID surge in youth sports, the impact of club sports on school sports, and the critical development of discipline and teamwork through athletics.
Featuring Jeff Thompson, Joel Sellier, Brian Carroccio | August 01, 2025
Parenting through the Middle School Doldrums
What do our children need most from us in the unsteady years of middle school? First, says Head of Middle School Andy Reed, they need our availability.
Featuring Andrew Reed | March 19, 2026
Classroom Habits of Attention in the Age of AI
Today, we have an increasing store of research to evaluate the claims of AI and educational tech. Can it be used constructively?
Featuring Andrew Cantarutti | March 12, 2026
The Teacher’s Voice
Volume, pitch, pace, tone, inflection: the human voice is our primary teaching instrument, one that comes with enormous advantages.
Featuring Tom Steenson | March 05, 2026
The Role of Parents in the Conspiracy for the Good
When we join a school community, it should be to join forces—with teachers, administrators, and other families.
Featuring Alvaro de Vicente | February 26, 2026
Educating Leaders with Thomas More
Does a talented person have a duty to serve others? What do leading citizens really need to live well, freely, impactfully—even greatly? How do we, parents and educators, order the educational goods?
Featuring Stephen Smith | February 19, 2026
Teaching Religion with Multiple Faiths in the Room
“Charity and clarity” are the lodestars when teaching middle school boys with various faith backgrounds—and who are developing faith dispositions of their own.
Featuring Bill Dardis | February 12, 2026
Your Calling and How to Find It
The crisis of meaning among young people gets a lot of press; but a quieter crisis of calling afflicts every generation today. Dr. Arthur Brooks says the causes are the same: not knowing what our life is really and ultimately for. In his talk at The Heights Forum Convivium 2025, Dr. Brooks shares the facts about calling—where neuroscience, psychology, and theology all agree, and how he (finally) found his. He goes on to say that helping young people to discover the true Christian purpose of life and then one’s personal...
Featuring Arthur Brooks | February 05, 2026
Frantic Families: Three Questions for a More Intentional Life
Kevin Twomey is a husband, father, and a principal consultant at Table Group, founded by Patrick Lencioni, which specializes in helping executive teams build a healthy operational work culture. Lencioni’s book, The Three Big Questions, brings that same expertise to bear on the modern frantic family: helping parents find their family identity, create intentional priorities, and live with more order and purpose. Chapters: 4:01 Typical family operations 9:09 Frantic families in a frantic world 14:36 What makes your family unique? 21:57 Parent leadership 26:02 What is your family’s top priority...
Featuring Kevin Twomey | January 23, 2026
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