Character Formation in Independent Schools with Ryan S. Olson

What kind of human does your school make it easier to become?

In this episode of The Table Podcast Series, Bridget Johnson welcomes Ryan S. Olson for a thoughtful, research-based conversation on character formation in independent schools—and the tension many schools face between academic excellence and developing young people of depth, judgment, and integrity.

Drawing from his three-year collaboration with independent school heads, Ryan shares practical frameworks that help schools move beyond vague conversations about character and into meaningful action. Together, they explore why character is shaped through everyday school culture, relationships, accountability, and the choices adults make.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why schools must form persons, not just performers

• The three dimensions of character: discipline, attachment, and autonomy

• The four types of virtue and why practical wisdom matters

• How the honor vs. excellence tension affects school culture

• Why student life professionals are central to character formation

• How restorative practices build accountability, repair, and belonging

• Why diagnosis—not aspiration—is the best place to begin

Featured Guest:

Ryan S. Olson is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and Research Associate Professor at the University of Virginia. He is the editor, with James Davison Hunter, of The Content of Their Character: Inquiries into the Varieties of Moral Formation.

Resources:

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deans-roundtable Email: [email protected]

Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture: https://iasculture.orgCharacter Compass: https://floreat.io

The Table Podcast Series:

Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.