Michael Moynihan

Upper School Head Michael Moynihan encourages teachers to view their students as sovereign knowers called to exercise agency in their learning. As teachers, we lead by walking backwards, but our students should provide the forward momentum. Yet this momentum must itself be fostered by a proper approach to the art of teaching. Mr. Moynihan shares ideas here about how teachers can create an environment conducive to this sense of agency.

Upper School Head Michael Moynihan encourages teachers to view their students as sovereign knowers called to exercise agency in their learning. As teachers, we lead by walking backwards, but our students should provide the forward momentum. Yet this momentum must itself be fostered by a proper approach to the art of teaching. Mr. Moynihan shares ideas here about how teachers can create an environment conducive to this sense of agency.

Teaching Sovereign Knowers: Michael Moynihan on Fostering Agency in Students

In this episode, Heights Headmaster, Alvaro de Vicente elaborates on his vision for our Heights Graduates as "Men Fully Alive."  This vocation is a life-long pursuit.  The closer we get, the farther we realize we have to travel.  And yet, the calling to full and authentic manhood brings peace once embraced.  This peace results from knowing who we are, thinking big, and realizing that we can pursue these ends with joy and friendship.

In this episode, Heights Headmaster, Alvaro de Vicente elaborates on his vision for our Heights Graduates as "Men Fully Alive."  This vocation is a life-long pursuit.  The closer we get, the farther we realize we have to travel.  And yet, the calling to full and authentic manhood brings peace once embraced.  This peace results from knowing who we are, thinking big, and realizing that we can pursue these ends with joy and friendship.

Stewards of the Universe: Alvaro de Vicente on "Men Fully Alive"

Tom Cox

This week on HeightsCast we feature Tom Cox, Upper School Latin teacher and one of the architects of the Core Humanities Sequence. In the Episode, Tom explains what epic poetry is, where it fits into our curriculum, and why we teach it. Weaving together themes from Homer, Virgil, and Dante, Mr. Cox shows us how these epic poems shape the boys' moral imaginations at a time when they are first beginning to ask life's perennial questions: What is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of my life? Can I be a hero? If so, what is my quest? By way of epic poetry, as Tom explains, the boys can begin to see that some of the most epic of all journeys may be hidden in the most ordinary, quotidien activities of life. 

This week on HeightsCast we feature Tom Cox, Upper School Latin teacher and one of the architects of the Core Humanities Sequence. In the Episode, Tom explains what epic poetry is, where it fits into our curriculum, and why we teach it. Weaving together themes from Homer, Virgil, and Dante, Mr. Cox shows us how these epic poems shape the boys' moral imaginations at a time when they are first beginning to ask life's perennial questions: What is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of my life? Can I be a hero? If so, what is my quest? By way of epic poetry, as Tom explains, the boys can begin to see that some of the most epic of all journeys may be hidden in the most ordinary, quotidien activities of life.

Epic and the Ordinary: Tom Cox on Why We Teach Epic Poetry

"Have a great summer!" We hear it and say it incessantly, but what are we actually wishing for our boys? 21st Century America gives boys 3 months off--that is one quarter of the year and an enormous amount of time. Join Lower School Head, Colin Gleason, for a discussion of three ways that boys can fill their summer with healthy leisure and positive growth.

"Have a great summer!" We hear it and say it incessantly, but what are we actually wishing for our boys? 21st Century America gives boys 3 months off--that is one quarter of the year and an enormous amount of time. Join Lower School Head, Colin Gleason, for a discussion of three ways that boys can fill their summer with healthy leisure and positive growth.

Three Components of a "Great" Summer: Colin Gleason on Journals, Schedules, and Service

To learn more about the Summer Workshops, click here. Dr. Matthew Mehan unpacks the liberal arts. We can throw the term around to describe our school, but do we really understand what we mean? Is it more than a list of good books? Dr. Mehan explores what it means to be a student of the “arts of liberty”–a life long pursuit.  For all of us. Show Notes   TheGuardian.com, Our Minds can be Hijacked  St. Basil the Great, Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature  De Doctrina Christiana  Seneca’s Letter 88  Pope Benedict’s Regensburg Address  Pope Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri Sirach 6:18 

To learn more about the Summer Workshops, click <a href="https://heightsforum.org/summer-programs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Dr. Matthew Mehan unpacks the liberal arts. We can throw the term around to describe our school, but do we really understand what we mean? Is it more than a list of good books? Dr. Mehan explores what it means to be a student of the “arts of liberty”–a life long pursuit.  For all of us. Show Notes <ul> <li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> TheGuardian.com, Our Minds can be Hijacked</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/pearse/morefathers/files/basil_litterature01.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> St. Basil the Great, Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Doctrine-St-Augustine/dp/1631740091/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=EYC10FPAD3D5PF2PVTD1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> De Doctrina Christiana</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_88" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Seneca’s Letter 88</a></li> <li><a href="https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Pope Benedict’s Regensburg Address</a></li> <li><a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_31121929_divini-illius-magistri.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Pope Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.usccb.org/bible/sirach/6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sirach 6:18</a></li> </ul>

Defining the Liberal Arts

Lower School Head, Colin Gleason, discusses paternal patience and anger in this week's episode. If you, like so many dads, find yourself regretting the fact that you "lost it," listen in.  Mr. Gleason discusses anger and the ways that we, as fathers, can direct this emotion towards the good.

Lower School Head, Colin Gleason, discusses paternal patience and anger in this week's episode. If you, like so many dads, find yourself regretting the fact that you "lost it," listen in.  Mr. Gleason discusses anger and the ways that we, as fathers, can direct this emotion towards the good.

"I totally lost it": Colin Gleason on Paternal Patience

Joe Cardenas

At the heart of teaching is the desire to make an impact on the lives of one’s students. Beyond conveying useful information or training them in resume-building skills, great teachers wish to help their students live well—to be fully alive. Such a task, difficult as it may be, is what mentoring is all about.  Yet most schools may not have a formal mentoring program. In these circumstances, how can teachers, who wish to help their students in ways that go beyond math or language arts, mentor students?  To help us answer this question, we welcome back to HeightsCast our Head of Mentoring, Joe Cardenas, for a discussion on how teachers can mentor in schools without a formal mentoring program. In the episode, Joe explains what mentoring is and why it matters, offering guidance on how to be intentional, humble, and patient as teachers seek to help students not only see the good to be done but come to want to do the good they have seen. Register for Joe’s Mentoring Workshop  here.  For lyrics, translation, and history of Regina Caeli, please visit: https://adoremus.org/2007/09/singing-the-four-seasonal-marian-anthems/ Chapters  0:35 Introduction  2:27 What is mentoring? 4:25 Who can be a mentor?  7:40 Getting started 11:26 Being intentional  12:15 Being humble  13:55 Respecting the agency of mentees   15:40 Vale la pena: it is worth it 17:40 Advice for conversations with mentees 22:00 An example of mentoring 23:50 Encouraging without increasing anxiety  28:20 Parents as mentors 30:15 Mentoring: important, though rarely urgent   Also on the Forum   Foundations for Mentoring Struggling Students: On Fighting the Right Fires with David Maxham  Mentoring Sons to a Successful Summer with Joe Cardenas  Finding Mentors After Graduation: On Find Your Six with Pat Kilner  On Addressing Character Defects: Thoughts on Tough Love with Joe Cardenas Why Boys Need Mentors with Joe Cardenas and Alex Berthe

At the heart of teaching is the desire to make an impact on the lives of one’s students. Beyond conveying useful information or training them in resume-building skills, great teachers wish to help their students live well—to be fully alive. Such a task, difficult as it may be, is what mentoring is all about.  Yet most schools may not have a formal mentoring program. In these circumstances, how can teachers, who wish to help their students in ways that go beyond math or language arts, mentor students?  To help us answer this question, we welcome back to HeightsCast our Head of Mentoring, Joe Cardenas, for a discussion on how teachers can mentor in schools without a formal mentoring program. In the episode, Joe explains what mentoring is and why it matters, offering guidance on how to be intentional, humble, and patient as teachers seek to help students not only see the good to be done but come to want to do the good they have seen. Register for Joe’s Mentoring Workshop <a href="https://summerprograms.rsvpify.com/?securityToken=P6DvwFtdOTWgYruU4irtKgRfcnpvXTTS56BeH4zSORnMN8AMXByqiAfn2cGqUWNVh1pzlJYJ8caL9TY1WTytDdGekHvancD7xfMff7HoOA0XafnSuamsfBk3ijyRavJC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> here</a>.  For lyrics, translation, and history of Regina Caeli, please visit: <a href="https://adoremus.org/2007/09/singing-the-four-seasonal-marian-anthems/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://adoremus.org/2007/09/singing-the-four-seasonal-marian-anthems/</a> Chapters <ul> <li>0:35 Introduction </li> <li>2:27 What is mentoring?</li> <li>4:25 Who can be a mentor? </li> <li>7:40 Getting started</li> <li>11:26 Being intentional </li> <li>12:15 Being humble </li> <li>13:55 Respecting the agency of mentees  </li> <li>15:40 Vale la pena: it is worth it</li> <li>17:40 Advice for conversations with mentees</li> <li>22:00 An example of mentoring</li> <li>23:50 Encouraging without increasing anxiety </li> <li>28:20 Parents as mentors</li> <li>30:15 Mentoring: important, though rarely urgent </li> </ul> Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/foundations-for-mentoring-struggling-students-on-fighting-the-right-fires/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Foundations for Mentoring Struggling Students: On Fighting the Right Fires</a> with David Maxham <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/mentoring-sons-to-a-successful-summer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Mentoring Sons to a Successful Summer</a> with Joe Cardenas <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/finding-mentors-after-graduation-pat-kilner-on-find-your-six/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Finding Mentors After Graduation: On Find Your Six</a> with Pat Kilner <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/on-addressing-character-defects-thoughts-on-tough-love/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Addressing Character Defects: Thoughts on Tough Love</a> with Joe Cardenas <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/boys-need-mentors/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why Boys Need Mentors</a> with Joe Cardenas and Alex Berthe

Mentoring without a Program: Joe Cardenas on Teaching the Whole Person

John Paul II

George Weigel

“Education,” wrote G. K. Chesterton, “is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” If Chesterton is right, then education is about transmitting a culture, for what is culture if not the embodiment of a society’s soul? And what “soul” can be passed on from one human to another if it is not first embodied?  To discuss the importance of culture both to society generally and education specifically, we welcome to HeightsCast George Weigel, a distinguished senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a New York Times bestselling author. In the episode, Mr. Weigel speaks about Pope St. John Paul II’s “culture first” approach. Contrasting the late pope’s view with Marx’s view of economics as the primary driver of history and the Jacobin view of politics in the driver seat, Weigel explains the historical and philosophical roots of John Paul II’s view of culture as the driving force in history.  Along the way, he discusses what culture is and what education has to do with it.  Recommended Resources   Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel  John Paul II and the Priority of Culture by George Weigel  Also on the Forum   Family Culture with Alvaro de Vicente  Creating a Culture of Learning in the Home by Alvaro de Vicente

“Education,” wrote G. K. Chesterton, “is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” If Chesterton is right, then education is about transmitting a culture, for what is culture if not the embodiment of a society’s soul? And what “soul” can be passed on from one human to another if it is not first embodied?  To discuss the importance of culture both to society generally and education specifically, we welcome to HeightsCast <a href="https://www.georgeweigel.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">George Weigel</a>, a distinguished senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a New York Times bestselling author. In the episode, Mr. Weigel speaks about Pope St. John Paul II’s “culture first” approach. Contrasting the late pope’s view with Marx’s view of economics as the primary driver of history and the Jacobin view of politics in the driver seat, Weigel explains the historical and philosophical roots of John Paul II’s view of culture as the driving force in history.  Along the way, he discusses what culture is and what education has to do with it.  Recommended Resources  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Witness-Hope-Biography-Pope-John/dp/0060732032" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II</a> by George Weigel <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/article/1998/02/john-paul-ii-and-the-priority-of-culture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> John Paul II and the Priority of Culture</a> by George Weigel  Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/family-culture-with-mr-alvaro-de-vicente/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Family Culture</a> with Alvaro de Vicente <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/creating-a-culture-of-learning-in-the-home/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Creating a Culture of Learning in the Home</a> by Alvaro de Vicente

George Weigel on John Paul II's "Culture-First" Approach: The Pope-Saint's Lessons for Parents, Teachers, and Leaders

Matthew Mehan

In schools today, Shakespeare is often taught superficially. Students attempt to grasp the plot with the aid of their teacher, who helps them through the difficult Elizabethan English. At best they learn something about the beautification of language and the cultural significance of the Bard. But his work is not taught as it was written to be understood, that is, sapientially, for growth in practical wisdom and the ability to see more clearly the nature of man and the man’s relationship with both fellow man and God. This week on HeightsCast, we welcome back Dr. Matthew Mehan for a discussion of Shakespeare and the education of leaders. Associate Dean and Assistant Professor at Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government, Dr. Mehan helps us see that there is more to Shakespeare than is immediately apparent from a surface-level reading of his plays. He explains how a deep reading of the Bard offers a training in that nimbleness of mind—a good mother wit—without which, St. Thomas More said, all learning is half lame.  To do this, Dr. Mehan walks us through the opening of Hamlet, Act V. Not only does he offer an example of Shakespeare’s genius, he also gives an example of how to teach Shakespeare as not only aesthetically delightful but also morally instructive and useful—the ideal companion to theology and philosophy.  For educators interested in learning more about Shakespeare and how to teach him as a teacher of wisdom, check out the Forum’s summer workshop on Shakespeare. Chapters  1:00 How Shakespeare is taught in schools today 3:00 Why and how to study Shakespeare 6:03 Polysemy and the good mother wit 10:13 Literature as experience  12:55 Mirror neurons and man as mimetic  14:10 Ethical gyms and ethical gems  16:25 Shakespeare as Socrates, Nester, and Virgil  19:00 How to approach Shakespeare for the novice 23:10 Opening up the text: Hamlet, V.1 33:40 Shakespeare as teacher of self-government and liberty  35:00 Shakespeare and the American tradition  36:40 Advice for teachers  39:00 Shakespeare as a companion for life   Also from the Forum Summer Workshops for Teachers  Why Our Politics Needs Poetry with Dr. Matthew Mehan  On Reading Literature by Joe Bissex  Five Fruits of a Poetic Education by Nate Gadiano  In Real Time: The Temporal Order of the Liberal Arts by Dr. Matthew Mehan On Pieper’s Prudence: A Virtue for the Great Souled with Colin Gleason, Tom Cox, and Austin Hatch

In schools today, Shakespeare is often taught superficially. Students attempt to grasp the plot with the aid of their teacher, who helps them through the difficult Elizabethan English. At best they learn something about the beautification of language and the cultural significance of the Bard. But his work is not taught as it was written to be understood, that is, sapientially, for growth in practical wisdom and the ability to see more clearly the nature of man and the man’s relationship with both fellow man and God. This week on HeightsCast, we welcome back <a href="https://dc.hillsdale.edu/Profiles/Matthew-Mehan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Matthew Mehan</a> for a discussion of Shakespeare and the education of leaders. Associate Dean and Assistant Professor at Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government, Dr. Mehan helps us see that there is more to Shakespeare than is immediately apparent from a surface-level reading of his plays. He explains how a deep reading of the Bard offers a training in that nimbleness of mind—a good mother wit—without which, St. Thomas More said, all learning is half lame.  To do this, Dr. Mehan walks us through the opening of <a href="http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/hamlet.5.1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hamlet, Act V</a>. Not only does he offer an example of Shakespeare’s genius, he also gives an example of how to teach Shakespeare as not only aesthetically delightful but also morally instructive and useful—the ideal companion to theology and philosophy.  For educators interested in learning more about Shakespeare and how to teach him as a teacher of wisdom, check out the Forum’s <a href="https://heightsforum.org/summer-programs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">summer workshop</a> on Shakespeare. Chapters <ul> <li>1:00 How Shakespeare is taught in schools today</li> <li>3:00 Why and how to study Shakespeare</li> <li>6:03 Polysemy and the good mother wit</li> <li>10:13 Literature as experience </li> <li>12:55 Mirror neurons and man as mimetic </li> <li>14:10 Ethical gyms and ethical gems </li> <li>16:25 Shakespeare as Socrates, Nester, and Virgil </li> <li>19:00 How to approach Shakespeare for the novice</li> <li>23:10 Opening up the text: Hamlet, V.1</li> <li>33:40 Shakespeare as teacher of self-government and liberty </li> <li>35:00 Shakespeare and the American tradition </li> <li>36:40 Advice for teachers </li> <li>39:00 Shakespeare as a companion for life </li> </ul> Also from the Forum <a href="https://heightsforum.org/summer-programs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Summer Workshops for Teachers</a> <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/why-our-politics-needs-poetry-dr-mehan-on-his-new-book/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Why Our Politics Needs Poetry</a> with Dr. Matthew Mehan  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/on-reading-literature/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Reading Literature</a> by Joe Bissex  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/fruits-of-a-poetic-education/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Five Fruits of a Poetic Education</a> by Nate Gadiano <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/temporal-order-of-the-liberal-arts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> In Real Time: The Temporal Order of the Liberal Arts</a> by Dr. Matthew Mehan <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/on-piepers-prudence/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Pieper’s Prudence: A Virtue for the Great Souled</a> with Colin Gleason, Tom Cox, and Austin Hatch

Wit and Wisdom: Dr. Matthew Mehan on Teaching Shakespeare

In G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, he tells a sort of parable in which children are given space to play on a mountain top surrounded by steep precipices on all sides. At first the children are left to play on the mountain top without any walls. Fearful of falling off one of the edges, they all huddle up in the middle. Then, walls are erected, and the security that such walls provide gives the children the confidence they need to play without fear of falling.  A father’s loving presence can act like such walls in the lives of his children. Yet, at times, the practical realities of life make it difficult for fathers to be fully present in such a way.  This week on HeightsCasts, we feature a talk given by headmaster Alvaro de Vicente on the topic of paternal presence, originally offered at our recent fatherhood conference. Although there are no set manuals for successful parenting, in his talk Mr. de Vicente suggests four areas that fathers can consider as they examine the ways they may or may not be present in their children’s lives:   The importance of paternal presence  The obstacles to paternal presence   Professional work  Personal interests  Difficult children   The types of presence  Physical  Intellectual  Moral  Spiritual    The stages of presence   Holding the hand Holding the back of the bike Holding the second steering wheel Holding the phone    In the end, Alvaro encourages fathers to behave as they would wish their sons to behave when they reach their own age. But when they fail, he also reminds them of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s words: “God doesn't ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithfull.”.   Chapters   0:14 WelcomeStart 2:15 The importance of presence  5:00 Some challenges to being present  11:40 DSuggestions for dealing with those challenges  12:50 Types of presence   13:00 Physical  18:55 Intellectual  27:35 Moral 29:00 Spiritual    33:10 Stages of presence  37:40 Takeaways and concluding thoughts   Also on the Forum   Friendship for Fathers: On Living and Teaching the Art with Prof. John Cuddeback   The Bedrock Principle of Fatherhood with Andy Reed  The Father and His Family: On Fatherhood with Michael Moynihan   Parenting from Fear: On Reasons for Confidence with Alvaro de Vicente   Parental Authority: On Our Role with Dr. Leonard Sax

In G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, he tells a sort of parable in which children are given space to play on a mountain top surrounded by steep precipices on all sides. At first the children are left to play on the mountain top without any walls. Fearful of falling off one of the edges, they all huddle up in the middle. Then, walls are erected, and the security that such walls provide gives the children the confidence they need to play without fear of falling.  A father’s loving presence can act like such walls in the lives of his children. Yet, at times, the practical realities of life make it difficult for fathers to be fully present in such a way.  This week on HeightsCasts, we feature a talk given by headmaster Alvaro de Vicente on the topic of paternal presence, originally offered at our recent fatherhood conference. Although there are no set manuals for successful parenting, in his talk Mr. de Vicente suggests four areas that fathers can consider as they examine the ways they may or may not be present in their children’s lives:  <ol> <li>The importance of paternal presence </li> <li>The obstacles to paternal presence  <ol> <li>Professional work </li> <li>Personal interests </li> <li>Difficult children</li> </ol> </li> <li>The types of presence <ol> <li>Physical </li> <li>Intellectual </li> <li>Moral </li> <li>Spiritual </li> </ol> </li> <li>The stages of presence  <ol> <li>Holding the hand</li> <li>Holding the back of the bike</li> <li>Holding the second steering wheel</li> <li>Holding the phone</li> </ol> </li> </ol> In the end, Alvaro encourages fathers to behave as they would wish their sons to behave when they reach their own age. But when they fail, he also reminds them of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s words: “God doesn't ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithfull.”.   Chapters  <ul> <li>0:14 WelcomeStart</li> <li>2:15 The importance of presence </li> <li>5:00 Some challenges to being present </li> <li>11:40 DSuggestions for dealing with those challenges </li> <li>12:50 Types of presence  <ul> <li>13:00 Physical </li> <li>18:55 Intellectual </li> <li>27:35 Moral</li> <li>29:00 Spiritual </li> </ul> </li> <li>33:10 Stages of presence </li> <li>37:40 Takeaways and concluding thoughts </li> </ul> Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/fathers-and-friendship-prof-john-cuddeback-on-living-and-teaching-the-art/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Friendship for Fathers: On Living and Teaching the Art</a> with Prof. John Cuddeback  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/the-bedrock-principle-of-fatherhood-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Bedrock Principle of Fatherhood</a> with Andy Reed <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/the-father-and-his-family-michael-moynihan-on-fatherhood/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Father and His Family: On Fatherhood</a> with Michael Moynihan  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/parenting-from-fear-alvaro-de-vicente-on-reasons-for-confidence/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Parenting from Fear: On Reasons for Confidence</a> with Alvaro de Vicente  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/parental-authority-dr-leonard-sax-on-our-role/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Parental Authority: On Our Role</a> with Dr. Leonard Sax

Paternal Presence: Alvaro de Vicente on "Being There"

Welcome to HeightsCast, the official podcast of The Heights School! Every week, we feature interviews with teachers, educators, and experts in a variety of fields, both here at The Heights School and beyond the school's walls. Our conversations concern the education and formation of men fully alive in the liberal arts tradition. In other words, we talk about the education of the kind of man you’d want your daughter to marry. We hope that these conversations may be both delightful and insightful; and that through them, your vocation as educators may be ever renewed. Join us!

As the world of academia becomes increasingly polarized, parents may be concerned about sending their children off to colleges where the general culture and ethos of campus are less than favorable to the worldview and way of life found in their own homes. Yet, many of these institutions are also prestigious and hold promise for success in one’s professional career.  How, then, should parents think about sending their children to such institutions? How should students, who have decided to attend them, approach their time there? Fly under the radar? Be an argumentative warrior for what they think is true?  To help us think through some of these questions, we welcome Nate Gadiano, Executive Director of The Heights Forum. Drawing on his experience as an undergraduate at Princeton and a graduate student at Notre Dame, Nate shares his thoughts on engaging with academic communities and cultures that differ from one’s own upbringing.  This podcast discussion was occasioned by a recent talk given by Mr. Gadiano for a group of parents, in which he discussed how parents can prepare their children for different college environments. In that talk, Nate gave seven principles for engaging with others in a fruitful and friendly manner:   Go where you are not welcomed. Make your beliefs normal and attractive.  Don’t argue with strangers; discuss with friends. Prepare more than you plan.  Find the heart of the disagreement.  Think long term. Approach souls on your knees.   In the end, Nate’s message to students as they prepare for college is contained in these words: be careful that in winning an argument you don’t lose a soul; be careful that in winning a friend you don’t lose your soul.  Chapters  1:15 Introduction  3:35 Sending your children to universities with antithetical worldviews   4:32 A caveat: know yourself  5:30 Digging into the why: service of souls 6:08 In Our Lady’s secret service    7:10 Advice for high school seniors   8:10 Go where you are not welcomed 10:50 Make your beliefs normal 11:48 Answer contempt with compassion   14:00 Finding a coach and a team 16:40 Advice for difficult conversations   17:20 Prepare more than you plan 18:05 Have more than you show, speak less than you know    19:45 On preparation 22:10 On friendship with people who disagree  22:45 Discovering the hidden good 28:00 Is it possible for people to change their mind?  Also from the Forum   Parenting from Fear: On Reasons for Confidence with Alvaro de Vicente The Man Fully Alive: On Our Vision with Alvaro de Vicente  When to Fight: On Fistcuffs and the Peacemaking Protector with Kyle Blackmer  Finding Mentors After Graduation: On Find Your Six with Pat Kilner  On Preparing for Bad News: Raising Men Who Can Handle It with Dr. Matthew Mehan

As the world of academia becomes increasingly polarized, parents may be concerned about sending their children off to colleges where the general culture and ethos of campus are less than favorable to the worldview and way of life found in their own homes. Yet, many of these institutions are also prestigious and hold promise for success in one’s professional career.  How, then, should parents think about sending their children to such institutions? How should students, who have decided to attend them, approach their time there? Fly under the radar? Be an argumentative warrior for what they think is true?  To help us think through some of these questions, we welcome Nate Gadiano, Executive Director of The Heights Forum. Drawing on his experience as an undergraduate at Princeton and a graduate student at Notre Dame, Nate shares his thoughts on engaging with academic communities and cultures that differ from one’s own upbringing.  This podcast discussion was occasioned by a recent talk given by Mr. Gadiano for a group of parents, in which he discussed how parents can prepare their children for different college environments. In that talk, Nate gave seven principles for engaging with others in a fruitful and friendly manner:  <ol> <li>Go where you are not welcomed.</li> <li>Make your beliefs normal and attractive. </li> <li>Don’t argue with strangers; discuss with friends.</li> <li>Prepare more than you plan. </li> <li>Find the heart of the disagreement. </li> <li>Think long term.</li> <li>Approach souls on your knees. </li> </ol> In the end, Nate’s message to students as they prepare for college is contained in these words: be careful that in winning an argument you don’t lose a soul; be careful that in winning a friend you don’t lose your soul.  Chapters <ul> <li>1:15 Introduction </li> <li>3:35 Sending your children to universities with antithetical worldviews  <ul> <li>4:32 A caveat: know yourself </li> <li>5:30 Digging into the why: service of souls</li> <li>6:08 In Our Lady’s secret service </li> </ul> </li> <li>7:10 Advice for high school seniors  <ul> <li>8:10 Go where you are not welcomed</li> <li>10:50 Make your beliefs normal</li> <li>11:48 Answer contempt with compassion</li> </ul> </li> <li>14:00 Finding a coach and a team</li> <li>16:40 Advice for difficult conversations  <ul> <li>17:20 Prepare more than you plan</li> <li>18:05 Have more than you show, speak less than you know </li> </ul> </li> <li>19:45 On preparation</li> <li>22:10 On friendship with people who disagree </li> <li>22:45 Discovering the hidden good</li> <li>28:00 Is it possible for people to change their mind?</li> </ul> Also from the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/parenting-from-fear-alvaro-de-vicente-on-reasons-for-confidence/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Parenting from Fear: On Reasons for Confidence</a> with Alvaro de Vicente <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/the-man-fully-alive/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Man Fully Alive: On Our Vision</a> with Alvaro de Vicente <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/when-to-fight-on-fisticuffs-and-the-peacemaking-protector/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> When to Fight: On Fistcuffs and the Peacemaking Protector</a> with Kyle Blackmer <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/finding-mentors-after-graduation-pat-kilner-on-find-your-six/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Finding Mentors After Graduation: On Find Your Six</a> with Pat Kilner <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/preparing-for-bad-news-raising-men-who-can-handle-it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Preparing for Bad News: Raising Men Who Can Handle It</a> with Dr. Matthew Mehan

Friends in the World: Nate Gadiano on Engaging with Those Who Disagree

Parents love their children and desire the best for them. Yet at times the world seems full of dangers and obstacles to a child’s ultimate good. Because of this, a certain fear may cast a shadow on the ways parents relate to their children.  To discuss parenting and fear, we welcome back Mr. Alvaro de Vicente to HeightsCast. In the episode, Alvaro explains some of the dangers of being overprotective and parenting from a sense of fear. Rather, he encourages parents to prudently discern moments to give their children the space for making the right choice on their own, which of course means that they also have the freedom to make a mistake. At the same time, Alvaro offers advice on optimistic and formative ways to say “no” to one’s children, when such is necessary.  As Alvaro reminds us, gratitude for the good received helps one to make positive decisions about the good to be done. If families make intentional time to remember and give thanks to God for the goodness in the world, parents and children alike will be naturally drawn to that Goodness from which the world came. Chapters  0:40 Introduction: fear based parenting  2:15 Why we fall into parenting with fear 3:50 Manifestations of parenting with fear  9:05 How and when to say “no” 11:58 The middle class myth and parental anxiety  14:05 Why parents should avoid this mode of parenting  17:20 Rebellious children  19:05 Why we shouldn’t be afraid 21:40 Practical considerations 27:12 The unexpected, difficult questions  30:30 Parenting with optimism   Also on the Forum   Parental Authority: Our Role with Dr. Leonard Sax  Discipline in the Classroom: The Art of Order with Colin Gleason  Friendship for Fathers: Living and Teaching the Art with Prof. John Cuddeback  Parenting: Patience or Optimism with Andy Reed  His Anxiety and Ours: Confessions of an Anxious Parent Who Happens to Be a Therapist with Alex Berthé

Parents love their children and desire the best for them. Yet at times the world seems full of dangers and obstacles to a child’s ultimate good. Because of this, a certain fear may cast a shadow on the ways parents relate to their children.  To discuss parenting and fear, we welcome back Mr. Alvaro de Vicente to HeightsCast. In the episode, Alvaro explains some of the dangers of being overprotective and parenting from a sense of fear. Rather, he encourages parents to prudently discern moments to give their children the space for making the right choice on their own, which of course means that they also have the freedom to make a mistake. At the same time, Alvaro offers advice on optimistic and formative ways to say “no” to one’s children, when such is necessary.  As Alvaro reminds us, gratitude for the good received helps one to make positive decisions about the good to be done. If families make intentional time to remember and give thanks to God for the goodness in the world, parents and children alike will be naturally drawn to that Goodness from which the world came. Chapters <ul> <li>0:40 Introduction: fear based parenting </li> <li>2:15 Why we fall into parenting with fear</li> <li>3:50 Manifestations of parenting with fear </li> <li>9:05 How and when to say “no”</li> <li>11:58 The middle class myth and parental anxiety </li> <li>14:05 Why parents should avoid this mode of parenting </li> <li>17:20 Rebellious children </li> <li>19:05 Why we shouldn’t be afraid</li> <li>21:40 Practical considerations</li> <li>27:12 The unexpected, difficult questions </li> <li>30:30 Parenting with optimism </li> </ul> Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/parental-authority-dr-leonard-sax-on-our-role/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Parental Authority: Our Role</a> with Dr. Leonard Sax <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/discipline-in-the-classroom-colin-gleason-on-the-art-of-order/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Discipline in the Classroom: The Art of Order</a> with Colin Gleason <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/fathers-and-friendship-prof-john-cuddeback-on-living-and-teaching-the-art/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Friendship for Fathers: Living and Teaching the Art</a> with Prof. John Cuddeback <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/parenting-patience-or-optimism-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Parenting: Patience or Optimism</a> with Andy Reed <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/his-anxiety-and-ours-confessions-of-an-anxious-parent-who-happens-to-be-a-therapist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> His Anxiety and Ours: Confessions of an Anxious Parent Who Happens to Be a Therapist</a> with Alex Berthé

Parenting from Fear: Alvaro de Vicente on Reasons for Confidence

Leonard Sax

In the past twenty years, research suggests that parents are worrying more about their children and spending more to provide them with comforts. In spite of such worry and wealth, the past twenty years have also seen an increase in these same American-born children from well-to-do families being diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, parents tend to swing from overly strict to overly lenient. Balancing love, both tender and tough, is a difficult art.  To help us dive deeper into this parental task, we welcome Dr. Leonard Sax to HeightsCast. In the episode, Dr. Sax discusses his book,  The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups. Drawing both from the wisdom of the ancients and the insights of modern science, Dr. Sax explains the importance of parental authority in raising children. Besides discussing parenting authority, he also offers thoughts on the importance of culture and schools, urging parents to consider carefully and choose prudently the school to which they will send their children.  As Dr. Sax reminds us, authentic freedom is not mere license, and if children are to be free in the end, they must, at the start, have the right amount of parental guidance. To give too much freedom too soon may end in the very loss of the freedom which one would have hoped to give.  Chapters  0:30 Introduction 2:15 What is parental authority? 11:00 Parental worries  19:05 Some statistics on psychiatric diagnoses in America 21:30 Parents and the transmission of culture 23:35 The middle class myth  27:52 “Elon Musk” schools vs. “Mother Theresa” schools 32:20 Shifts in American culture from 1967-2017  34:40 Approaching difficult grades as a parent 38:25 Too hard, too soft, or just right: should parents negotiate? 45:50 Advice for single parents  49:10 Fake it until you make it 53:45 The importance of intergenerational bonds  Recommended Resources   Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Dr. Leonard Sax  Why Gender Matters, Second Edition: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Dr. Leonard Sax Also on the Forum   Discipline in the Classroom: The Art of Order with Colin Gleason  Carpool: Making Commute Time Good Time with Kyle Blackmer  Friendship for Fathers: Living and Teaching the Art with Prof. John Cuddeback

In the past twenty years, research suggests that parents are worrying more about their children and spending more to provide them with comforts. In spite of such worry and wealth, the past twenty years have also seen an increase in these same American-born children from well-to-do families being diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, parents tend to swing from overly strict to overly lenient. Balancing love, both tender and tough, is a difficult art.  To help us dive deeper into this parental task, we welcome Dr. Leonard Sax to HeightsCast. In the episode, Dr. Sax discusses his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Parenting-Hurt-Treat-Grown-Ups/dp/0465094287/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU-IDessDCmPdmLCjiNoIbSo1-Ea31YqF2qxoezCbFlswAij5prVXmoaAlMIEALw_wcB&amp;hvadid=580630246440&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocphy=9006850&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=18406845715525228861&amp;hvtargid=kwd-199481166539&amp;hydadcr=8951_13532440&amp;keywords=the+collapse+of+parenting+book&amp;qid=1677271382&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups</a>. Drawing both from the wisdom of the ancients and the insights of modern science, Dr. Sax explains the importance of parental authority in raising children. Besides discussing parenting authority, he also offers thoughts on the importance of culture and schools, urging parents to consider carefully and choose prudently the school to which they will send their children.  As Dr. Sax reminds us, authentic freedom is not mere license, and if children are to be free in the end, they must, at the start, have the right amount of parental guidance. To give too much freedom too soon may end in the very loss of the freedom which one would have hoped to give.  Chapters <ul> <li>0:30 Introduction</li> <li>2:15 What is parental authority?</li> <li>11:00 Parental worries </li> <li>19:05 Some statistics on psychiatric diagnoses in America</li> <li>21:30 Parents and the transmission of culture</li> <li>23:35 The middle class myth </li> <li>27:52 “Elon Musk” schools vs. “Mother Theresa” schools</li> <li>32:20 Shifts in American culture from 1967-2017 </li> <li>34:40 Approaching difficult grades as a parent</li> <li>38:25 Too hard, too soft, or just right: should parents negotiate?</li> <li>45:50 Advice for single parents </li> <li>49:10 Fake it until you make it</li> <li>53:45 The importance of intergenerational bonds</li> </ul> Recommended Resources  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Adrift-Leonard-Sax-audiobook/dp/B072MQZLS5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2W7LQW0HY00ZQ&amp;keywords=boys+adrift+by+leonard+sax&amp;qid=1677272334&amp;sprefix=boys+adrift%2Caps%2C179&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men</a> by Dr. Leonard Sax <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-Gender-Matters-Second-Differences/dp/0451497775/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RTYURONPFQZ1&amp;keywords=why+gender+matters+leonard+sax&amp;qid=1677272211&amp;sprefix=why+gen%2Caps%2C195&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Why Gender Matters, Second Edition: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences</a> by Dr. Leonard Sax Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/discipline-in-the-classroom-colin-gleason-on-the-art-of-order/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Discipline in the Classroom: The Art of Order</a> with Colin Gleason <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/carpool-kyle-blackmer-on-making-commute-time-good-time/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Carpool: Making Commute Time Good Time</a> with Kyle Blackmer <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/fathers-and-friendship-prof-john-cuddeback-on-living-and-teaching-the-art/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Friendship for Fathers: Living and Teaching the Art</a> with Prof. John Cuddeback

Parental Authority: Dr. Leonard Sax on Our Role

Benedict XVI

Hell, Dante expresses, is being trapped by our false attempts to be free. Thus, the Comedy’s Satan is forever stuck in the ice of a lake made frozen by the beating of his wings as he attempts to “free” himself from the reality of God. Education, on the other hand, frees us from such a lake by leading us to embrace, with the fullness of our being, the Truth which sets us free. This week on HeightCast we welcome Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti for a discussion of what Pope Benedict XVI can teach us about such an education. Drawing especially from the late pope’s 2008 address to educators at The Catholic University of America, Dr. Lanzilotti explains how hope and the beauty which engenders it rests at the heart of Pope Benedict’s response to what he called a crisis of education in the modern world.  Moving between theology and praxis, Dr. Lanzilotti focuses our attention on the nature and calling of educational institutions, both as they relate to the Church and to the world at large. Beyond places of data transfer or ready-made success measurable by test scores, such institutions are meeting places that reverberate with the life of the Church. They are places where students encounter the truth and especially that Truth which is found in prayer. They are places where beauty—the splendor of truth—can reverberate first in the hearts of students and then in the families and communities where they are called to serve after graduation.  Chapters   1:23 Introduction: Pope Benedict XVI’s address to educators 2:40 The virtue of hope and education for the future  6:22 What does it mean to be a Catholic educator?  11:00 Restoring the fullness of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty  13:30 The importance of why questions 14:30 The communal dimension of education 19:10 Egalitarian elitism and intellectual charity  21:35 The intellect and the will  25:15 The will and our heart 28:25 The interaction between affectivity and the human heart 30:50 Moral truth 33:55 The adventure of education  37:53 Both for Catholic institutions and Catholic teachers who are not in Catholic schools 40:15 Concluding thoughts: more than a facade   Additional Resources   Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger  Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger  "Joseph Ratzinger as Doctor of Incarnate Beauty" by Tracey Rowland   "Address to Educators at The Catholic University of America" by Pope Benedict XVI   "Letter on the Urgent Task of Educating Young People" by Pope Benedict XVI  "General Audience on Prayer and the Holy Family of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI  "Message on Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization" by Pope Benedict XVI Also on the Forum   Order and Surprise: On Beauty and the Western Tradition with Lionel Yaceczko  Artwork in Schools: On the Buildings that Build Us with Joe Cardenas  On the Education of the Human Heart with Anton Vorozhko

Hell, Dante expresses, is being trapped by our false attempts to be free. Thus, the Comedy’s Satan is forever stuck in the ice of a lake made frozen by the beating of his wings as he attempts to “free” himself from the reality of God. Education, on the other hand, frees us from such a lake by leading us to embrace, with the fullness of our being, the Truth which sets us free. This week on HeightCast we welcome Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti for a discussion of what Pope Benedict XVI can teach us about such an education. Drawing especially from the late pope’s 2008 address to educators at The Catholic University of America, Dr. Lanzilotti explains how hope and the beauty which engenders it rests at the heart of Pope Benedict’s response to what he called a crisis of education in the modern world.  Moving between theology and praxis, Dr. Lanzilotti focuses our attention on the nature and calling of educational institutions, both as they relate to the Church and to the world at large. Beyond places of data transfer or ready-made success measurable by test scores, such institutions are meeting places that reverberate with the life of the Church. They are places where students encounter the truth and especially that Truth which is found in prayer. They are places where beauty—the splendor of truth—can reverberate first in the hearts of students and then in the families and communities where they are called to serve after graduation.  Chapters  <ul> <li>1:23 Introduction: Pope Benedict XVI’s address to educators</li> <li>2:40 The virtue of hope and education for the future </li> <li>6:22 What does it mean to be a Catholic educator? </li> <li>11:00 Restoring the fullness of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty </li> <li>13:30 The importance of why questions</li> <li>14:30 The communal dimension of education</li> <li>19:10 Egalitarian elitism and intellectual charity </li> <li>21:35 The intellect and the will </li> <li>25:15 The will and our heart</li> <li>28:25 The interaction between affectivity and the human heart</li> <li>30:50 Moral truth</li> <li>33:55 The adventure of education </li> <li>37:53 Both for Catholic institutions and Catholic teachers who are not in Catholic schools</li> <li>40:15 Concluding thoughts: more than a facade </li> </ul> Additional Resources  <a href="https://ignatius.com/introduction-to-christianity-2nd-edition-inch2p/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Introduction to Christianity</a> by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger  <a href="https://ignatius.com/truth-and-tolerance-ttcbp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions</a> by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23753234.2020.1768130" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Joseph Ratzinger as Doctor of Incarnate Beauty"</a> by Tracey Rowland  <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2008/april/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080417_cath-univ-washington.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Address to Educators at The Catholic University of America"</a> by Pope Benedict XVI  <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/letters/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20080121_educazione.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Letter on the Urgent Task of Educating Young People"</a> by Pope Benedict XVI <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20111228.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "General Audience on Prayer and the Holy Family of Nazareth"</a> by Pope Benedict XVI <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20120124_46th-world-communications-day.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Message on Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization"</a> by Pope Benedict XVI Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/order-and-surprise-lionel-yaceczko-on-beauty-and-the-western-tradition/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Order and Surprise: On Beauty and the Western Tradition</a> with Lionel Yaceczko <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/artwork-in-schools-joe-cardenas-on-the-buildings-that-build-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Artwork in Schools: On the Buildings that Build Us</a> with Joe Cardenas <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/anton-vorozhko-on-the-education-of-the-human-heart/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On the Education of the Human Heart</a> with Anton Vorozhko

Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic Education: Dr. Joe Lanzilotti on the Adventure of Truth

What does it mean to be “civilized”? What is justice? What is a citizen? Given the opportunity, would you have killed Julius Caesar? Was Nero inevitable, or is it possible to keep one’s wits while running such a powerful empire?  These are a few of the questions that eighth graders at The Heights are challenged to ponder together in their core class. With the help of their teachers and a new history textbook, the boys not only consider these questions amongst themselves but do so in dialogue with some of the greatest thinkers of the Western tradition.  This week on HeightsCast, we discuss Tom Cox and Bill Dardis’s new book,  Becoming Rome: Foundation, Republic, and Empire in the Words of Eminent Romans. In addition to sharing the story behind their writing, Tom and Bill introduce us to their method of teaching history at the primary and secondary school levels. Drawing on fourteen years of experience in the classroom as well as graduate studies in the liberal arts, Tom and Bill offer practical insights for teachers who hope not only to bring history to life in the classroom but also to prepare their students to bring those lessons into their own lives. Chapters  0:32 Introduction 2:00 A better approach to the history textbook 4:50 The big questions hidden in the narratives of history 7:00 The contemporary approach to history lessons 9:56 Receiving tradition and engaging it  11:00 Why study history at all?  15:50 A roadmap to history  19:15 Method of the book  24:23 Seminars and discussing difficult topics  28:15 Why write a book?  31:32 The book’s target age level  32:45 The relationship between Christianity and the book   Also on the Forum  The Importance of Ugly History by Mark Grannis Keeping the Story in History by Mark Grannis  Seeing History: On Using Images in the History Classroom by Kyle Blackmer  Hillsdale’s M. Spalding on the Importance of History Pt. I with Dr. Matt Spalding  Hillsdale’s M. Spalding on the Importance of History Pt. II with Dr. Matt Spalding  Plutarch’s Lives Teach: Character Education through Story with Tom Cox History the Way it Was…and the Way it Should Be by Bill Dardis  Writing and Thought; Oratory and Ethics: What We Give Our Seventh Graders in the Core with Tom Cox

What does it mean to be “civilized”? What is justice? What is a citizen? Given the opportunity, would you have killed Julius Caesar? Was Nero inevitable, or is it possible to keep one’s wits while running such a powerful empire?  These are a few of the questions that eighth graders at The Heights are challenged to ponder together in their core class. With the help of their teachers and a new history textbook, the boys not only consider these questions amongst themselves but do so in dialogue with some of the greatest thinkers of the Western tradition.  This week on HeightsCast, we discuss Tom Cox and Bill Dardis’s new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Rome-Foundation-Republic-Eminent-ebook/dp/B0BN4NRRY8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VLSB4BQBPL5Z&amp;keywords=becoming+rome&amp;qid=1676496261&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=becoming+rom%2Cdigital-text%2C303&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Becoming Rome: Foundation, Republic, and Empire in the Words of Eminent Romans</a>. In addition to sharing the story behind their writing, Tom and Bill introduce us to their method of teaching history at the primary and secondary school levels. Drawing on fourteen years of experience in the classroom as well as graduate studies in the liberal arts, Tom and Bill offer practical insights for teachers who hope not only to bring history to life in the classroom but also to prepare their students to bring those lessons into their own lives. Chapters <ul> <li>0:32 Introduction</li> <li>2:00 A better approach to the history textbook</li> <li>4:50 The big questions hidden in the narratives of history</li> <li>7:00 The contemporary approach to history lessons</li> <li>9:56 Receiving tradition and engaging it </li> <li>11:00 Why study history at all? </li> <li>15:50 A roadmap to history </li> <li>19:15 Method of the book </li> <li>24:23 Seminars and discussing difficult topics </li> <li>28:15 Why write a book? </li> <li>31:32 The book’s target age level </li> <li>32:45 The relationship between Christianity and the book </li> </ul> Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/ugly-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Importance of Ugly History</a> by Mark Grannis <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/keeping-the-story-in-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keeping the Story in History</a> by Mark Grannis <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/images-in-the-history-classroom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Seeing History: On Using Images in the History Classroom</a> by Kyle Blackmer <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/hillsdales-m-spalding-importance-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Hillsdale’s M. Spalding on the Importance of History Pt. I</a> with Dr. Matt Spalding <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/hillsdales-m-spalding-importance-history-pt-ii/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Hillsdale’s M. Spalding on the Importance of History Pt. II</a> with Dr. Matt Spalding <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/plutarchs-lives-teach-tom-cox-on-character-education-through-story/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Plutarch’s Lives Teach: Character Education through Story</a> with Tom Cox <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/ancient-history-reader/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History the Way it Was…and the Way it Should Be</a> by Bill Dardis <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/writing-and-thought-oratory-and-ethics-what-we-give-our-7th-graders-in-the-core/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Writing and Thought; Oratory and Ethics: What We Give Our Seventh Graders in the Core</a> with Tom Cox

A Better Approach to History: Cox and Dardis on their New Book

As teachers and parents, it is often difficult to find the balance between leniency and strictness, love and fear. Getting the right tone, being firm in principle and flexible in preference, is indeed an art and an especially difficult one. While nothing can replace personal experience for growing in this art, self-reflection is a great aid to this end.  This week on HeightsCast, Mr. Colin Gleason, Head of the Lower School, offers an aid to our personal reflection. The episode features a presentation by Mr. Gleason from our recent Art of Teaching Conference. At that conference, he spoke to seventy men from across the United States and beyond about how we, as teachers, can foster an environment of respectful dominion in the classroom. Colin offers a list of twelve principles, together with a great many practical pointers and delightful anecdotes. In the end, the point of discipline is to foster the right tone for learning, the proper culture for growth. Whether this growth occurs in the home or in the classroom, having the right tone is ultimately about love. Rome, they say, was not loved because she was great; she was great because she was first loved. So too our sons and students.  Chapters   2:25 Beginning with the end 3:50 A question of balance  6:35 Principle #1: Discipline begins before class begins 8:32 Principle #2: Best disciplinary tool is a good lesson plan 12:25 Principle #3: Fostering class culture is more effective than listing class rules 14:40 Principle #4: We earn capital outside to spend inside  17:05 Principle #5: Smiling isn’t enough; we need to laugh 19:45 Principle #6: Let them love what they see and fear what they don’t  24:45 Principle #7: Don’t confuse personal preference with principles  25:40 Principle #8: Non-correction corrections 27:35 Principle #9: Replace star stickers with handshakes 29:15 Principle #10: Learners over lessons 31:25 Principle #11: Replace line-writing with push-ups 34:30 Principle #12: When you send students to the principal’s office, your authority goes with them   Also on the Forum  Boys, Education, and The Heights with Alvaro de Vicente  Raising Contemplative Sons: The Problem with Boys with Colin Gleason   Our Little Protectors: How Do WE See Our Boys? with Alvaro de Vicente  On Recess: The Benefits of Free Play with Colin Gleason Toughness for the Adolescent Boy by Kyle Blackmer  Seeing Our Boys with Loving Eyes: Not Projects, but Persons with Tom Royals Why Boys Need to Be Given Freedom by Andy Reed  Material Order and the Middle School Boy with Kyle Blackmer   Can I Catch It?: On Handling Wildlife with Eric Heil *For lyrics and history of  the Ave Regina Caelorum, please visit  adoremus.org.

As teachers and parents, it is often difficult to find the balance between leniency and strictness, love and fear. Getting the right tone, being firm in principle and flexible in preference, is indeed an art and an especially difficult one. While nothing can replace personal experience for growing in this art, self-reflection is a great aid to this end.  This week on HeightsCast, Mr. Colin Gleason, Head of the Lower School, offers an aid to our personal reflection. The episode features a presentation by Mr. Gleason from our recent Art of Teaching Conference. At that conference, he spoke to seventy men from across the United States and beyond about how we, as teachers, can foster an environment of respectful dominion in the classroom. Colin offers a list of twelve principles, together with a great many practical pointers and delightful anecdotes. In the end, the point of discipline is to foster the right tone for learning, the proper culture for growth. Whether this growth occurs in the home or in the classroom, having the right tone is ultimately about love. Rome, they say, was not loved because she was great; she was great because she was first loved. So too our sons and students.  Chapters  <ul> <li>2:25 Beginning with the end</li> <li>3:50 A question of balance </li> <li>6:35 Principle #1: Discipline begins before class begins</li> <li>8:32 Principle #2: Best disciplinary tool is a good lesson plan</li> <li>12:25 Principle #3: Fostering class culture is more effective than listing class rules</li> <li>14:40 Principle #4: We earn capital outside to spend inside </li> <li>17:05 Principle #5: Smiling isn’t enough; we need to laugh</li> <li>19:45 Principle #6: Let them love what they see and fear what they don’t </li> <li>24:45 Principle #7: Don’t confuse personal preference with principles </li> <li>25:40 Principle #8: Non-correction corrections</li> <li>27:35 Principle #9: Replace star stickers with handshakes</li> <li>29:15 Principle #10: Learners over lessons</li> <li>31:25 Principle #11: Replace line-writing with push-ups</li> <li>34:30 Principle #12: When you send students to the principal’s office, your authority goes with them </li> </ul> Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/boys-education-heights/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boys, Education, and The Heights</a> with Alvaro de Vicente <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/raising-contemplative-sons-the-problem-with-boys/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Raising Contemplative Sons: The Problem with Boys</a> with Colin Gleason  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/our-little-protectors-how-do-we-see-our-boys/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Our Little Protectors: How Do WE See Our Boys?</a> with Alvaro de Vicente <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/on-recess-the-benefits-of-free-play/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Recess: The Benefits of Free Play</a> with Colin Gleason <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/toughness-in-adolescent-boys/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toughness for the Adolescent Boy</a> by Kyle Blackmer <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/seeing-our-boys-with-loving-eyes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Seeing Our Boys with Loving Eyes: Not Projects, but Persons</a> with Tom Royals <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/why-boys-need-freedom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why Boys Need to Be Given Freedom</a> by Andy Reed <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/material-order-and-the-middle-school-boy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Material Order and the Middle School Boy</a> with Kyle Blackmer  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/can-i-catch-it-on-handling-wildlife/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Can I Catch It?: On Handling Wildlife</a> with Eric Heil *For lyrics and history of  the Ave Regina Caelorum, please visit <a href="https://adoremus.org/2007/09/singing-the-four-seasonal-marian-anthems/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> adoremus.org</a>.

Discipline in the Classroom: Colin Gleason on the Art of Order

It’s not merely where you are going, but how you get there, that matters. And as we often find ourselves going places in cars, it is worth stopping to consider how we spend our car rides.  In this week’s episode, we welcome back to the podcast Mr. Kyle Blackmer for a discussion of the daily commute. Whether we carpool or ride solo, Mr. Blackmer helps us to reframe how we approach this daily endeavor which can easily become, at best, dead time and, at worst, dreaded time.  Kyle shows us how the car, with the right attitude and a little creativity, can become its own classroom. He encourages us to think about how we can best use this time by praying, engaging in good conversation—at times mere fun, at other times more formative–, listening to good music and books, and celebrating.  Chapters   00:45 Introduction: reframing the daily commute  3:20 How can we make carpooling more fruitful for our sons?  5:43 The car as a classroom: the first and last period of the day 6:22 Four modes of teaching in the Car 6:45 Prayer, especially the Rosary, especially in the morning  9:28 Car as a place for friendship, shared life  10:55 Conversation in cars 16:20 The art of asking good questions and listening  17:15 Tuning into the boys in front of you 19:16 Setting guidelines for your carpool 21:10 Being intentional about what you listen to  25:35 Audiobooks and classic rock 27:50 Celebrating the in little ways 31:20 Finding moments for little points of correction  33:30 Advice for solo commuters  35:50 The last three minutes: preparing for your return home   Recommended Audiobooks for the Road  The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart  Seabiscuit by Charles Rivers Editors  Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown  The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame  Treasury for Children by James Herriot  Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingallas Wilder  The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling  Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs  The Once and Future King by T.H. White  The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells  The Complete Father Brown Collection by G.K. Chesterton  A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Also on the Forum  On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends with Tom Royals  Friendship for Fathers: John Cuddeback on Living and Teaching the Art with John Cuddeback   Sarah Mackenzi on the Read-Aloud Family with Sarah Mackenzi

It’s not merely where you are going, but how you get there, that matters. And as we often find ourselves going places in cars, it is worth stopping to consider how we spend our car rides.  In this week’s episode, we welcome back to the podcast Mr. Kyle Blackmer for a discussion of the daily commute. Whether we carpool or ride solo, Mr. Blackmer helps us to reframe how we approach this daily endeavor which can easily become, at best, dead time and, at worst, dreaded time.  Kyle shows us how the car, with the right attitude and a little creativity, can become its own classroom. He encourages us to think about how we can best use this time by praying, engaging in good conversation—at times mere fun, at other times more formative–, listening to good music and books, and celebrating.  Chapters  <ul> <li>00:45 Introduction: reframing the daily commute </li> <li>3:20 How can we make carpooling more fruitful for our sons? </li> <li>5:43 The car as a classroom: the first and last period of the day</li> <li>6:22 Four modes of teaching in the Car</li> <li>6:45 Prayer, especially the Rosary, especially in the morning </li> <li>9:28 Car as a place for friendship, shared life </li> <li>10:55 Conversation in cars</li> <li>16:20 The art of asking good questions and listening </li> <li>17:15 Tuning into the boys in front of you</li> <li>19:16 Setting guidelines for your carpool</li> <li>21:10 Being intentional about what you listen to </li> <li>25:35 Audiobooks and classic rock</li> <li>27:50 Celebrating the in little ways</li> <li>31:20 Finding moments for little points of correction </li> <li>33:30 Advice for solo commuters </li> <li>35:50 The last three minutes: preparing for your return home </li> </ul> Recommended Audiobooks for the Road <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Mysterious-Benedict-Society/dp/B0B3577TMB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GR2SUDOQV6FO&amp;keywords=audio+book+mysterious+benedict+society+book+set&amp;qid=1674837148&amp;sprefix=audio+book+mysterious+benedict+society+book+set%2Caps%2C70&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Mysterious Benedict Society</a> by Trenton Lee Stewart <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seabiscuit-Secretariat-History-Americas-Famous/dp/B01N29MRSL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HZYU9ASYU6U8&amp;keywords=audio+book+seabiscuit&amp;qid=1674837237&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audio+book+seabiscuit%2Caudible%2C72&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Seabiscuit</a> by Charles Rivers Editors <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-in-Boat-audiobook/dp/B00D67EOMO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KYE3USE109UJ&amp;keywords=audio+book+boys+in+the+boat&amp;qid=1674837285&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audio+book+boys+in+the+boat%2Caudible%2C66&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Boys in the Boat</a> by Daniel James Brown <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Wind-in-Willows-audiobook/dp/B000VB49UK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=100WV3YHVWD7L&amp;keywords=audio+book+wind+in+the+willows&amp;qid=1674837312&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audio+book+wind+in+the+willows%2Caudible%2C66&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Wind in the Willows</a> by Kenneth Grahame <a href="https://www.amazon.com/James-Herriots-Treasury-Children-Joyful/dp/B001E4SMC4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1FA0WM7O6PBPQ&amp;keywords=audiobook+Treasury+for+children+james&amp;qid=1674837364&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+treasury+for+children+james%2Caudible%2C76&amp;sr=1-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Treasury for Children</a> by James Herriot <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-House-in-Big-Woods-audiobook/dp/B01N7U27S4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FNW9I9MLBJ3W&amp;keywords=audiobook+little+house+in+the+big+woods&amp;qid=1674837409&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+little+house+in+the+big+wood%2Caudible%2C69&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Little House in the Big Woods</a> by Laura Ingallas Wilder <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Jungle-Book-Rudyard-Kipling-audiobook/dp/B003MBLTX6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=344BC2KCSEI17&amp;keywords=audiobook+jungle+book&amp;qid=1674837443&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+jungle+book%2Caudible%2C74&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Jungle Book</a> by Rudyard Kipling <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tarzan-of-Apes-Edgar-Rice-Burroughs-audio/dp/B00005MLQ1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X0E1AE6ZJLGP&amp;keywords=audiobook+tarzan+of+the+apes&amp;qid=1674837483&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+tarzan+of+the+apes%2Caudible%2C71&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Tarzan of the Apes</a> by Edgar Rice Burroughs <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Once-and-Future-King-audiobook/dp/B00546D57K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HKNL8M5XEC66&amp;keywords=audiobook+the+once+and+future+king&amp;qid=1674837525&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+the+once+and+future+king%2Caudible%2C77&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Once and Future King</a> by T.H. White <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-War-of-Worlds-H-G-Wells-audiobook/dp/B002GDEWKS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3Q19H5IUTCUCW&amp;keywords=audiobook+the+war+of+the+worlds&amp;qid=1674837554&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+the+war+of+the+world%2Caudible%2C71&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The War of the Worlds</a> by H.G. Wells <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Father-Brown-Collection/dp/B07X8PK1WF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NROQOGYVJRRT&amp;keywords=audiobook+the+father+brown+stories&amp;qid=1674837583&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+the+father+brown+storie%2Caudible%2C71&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Complete Father Brown Collection</a> by G.K. Chesterton <a href="https://www.amazon.com/A-Canticle-for-Leibowitz-audiobook/dp/B005FG4IQG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GIELBJWYW3BA&amp;keywords=audiobook+a+canticle+for+leibowitz&amp;qid=1674837615&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=audiobook+a+canticle+for+liebowitz+%2Caudible%2C77&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> A Canticle for Leibowitz</a> by Walter Miller Also on the Forum <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/on-home-as-social-hub-the-importance-of-hosting-our-sons-and-their-friends/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends</a> with Tom Royals <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/fathers-and-friendship-prof-john-cuddeback-on-living-and-teaching-the-art/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Friendship for Fathers: John Cuddeback on Living and Teaching the Art</a> with John Cuddeback  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/sarah-mackenzie-on-the-read-aloud-family/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Sarah Mackenzi on the Read-Aloud Family</a> with Sarah Mackenzi

Carpool: Kyle Blackmer on Making Commute Time Good Time

John Cuddeback

In a recent national  survey of adults in America, a striking sixty-one percent of young adults (age 18-25) reported feeling serious loneliness. Such feelings of loneliness were also accompanied by anxiety and depression. Although humans are by nature social animals, it would seem that forming deep friendships may not always come so naturally. How do we form friendships? How do we help our sons form friendships? What even is friendship? To help us answer these questions, we welcome to HeightsCast  John Cuddeback, professor of philosophy at Christendom College and Life Craft writer and speaker. In this episode, Professor Cuddeback helps us understand what friendship is, how to practice the art of friendship, and how friendship goes hand-in-hand with happiness. As he explains, friendships do not merely happen. Rather, they require intentional cultivation and sustained effort. Indeed, like any art, the art of friendship requires discipline and practice. Specifically, Professor Cuddeback focuses our attention on how a husband can form a deep friendship with his wife and a few male friends, as well as how he can help his children to grow in their own friendships. Being a father first, he may one day become a friend of his adult children.  As Professor Cuddeback explains, true friendship is the only way to overcome loneliness in life. And, in the end, it will be in sharing our lives with friends that we come to find the ultimate meaning of our lives. Chapters   1:25 What is friendship?  4:15 Different kinds of friendship  9:05 Friendship and human flourishing 11:05 Happiness today  14:00 The activities of friendship 19:40 The number of friends 24:40 Friendship for the twenty-first century father 28:00 Selecting friends  33:30 Friendship with your spouse  41:10 Friendship with other men 44:30 How to prioritize relationships 47:15 Parenting and friendship 50:47 How to coach our children in forming friendships 55:37 Advice and encouragement for single mothers  Resources Life-Craft.org  True Friendship: Where Virtue Becomes Happiness by John Cuddeback   Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle  Spiritual Friendship by Aelred of Rievaulx  Treatise on Law by Thomas Aquinas Also on The Forum  Cultivating Friendship in the Classroom by Austin Hatch  On Friendship after Senior Year: Higher Stakes and Beautiful Opportunities with Dave Maxham  Friendship for the 21st Century Boy with Alvaro de Vicente   On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends with Tom Royals

In a recent national <a href="https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/loneliness-in-america" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> survey</a> of adults in America, a striking sixty-one percent of young adults (age 18-25) reported feeling serious loneliness. Such feelings of loneliness were also accompanied by anxiety and depression. Although humans are by nature social animals, it would seem that forming deep friendships may not always come so naturally. How do we form friendships? How do we help our sons form friendships? What even is friendship? To help us answer these questions, we welcome to HeightsCast <a href="https://www.christendom.edu/academics/undergraduate-faculty/john-a-cuddeback/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> John Cuddeback</a>, professor of philosophy at Christendom College and Life Craft writer and speaker. In this episode, Professor Cuddeback helps us understand what friendship is, how to practice the art of friendship, and how friendship goes hand-in-hand with happiness. As he explains, friendships do not merely happen. Rather, they require intentional cultivation and sustained effort. Indeed, like any art, the art of friendship requires discipline and practice. Specifically, Professor Cuddeback focuses our attention on how a husband can form a deep friendship with his wife and a few male friends, as well as how he can help his children to grow in their own friendships. Being a father first, he may one day become a friend of his adult children.  As Professor Cuddeback explains, true friendship is the only way to overcome loneliness in life. And, in the end, it will be in sharing our lives with friends that we come to find the ultimate meaning of our lives. Chapters  <ul> <li>1:25 What is friendship? </li> <li>4:15 Different kinds of friendship </li> <li>9:05 Friendship and human flourishing</li> <li>11:05 Happiness today </li> <li>14:00 The activities of friendship</li> <li>19:40 The number of friends</li> <li>24:40 Friendship for the twenty-first century father</li> <li>28:00 Selecting friends </li> <li>33:30 Friendship with your spouse </li> <li>41:10 Friendship with other men</li> <li>44:30 How to prioritize relationships</li> <li>47:15 Parenting and friendship</li> <li>50:47 How to coach our children in forming friendships</li> <li>55:37 Advice and encouragement for single mothers</li> </ul> Resources <a href="https://life-craft.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Life-Craft.org</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/True-Friendship-Virtue-Becomes-Happiness/dp/0974074403" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> True Friendship: Where Virtue Becomes Happiness</a> by John Cuddeback  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aristotles-Nicomachean-Ethics-Aristotle/dp/0226026752/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FEDTX4CKSRZY&amp;keywords=aristotle+nicomachean&amp;qid=1673380567&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=aristotle+nicomachean%2Cstripbooks%2C57&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Nicomachean Ethics</a> by Aristotle <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aelred-Rievaulx-Spiritual-Friendship-Cistercian/dp/0879079703/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=st.+aelred&amp;qid=1674051446&amp;rnid=2941120011&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Spiritual Friendship</a> by Aelred of Rievaulx <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Treatise-Hackett-Classics-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/0872205487/ref=sr_1_1?crid=115C6E0L3BFT9&amp;keywords=treatise+on+law&amp;qid=1674051603&amp;sprefix=treatise+on+law%2Caps%2C74&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Treatise on Law</a> by Thomas Aquinas Also on The Forum <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/friendship-in-the-classroom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Cultivating Friendship in the Classroom</a> by Austin Hatch <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/on-friendship-after-senior-year-higher-stakes-and-beautiful-opportunities/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Friendship after Senior Year: Higher Stakes and Beautiful Opportunities</a> with Dave Maxham <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/friendship-for-the-21st-century-boy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Friendship for the 21st Century Boy</a> with Alvaro de Vicente  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/on-home-as-social-hub-the-importance-of-hosting-our-sons-and-their-friends/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends</a> with Tom Royals

Friendship for Fathers: John Cuddeback on Living and Teaching the Art

With another year having passed—perhaps even sped by—and a new one underfoot, HeightsCast returns with a discussion of time and solitude with Mike Ortiz and Rob Greving. Together, Mike and Rob invite us to slow down as they unpack their two recently published articles on the Forum.  Mr. Ortiz dives into Henry David Thoreau’s cabin life and the importance of intentional times of solitude in our lives, while Mr. Greving considers our often uneasy relationship with time and the good of slowing down, even as the world speeds up.  As we look forward to the new year with hope and anticipation, let us not forget to slow down and, in Mr. Greving’s words, listen for the present moment. After all, you can’t read a poem in a hurry. And if you are always in a hurry, you might miss the poetry of life.  Chapters  1:45 Background to the articles  5:43 Thoreau’s way of solitude: the path to a greater appreciation of the world  10:15 Never less alone than when alone 13:30 Time alone and listening for God 15:55 Silence and the capacity to attend  20:55 Having more that is worth less 22:55 Handling time gently  30:08 Times of leisure in the life of a school  32:30 Beyond life hacks: cultivating a disposition  40:56 Poetry, solitude, and time 45:13 You can’t read a poem in a hurry  48:02 Slowing down in family life  53:00 The importance of not over-scheduling kids 57:15 Conclusion and a closing poem  Recommended Resources   Walden by Henry David Thoreau   The World of Silence by Max Picard  Living in Liturgical Time by Terence Sweeney   "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost  "Mossbawn": Two Poems in Dedication by Seamus Heaney  Also on The Forum   Thoreau’s Cabin Life: Why It's Not Anti-Social to Savor Solitude by Mike Ortiz   Handling Time Gently by Rob Greving   The Freedom to Form Bonds: Kevin Majeres on Mindfulness and Attention with Kevin Majeres  Forming Deep Workers with Cal Newport  What Is the Difference between Free Time and Leisure? by Joe Bissex

With another year having passed—perhaps even sped by—and a new one underfoot, HeightsCast returns with a discussion of time and solitude with Mike Ortiz and Rob Greving. Together, Mike and Rob invite us to slow down as they unpack their two recently published articles on the Forum.  Mr. Ortiz dives into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Henry David Thoreau</a>’s cabin life and the importance of intentional times of solitude in our lives, while Mr. Greving considers our often uneasy relationship with time and the good of slowing down, even as the world speeds up.  As we look forward to the new year with hope and anticipation, let us not forget to slow down and, in Mr. Greving’s words, listen for the present moment. After all, you can’t read a poem in a hurry. And if you are always in a hurry, you might miss the poetry of life.  Chapters <ul> <li>1:45 Background to the articles </li> <li>5:43 Thoreau’s way of solitude: the path to a greater appreciation of the world </li> <li>10:15 Never less alone than when alone</li> <li>13:30 Time alone and listening for God</li> <li>15:55 Silence and the capacity to attend </li> <li>20:55 Having more that is worth less</li> <li>22:55 Handling time gently </li> <li>30:08 Times of leisure in the life of a school </li> <li>32:30 Beyond life hacks: cultivating a disposition </li> <li>40:56 Poetry, solitude, and time</li> <li>45:13 You can’t read a poem in a hurry </li> <li>48:02 Slowing down in family life </li> <li>53:00 The importance of not over-scheduling kids</li> <li>57:15 Conclusion and a closing poem</li> </ul> Recommended Resources  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Henry-David-Thoreau/dp/1619493918" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Walden</a> by Henry David Thoreau  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/World-Silence-Max-Picard/dp/0971748314/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33WXM6TFJ4O8&amp;keywords=the+world+of+silence&amp;qid=1672843167&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=the+world+of+silenc%2Cstripbooks%2C82&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The World of Silence</a> by Max Picard <a href="https://genealogiesofmodernity.org/journal/2020/12/16/christian-time-4zcaf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Living in Liturgical Time</a> by Terence Sweeney  <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42891/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"</a> by Robert Frost <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1995/8422-poetry/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Mossbawn": Two Poems in Dedication</a> by Seamus Heaney  Also on The Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/defending-solitude-thoreau/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Thoreau’s Cabin Life: Why It's Not Anti-Social to Savor Solitude</a> by Mike Ortiz  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/handling-time-gently/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Handling Time Gently</a> by Rob Greving  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/freedom-to-form-bonds-kevin-majeres-on-mindfulness-and-attention/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Freedom to Form Bonds: Kevin Majeres on Mindfulness and Attention</a> with Kevin Majeres <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/forming-deep-workers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Forming Deep Workers</a> with Cal Newport <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/free-time-and-leisure/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> What Is the Difference between Free Time and Leisure?</a> by Joe Bissex

A Time and Place for Silence: Greving and Ortiz on Time and Solitude

From the very start, the founders of The Heights understood education to consist in the communication of a culture. As culture often enters a boy's mind through his senses, an important means of this transmission is the art and architecture of a school. Indeed, in many ways buildings embody the ideals of an institution.  This week Joe Cardenas, head of mentoring and long-time art history teacher, joins us for a conversation on the importance of beauty in education. Rooting the conversation in the American tradition, Joe helps us see why and how the art and architecture of schools is as important as the books in its curriculum.  As we hear from Joe, the art on a school’s walls become the images adorning a student’s soul. If we want to help our boys be at home in their very selves, the art of schools is an indispensable means to this end. Chapters  1:25 An evening of art for parents at The Hawthorn School 4:40 Art and beauty in the American tradition  5:35 Washington’s leadership at Valley Forge   7:23 Why does beauty matter?  9:00 The museum of our soul and the archive of our experiences   10:43 What is the role of beauty in a school building? 14:13 Pope Benedict XVI on Beauty 16:00 Cardinal Newman on Beauty 17:22 Beauty and the daily reality of boys 21:25 Beauty in business 24:00 Robert Jackson and the early years of The Heights 28:30 Churchill’s speech on rebuilding the House of Commons  Additional Resources  Adoremus.org's explanation of the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems (includes history and translation) PDF of Music and Lyrics to Alma Redemtoris Mater from gregorian-chant-hymns.com Speech on the Rebuilding of the House of Commons by Winston Churchill  Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson  The Feeling of Things, the Contemplation of Beauty by Joseph Ratzinger  A Catholic Eton? by Paul Shrimpton Also on the Forum  School Tone, the Most Powerful Teacher with Alvaro de Vicente  Building Little Houses: Why Random Art Projects Are Awesome by Joe Bissex Manners: The Art of Happiness by Robert Greving  Why Our Politics Needs Poetry with Dr. Matthew Mehan Five Fruits of a Poetic Education by Nate Gadiano

From the very start, the founders of The Heights understood education to consist in the communication of a culture. As culture often enters a boy's mind through his senses, an important means of this transmission is the art and architecture of a school. Indeed, in many ways buildings embody the ideals of an institution.  This week Joe Cardenas, head of mentoring and long-time art history teacher, joins us for a conversation on the importance of beauty in education. Rooting the conversation in the American tradition, Joe helps us see why and how the art and architecture of schools is as important as the books in its curriculum.  As we hear from Joe, the art on a school’s walls become the images adorning a student’s soul. If we want to help our boys be at home in their very selves, the art of schools is an indispensable means to this end. Chapters <ul> <li>1:25 An evening of art for parents at <a href="https://www.thehawthornschool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hawthorn School</a></li> <li>4:40 Art and beauty in the American tradition <ul> <li>5:35 Washington’s leadership at Valley Forge</li> </ul> </li> <li>7:23 Why does beauty matter? <ul> <li>9:00 The museum of our soul and the archive of our experiences</li> </ul> </li> <li>10:43 What is the role of beauty in a school building?</li> <li>14:13 Pope Benedict XVI on Beauty</li> <li>16:00 Cardinal Newman on Beauty</li> <li>17:22 Beauty and the daily reality of boys</li> <li>21:25 Beauty in business</li> <li>24:00 Robert Jackson and the early years of The Heights</li> <li>28:30 Churchill’s speech on rebuilding the House of Commons</li> </ul> Additional Resources  <a href="https://adoremus.org/2007/09/singing-the-four-seasonal-marian-anthems/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Adoremus.org's explanation of the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems</a> (includes history and translation) <a href="http://gregorian-chant-hymns.com/hymns-2/alma-redemptoris-mater.html" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">PDF of Music and Lyrics to Alma Redemtoris Mater</a> from <a href="http://gregorian-chant-hymns.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gregorian-chant-hymns.com</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX5xX1uTWQA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Speech on the Rebuilding of the House of Commons</a> by Winston Churchill <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537/ref=asc_df_1451648537/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312176709100&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=7468256808114331909&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9007783&amp;hvtargid=pla-436587455021&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=&amp;ref=&amp;adgrpid=60258872537&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvadid=312176709100&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=7468256808114331909&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9007783&amp;hvtargid=pla-436587455021" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Steve Jobs</a> by Walter Isaacson <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20020824_ratzinger-cl-rimini_en.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Feeling of Things, the Contemplation of Beauty</a> by Joseph Ratzinger <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Eton-Paul-Shrimpton/dp/0852446616" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> A Catholic Eton?</a> by Paul Shrimpton Also on the Forum  <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/school-tone/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">School Tone, the Most Powerful Teacher</a> with Alvaro de Vicente <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/random-art-projects/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Building Little Houses: Why Random Art Projects Are Awesome</a> by Joe Bissex <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/manners-the-art-of-happiness/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Manners: The Art of Happiness</a> by Robert Greving <a href="https://heightsforum.org/podcast/why-our-politics-needs-poetry-dr-mehan-on-his-new-book/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Why Our Politics Needs Poetry</a> with Dr. Matthew Mehan <a href="https://heightsforum.org/article/fruits-of-a-poetic-education/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Five Fruits of a Poetic Education</a> by Nate Gadiano

Artwork in Schools: Joe Cardenas on the Buildings that Build Us

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HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive

Mr. de Vicente offers his advice to students during these Corona months. Establishing and executing an ordered plan of life is critical for students wishing to grow intellectually, physically, morally, and spiritually. In this interview, our headmaster shares his advice for young men seeking to win in all aspects during this era of distance learning.

Mr. de Vicente offers his advice to students during these Corona months. Establishing and executing an ordered plan of life is critical for students wishing to grow intellectually, physically, morally, and spiritually. In this interview, our headmaster shares his advice for young men seeking to win in all aspects during this era of distance learning.

Student-Schedules During Corona: On Ordered Living While Learning from a Distance

Our headmaster, Alvaro de Vicente, offers a lecture on how to build a solid relationship of trust with your son. This relationship matters because it is the context within which you will form your boy's character.

Our headmaster, Alvaro de Vicente, offers a lecture on how to build a solid relationship of trust with your son. This relationship matters because it is the context within which you will form your boy's character.

Building a Relationship of Trust with Your Son

Middle School Head, Andy Reed, offers helpful, practical, guidance for parents seeking to finish the academic year well under these historically challenging days. Mr. Reed offers advice derived from countless conversations with Heights parents striving to form "men fully alive" during a time more insular than days gone by, and days to come.

Middle School Head, Andy Reed, offers helpful, practical, guidance for parents seeking to finish the academic year well under these historically challenging days. Mr. Reed offers advice derived from countless conversations with Heights parents striving to form "men fully alive" during a time more insular than days gone by, and days to come.

Forming Free Spirits in Close Quarters

Are manners stodgy vestiges of a bygone aristocratic age? At The Heights, we'd offer a resounding "no." Manners matter, and as parents and teachers, these "rules of civility" offer a great opportunity for teaching our boys virtue. Listen in to hear more.

Are manners stodgy vestiges of a bygone aristocratic age? At The Heights, we'd offer a resounding "no." Manners matter, and as parents and teachers, these "rules of civility" offer a great opportunity for teaching our boys virtue. Listen in to hear more.

On Manners: The "ABC's" of Virtue

 This week on HeightsCast we feature a recording of our most recent Heights Lecture Series featuring Colin Gleason, who discusses the formation of conscience in the young boy. Though we focus, among other things, on the formation of the will at The Heights, the formation of a boy’s moral compass–his conscience–is equally important. The forming of a child’s conscience begins at a very early age. The peer group, school, and culture will all be factors in our children’s moral growth, but no environment will affect the bearings of conscience more than the that of the home. So how can we best train our young sons to have the knack of interpreting right from wrong, especially in today’s seemingly amoral climate? Tune in to hear Colin Gleason approach this important theme.

This week on HeightsCast we feature a recording of our most recent Heights Lecture Series featuring Colin Gleason, who discusses the formation of conscience in the young boy. Though we focus, among other things, on the formation of the will at The Heights, the formation of a boy’s moral compass–his conscience–is equally important. The forming of a child’s conscience begins at a very early age. The peer group, school, and culture will all be factors in our children’s moral growth, but no environment will affect the bearings of conscience more than the that of the home. So how can we best train our young sons to have the knack of interpreting right from wrong, especially in today’s seemingly amoral climate? Tune in to hear Colin Gleason approach this important theme.

Forming your Young Son's Conscience

Thomas Hibbs

Newly installed University of Dallas President, Dr. Thomas Hibbs, discusses the challenges facing higher education in the liberal arts. How should parents approach the college decision? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of high school graduates today? Is college for everyone? Tune in to hear Dr. Hibbs discuss these questions.

Newly installed University of Dallas President, Dr. Thomas Hibbs, discusses the challenges facing higher education in the liberal arts. How should parents approach the college decision? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of high school graduates today? Is college for everyone? Tune in to hear Dr. Hibbs discuss these questions.

U. of Dallas President, Dr. Thomas Hibbs

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