HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that he has "become all things to all people," so that he might better share the blessings of the Good News with more people. To become such a man who can be for all seasons, however, one must have been educated for all seasons. A preparation of this sort is precisely what the Liberal Arts, rooted in the Western Tradition, afford those who wish to pursue them. In Cicero's own words, these arts are apt for both all seasons and all settings: Though, even if there were no such great advantage to be reaped from [the study of literature], and if it were only pleasure that is sought from these studies, still I imagine you would consider it a most reasonable and liberal employment of the mind: for other occupations are not suited to every time, nor to every age or place; but these studies are the food of youth, the delight of old age; the ornament of prosperity, the refuge and comfort of adversity; a delight at home, and no hindrance abroad; they are companions by night, and in travel, and in the country. (Pro archia poeta, 7.16) Today we talk to Dr. Lionel Yaceczko about all things Western: Western Civilization, the Western Tradition, Western Culture. We discuss just what we mean by "the West," and why it has become so controversial in recent years. With Dr. Yaceczko's guidance, we consider why a deep study of The West is still worth protecting and promoting, beyond nostalgia and mere academic interest. In this week's episode, Dr. Yaceczko sets the stage by offering a high level definition of these concepts, and then arguing that there is, indeed, something worth protecting in our tradition. This is especially true if we are interested in critiquing events of our own time and of times past, because the Western tradition is the source of so many of the commonly accepted standards now used to evaluate human conduct. Important concepts such as equality under law and justice for all are born of this culture, extending roots into both Rome and Christianity, and growing in the rich soil of both Roman and non-Roman peoples alike. We might disagree about what they mean or how we use them, but perhaps that's a good place for us to start. And, if so, let's start at the very beginning: there was Rome, the Church, the Romans, and the Gentes. Chapters 2:39 Introduction 3:12 What do we mean by "The West"? 4:20 What is Paedea and in what does it consist? 6:46 Why should we care so much about the Western Tradition? 8:11 A poet on trial: Cicero's Pro archia poeta 16:50 A study for all ages 19:48 Why has the West become so controversial? 34:01 The most egalitarian form of elitism: Sharing the benefits we have received 36:27 Being just judges of the tradition: recognizing both the good and the bad 41:50 Righting wrongs from within: how the tradition gives us the very tools we use to critique it Suggested Reading The Making of Europe: An Introduction to the History of European Unity by Christopher Dawson Pro Archia Poeta by Marcus Tullius Cicero Also on The Forum On Christianity and the Classical Education with Dr. Lionel Yaceczko History the Way it Was by Bill Dardis Defining the Liberal Arts with Dr. Matthew Mehan Is The Heights a Classical School? with Michael Moynihan

In the opening paragraph of his Confessions, St. Augustine writes, "our hearts are restless until they rest in You." For many, the first half of this famous line is a well-known feeling; it is, in many ways, "the feeling of actual life," to put it in Hemingway's own terms. Indeed, there lives deep down a desire in all of our hearts for some mysterious reality — a green light across the bay — which seems to forever escape our grasp. Many are dreamers; fewer have found an object worthy of the greatness of their yearning. What do we do about a situation such as this? And what, if anything, can modern literature do to help us? This week, we sit down with Mike Ortiz to discuss one of the Upper School's new courses in the English Department. The course we discuss considers two men who, though both great American authors of the first half of the twentieth century, differed greatly in both their lifestyles and their styles of writing. The authors are the effervescent and romantic F. Scott Fitzgerald and the macho, realist Ernest Hemingway. For all their differences, however, both men shared at least one trait: a taste for the tragedies of life. Although their styles may diverge syntactically and verbally, the substance of what they express hits the reader with an equally direct force. In this episode, Mike helps us approach some of the darker aspects of these two men's lives and literature, seeing their works in the broader context of their lives and their lives in the broader context of our liberal arts curriculum at The Heights. It's difficult, Mike's interlocutor reminds us, to be truly a man fully alive and not feel much pain, for to have lived fully is to have loved with a full heart; and, on this side of paradise, to have loved means to have suffered much. But, as we hear in the episode, reading and studying great authors such as these and, what is more, learning to see the tragic characters of their works in a broad context may be more than a little help in preparing our students to face the many tragic romances of a dreamer and encounter the realism of true Romance. Chapters 2:17 Background to Hemingway's Good Friday 5:55 A New Model for English Classes 10:44 The Great Contrast: A Romantic and A Realist 16:05 The Iceberg Theory 23:13 How to Read Modern Literature without Becoming a Cynic 26:35 The Danger of Cynicism 28:00 To Get the Feeling of Actual Life 30:05 From The Sun Also Rises 35:04 The Loneliness and Inadequacy of Promiscuity 37:38 From The Great Gatsby 41:14 A Dreamer without an Object 43:30 From My Lost City 44:30 Called Back to Love: Dante and Fitzgerald 45:40 From Troubled Lives to Decline and Death 50:15 The Tragedy Behind the Tragedy Further Reading Today is Friday by Ernest Hemingway The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald My Lost City by F. Scott Fitzgerald Hemingway's Brain by Andrew Farah On Stories by C.S. Lewis The Troubled Catholicism of Ernest Hemingway by Robert Inchausti Also on The Forum Hemingway's Good Friday by Mike Ortiz Modern Literature: On Curating the Contemporary with Mike Ortiz Exploring and Expressing the Human Condition through Literature with Mike Ortiz

Growing up is, at least in part, a process of learning to ask, and learning to answer, certain fundamental questions. These include timeless queries such as "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" Our sons, in particular, might ask themselves, "What does it mean to be a man?" and "What is the point of my life right now, given that I'm not a man yet?" Our boys' attempts to answer these questions, along with the answers those efforts yield, will lead them to a certain self-awareness—an identity of sorts. Ultimately, we want our boys to know themselves as they are: beloved sons of a Creator God who loves them deeply as a Father. Their lives, then, become an adventure of deepening in that awareness and of living accordingly. The earlier our lads can start down this path, the better. In this episode, our headmaster explores: How we all develop self-awareness How our boys, in particular, do this, especially by means of a "persona" How we, as parents, can foster a healthy persona in our sons. As the great sage, Yogi Berra, reminds us: you've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there. This advice is true enough, but we can add that if you don't get going, you never will. So, let us not be paralyzed by perfection. As we help our sons sail out of port, we can trust that with the help of good friends, good teachers, and the Good God Himself, it won't be too long before he finds himself—and, even better, gives that self away out of love for the other. Chapters 2:50 Introduction 5:44 The Anxiety of Not Knowing Where to Go 9:22 Lecture Outline 10:15 How Your Discover Your Who Your Are 11:10 The Inward Way: Learning About Ourselves by Self-examination 16:35 The Outward Way: Learning About Ourselves by Interacting with Others 20:45 How a Young Man Navigates Identity Today 20:58 Comfort in Numbers 29:21 Developing a Persona 32:51 What Parents and Teachers Can Do to Help Boys Develop a Healthy Sense of Self 33:05 Identify and Guide the Persona 39:29 Show Boys Their Deeper Layers 47:52 The Power of Example 52:56 Conclusion: Why You Should Not Worry Also on The Forum Mr. Alvaro de Vicente on Moral Imagination: Part I Mr. Alvaro de Vicente on Moral Imagination: Part II The Issue of Identity: Who does your son think he is? By Mr. Rich Moss

As parents, we cannot help but yearn for our child's success. Obviously this is rooted in a beautiful and healthy love. But sometimes that love can give way to fear, and that fear leads to anxieties that are unhealthy, not only for us, but for our children as well. What can we do about this? How can we care deeply about our children, without worrying so much that our worrying actually begins to weigh on the little guys we're worrying about? This week, we bring to you a recent Heights Lecture given by Mr. Alex Berthé, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and former Heights teacher/mentor. Blending clinical expertise with his own personal experiences, Alex helps us unpack the forces—rooted in love, though often expressed in fear—that are feeding our anxieties. In particular, Alex offers reflections on four key areas: The importance of delighting in your children and really getting to know them, as they really are and not as you wish they were. Why it is essential to put the relationship with your spouse first and to find trusted partners in parenting. The need to leave behind perfectionism: good enough is enough to move our children toward the good. The necessity of deepening our faith in God and respecting the freedom of our children. Anchored in hope and optimism, Alex shares how we, as parents subject to these powerful yet often subconscious forces, can reinforce our boys' confidence in their identity as children of God through rediscovery of our own. As we hear, wisdom in parenting often consists in learning what things to ignore. If wisdom begins in wonder, as we hear from Socrates, then perhaps our worries will end when we learn to view our children—even at their lowest points—with the wonder with which our heavenly Father views us. Highlights What causes parental anxiety? The stages of child development and how parents respond. Striking the balance between demanding too much and letting too much pass by. Why comparisons in parenting can be detrimental. How much energy are you putting into achieving a particular outcome for your son? The importance of reframing in parenting. Why Charity must be our number one priority: don't cry over spilt milk. Wisdom in parenting is learning what to ignore. How our own fears and anxieties can manifest in our anxieties about our children. The importance of being vulnerable. We don't always need a solution; sometimes accompaniment is enough. Love the child that you actually have. Faith and freedom: your child is not you and you are not God. How parents themselves develop, even as their children do. What is the root of parental frustration? Why you should let your child make decisions for himself, even if he may err at times. People over papers: setting priorities straight. More than they show: why we must be attuned to what is occurring beneath the surface. Name it to tame it. Further Reading Compass: A Handbook on Parent Leadership by James B. Stenson Also on The Forum Toughness for the Adolescent Boy by Mr. Kyle Blackmer Learn to Turn: Tom Royals on Parental Prudence

In this week's episode, we sit down with Mr. Michael Moynihan to discuss his new book, The Talk and Beyond. In the book, Michael shows parents how they can best communicate to their children God's plan for human love. The book offers insights on how parents can comprehensively form their children to embrace the beauty of marriage. In this episode, we speak with Michael about: The significance of the title: why the beyond part is crucial. What "the talk" is and how parents can approach it. Why his book is especially relevant in today's current culture. The broader context—both historical and philosophical—for his book's insights. Some key messages that his book seeks to convey. As we hear from Michael in the episode, it is not enough to present God's plan for human love as a series of negative rules. What is needed, rather, is to form men and women who are prepared to embrace the positive adventure that love entails. We need to help our children be daring so that, when they are sent into the world, they will be prepared to live out that crusade of manliness which our world needs, and to undo the savage work of those who see man as merely a beast. "To be happy," wrote St. Josemaria, "what you need is not an easy life but a heart which is in love." And, we might add, to have a heart in love is not the work of a single moment, but the task of a whole life. Indeed, this is the task of each day: to grow ever deeper in love. Show Highlights The meaning of the title The talk: what it is and how to do it Why the beyond part is more important How to communicate the beauty of God's plan for the love between a man and a woman Why both indirect and direct means of formation are necessary Why it is not enough to just have the talk and then move on Importance of the book in today's culture. How this book relates to Michael's other projects Why a child's identity ought to be rooted in God On the broader context for navigating cultural trends What is the role of educators in these matters? How literature, movies, and other forms of entertainment shape our children's notion of love The importance of telling the love story of mom and dad How do you prepare kids to enter a wounded world Why we need to set our sights very high Further Reading Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier Decisive Parenting by Michael Moynihan The Father and His Family by Michael Moynihan

On this week's episode, we discuss technology with Mr. John Beatty, IT director at The Heights School. While in past episodes we have spoken about smartphones, social media, and other forms of digital technology, in this episode we turn our attention particularly to the use of the internet on desktop computers. As always, our aim is not merely to put up walls and make rules, but rather to help our sons grow in freedom. Our sons are not machines to be programmed, but rather humans to be formed; and this means that their intellect and will must be engaged. In the end, we want to graduate men who are prepared to embrace all that is good in the modern world, and so it is important that they be capable of using technology well. To this end, Mr. Beatty offers advice that is not only technical, but also human: What are some overarching themes parents should keep in mind as they begin to introduce their children to technology? Computer security is not perfect; a filter is insufficient. It is important to consider the human aspects of technology use. A relationship of trust is fundamental. All things in due time; it is important to consider the age of our children. What age would you begin to introduce your child to the internet? Need to see the internet as a tool, not a toy; introduce it according to need, not whim. Important to keep the computer in a public place Important to help them to use this machine, just as we do when teaching our children to drive. It can be helpful to have different accounts. How would you introduce more freedom when the child reaches middle school? Use parental controls as guard rails to help them, as they grow in virtue. Teach them to use their time well. Helpful to have the default setting be more locked down and then add things as needed. How do you approach the transition from middle to upper school? Remember that filters and walls will only prevent around 80% of negative content. Parents have the responsibility to be attentive to their children's computer use. As they grow, you can increase their freedom, just as one does with driving a car. Is checking our child's accounts a breach of trust? It is important to build relationships outside of negative rules. Think of the internet as analogous to eating. How should parents who are not technologically savvy approach these questions? Helpful to use physical metaphors. Google is your friend. Ask other parents for help! Also on The Forum Virtuous Use of Technology with Mr. Joe Cardenas Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport Computers and Technology in Education at The Heights by Michael Moynihan When is Your Son Ready for a Smartphone with Mr. de Vicente When is He Ready for a Smartphone with Mr. Alex Berthe

We have often heard it said that parents are the primary educators of their children. Among others, we find the seeds of this idea in Cicero, for whom nature herself has instilled a "strangely tender love" for one's children. It is likewise hinted at in Aquinas, who referred to the parental care of young children as a sort of "spiritual womb". More to the point, just over half a century ago The Church herself, in Gravissimum educationis, has reminded us of this fundamental fact: "since parents have given children their life, they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring and therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal educators." For this reason we view education as a partnership and as a co-conspiracy for the good of the boy. In other episodes we have discussed the role of parents as educators of their children. Similarly, we have considered the school's side of the great conspiracy for the good of the boy. We are aware of our duties, of how we sometimes fall short as teachers, and of our obligation to rise and fight to the end for the good for the good of our students. In this week's episode, we shift our focus to the role of parents and their duties towards school and community in the educational partnership. Alvaro responds to the following questions: What is some general advice for parents when they enter into partnership with a school? Enter the partnership wisely; know what the school is about. Enter the partnership fully, without eroding any piece of what the school has to offer both curricularly and extracurricularly. Stay on task when your child encounters a difficulty; the goal is education, not pain-free comfort. What is the general relationship between parents and their child viz. the school? The formation of the whole person Avoid advocating and over-protecting Conspire with the school for the good of the child Match the culture of school and the culture of the home. What is the task of parents as co-partners with the parents of their children's friends? It is important to know the parents of your children's friends Take an interest in your son's friends not merely as a group, but as individuals. Work together with your son's friends' parents What is the role of parents viz. their child's teachers? Be a matchmaker: strengthen your son's relationship with his teachers, just as his teachers should support a child's relationship with his parents Clarify with a teacher if there any question about what is happening at school Be honest with teachers, providing information that you think would facilitate his work in the formation of your child Show Highlights Parents and teachers: the conspiracy for the good What a school can hope for from the parents in this benevolent conspiracy What is the general role of parents? What does that actually mean for parents to be primary educators? Parents' task with regard to their relationship with son Parents as co-partners with other parents The role of parents as partners of their son's teachers Also on The Forum Family Culture with Mr. Alvaro de Vicente On Home as Social Hub with Mr. Tom Royals Ways to Foster a Family Culture by Mr. Alvaro de Vicente Creating a Culture of Learning in the Home by Mr. Alvaro de Vicente Parents as Primary Educators by Mr. Michael Moynihan "The Talk": On the Role of Schools and Fathers with Mr. Michael Moynihan

It is not on bread alone that man lives, but also on every word that he receives. And just as one's diet shapes his bodily growth, so too does one's verbal digest contribute to his interior development. Of course, not every sort of bodily growth is good; and, likewise, not every slogan that one receives is in itself spiritually salutary. In this week's episode, Mr. Kyle Blackmer considers the ways in which phrases, lyrics, mantras, slogans—in a word, the words we hear repeatedly—shape the imagination, at times for good and, at other times, for ill. In the context of education and parenting, it is particularly important that we attend to the ways in which these oft-repeated lines may subtly influence our children. Even more, it is crucial that we help our children think actively for themselves about what they consume; for without the engagement of one's own mind, a child remains deprived of that precious fruit, from which a liberal arts education derives its name: freedom. Surrounding our children with words both wise and witty, not only will their minds be directed to what is true, their hearts will not be far from what is good. Show Highlights: How phrases, mantras, slogans, commercials, advertising, lyrics influence our thoughts. From thoughts to words, words to action, and action to character Why we should be thoughtful about what we and our children consume From where do these phrases come? Is it all bad? The reason for hope How to help your child be an prudent listener The power of repetition What is the impact of these messages on boys? Maria Montessori and the absorbent mind How the young mind is particularly impressionable and why this matters Striking a balance between lecturing and letting it all in Beyond negation alone: the importance of drowning evil in an abundance of good How to turn slogans to the good We are always learning; the question is what are we learning? Why you should make a family motto Also on The Forum Creating a Culture of Learning in the Home by Alvaro de Vicente Ways to Foster a Family Culture by Alvaro de Vicente "Learn to Turn" with Tom Royals Forming Your Young Son's Conscience with Colin Gleason Shaping Your Son's Moral Imagination with Alvaro de Vicente

This week on HeightsCast, we bring to you a lecture from the 2022 Teaching Vocation Conference. In this lecture, Head of Lower School, Mr. Colin Gleason, offers advice on how to prepare for the teaching profession. Although the ultimate preparation for teaching is teaching itself, he nevertheless offers us six verbs—actions—that great teachers do well and that aspiring teachers would do well to work on. A great teacher speaks Teachers communicate their ideas primarily through words. In order to do this well, the ability to speak publicly is a sine qua non. and to draw out from students ideas of their own Teaching is more than the delivery of information. A teacher must first win over his students. Speaking well—holding a student's attention like a preacher does his congregation or a singer her audience—is necessary to this end. Concrete suggestion: tell stories. Even in the maths and sciences, good teaching is animated by good storytelling. Practice with friends and family. A great teacher listens Teaching does not consist in simply signaling what is on a page. It is a two way street. A teacher is like an orchestral conductor, who moves between score and sound, adjusting as needed. A common bad habit of teachers is over-taching, that is: talking too much. In order to gauge students' reception, a teacher must be attentive to them in real time. Teaching is personal, so the teacher should seek to listen not only to the group as a whole, but also to each student as an individual. Teaching is, at root, assisting parents. A great teacher listen also to parents, who are the primary educators. Concrete suggestion: find a good mentor. In order to listen well, we need personal guidance and someone, who listens to us. A great teacher sees Seeing is paramount to the personal approach. A crippling bad habit: prejudice, that is to judge too soon, before one sees the actual reality of the student before him. Judging quickly blinds a teacher. One of the beauties of the teaching profession is seeing the growth of a student. Concrete suggestion: we need to be artists, which, in the first place, means seeing. Teachers mold souls and to do this, they must have the intention of seeing as an artist. In our daily lives, now, in our families and at work, are we attentive to the people around us? A great teacher laughs A teacher ought to enjoy being with his students, to be caught up in the sense of awe and wonder at the student he serves. Teachers need to have a sense of humor. Taking oneself too seriously could be a death nail as a teacher. Although we are grown up, we need not have grown old. Concrete suggestion: remember the art of play. A teacher should remember that he is still part boy; his job is a joyful one. A great teacher studies A teacher must be continually learning. Study fuels the teacher, keeping his mind fresh. A teacher models study for his students; they see his actions and draw lessons therefrom. Concrete suggestion: read and study, even apart from any degree programs. What a teacher needs is two-fold: to know his subject well and to love his students even more. A great teacher explores Education is an adventure, which means that a teacher should be in the trenches alongside his students. Teaching comes from the person; it is an overflow of his own sense of adventure. Adventure does not mean haphazard. It takes work to be creative. Spontaneity in the moment is often the fruit of diligent planning before. Concrete suggestion: exercise prudence in choosing what school you work at. Three aspects to consider in a school: Cohesive spirit and identity; imagine yourself living that spirit. Content of the curriculum (especially books taught). Freedom There are many mediocre teachers in the world, so if you are going to be a teacher, become a great one. This, of course, does not mean perfection, but rather continual improvement. To be a great teacher is not to have made it, but to be continually on the way. In Mr. Gleason's words, a teacher is like the guide on a white water rafting expedition. Indeed, we are all in the same boat and, not only are we learning, we are laughing. Also on The Forum Guidance for Aspiring Teachers with Alvaro de Vicente Seneca on the Teacher's Job by Tom Cox The Teacher as Liberal Artist with Dr. Matthew Mehan and Mr. Tom Longano Cultivating Friendship in the Classroom by Austin Hatch Aristotle on the Student's Job by Tom Cox Further Reading The Art of Teaching by Gilbert Highet Only the Lover Sings by Josef Pieper Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by Ben Hogan

A teacher is one who leads while walking backward. Even more, he is one who leads with the humble hope that he will one day be surpassed by those who are following him; for while a teacher may have traveled down the proverbial path a time or two before, he must nevertheless rediscover it with each new student. In this week's episode we sit down with Mr. Joe Bissex to discuss the importance of humility in the classroom. In the episode, we consider the following questions: What is humility? What is it not? What are some markers of humility? What is the role of a teacher in the classroom? What does it mean for a teacher to point the way? As a teacher, how do you admit failure? Why is it important to do so? What is the connection between generosity and humility in the classroom? As you'll hear, if a teacher remains humble and sincerely elicits his students' contributions, it does not infrequently happen that what he had missed on his first ten treks, he may—with the fresh insight of a new student—discover on the eleventh. And in this discovery, both teacher and student will have the joy of knowing that both are disciples of the one Teacher, who is the Truth itself, and whose way makes all things new. Show Highlights What is the role of the teacher in the classroom? How does a teacher lead? Why a teacher should hope his student will one day surpass him Humility as rejoicing in the ways one's students will–or already have–surpassed you Why it is important for a teacher to humbly recognize his failures How sincere questions can lead to the greatest of discoveries The need to petition for student's help Why a teacher should be open to the changing his mind Teaching and the unexpected Teaching is modeling a way of thinking, not the mere conveyance of facts Why a teacher does not need to have all the answers ahead of time Humility in testing: how to assess students in a way that goes beyond fact checking alone Joy as the fruit of humility The importance of having the generosity to pray for one's students, and the humility to ask one's student's for prayers. Also on The Forum Guidance for Aspiring Teachers with Alvaro de Vicente Seneca on the Teacher's Job by Tom Cox The Teacher as Liberal Artist with Dr. Matthew Mehan and Mr. Tom Longano Cultivating Friendship in the Classroom by Austin Hatch Aristotle on the Student's Job by Tom Cox