HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive

Dr. Cal Newport joins us for Part II of his interview on Forming Deep Workers. What does a middle or high school deep worker look like? Cal Newport discusses APs, Classroom Tech, College Admissions, and more.

As parents, we fight distraction in our lives daily. Our phones tether us to the trivial, and our inability to stay off email for even limited periods of time costs us the rewards and satisfaction of deep work. America's youth, to an even greater extent, are losing the ability to focus on difficult tasks.

This podcast features Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, So Good They Can't Ignore You, and How to Be a High School Superstar. Dr. Newport, a Computer Science professor at Georgetown University, has a strong following in The Heights community, as his notions of deep work jive perfectly with our attempts to raise contemplative sons and competent professionals.

Listen in, both for your son and for yourself. Stay tuned for next week's episode with Cal on How to Be a High School Superstar, and to learn more about Cal and his work check out his blog at CalNewport.com.

This week on HeightsCast Dr. Matt Mehan offers his thoughts on Homer's Odyssey. In particular, Dr. Mehan focuses on the the first four books of the Odyssey and the arts of friendship and mentoring young men. Listen in for a concrete example of the contemporary applicability of the artes liberales.

Join Mr. Tom Longano for part two of his series on raising readers. He provides guidance here for refining the reading habits of two diametrically opposed categories of readers. No silver bullets, just points for consideration and reflection. Also, insights into Mr. Longano's personal journey towards a love of reading.

As fathers, we play a central and critical role in the lives of our families. Despite that, however, we have lost many of the communities that in ages past offered us practical advice and wisdom. Michael Moynihan steps into this void offering the contemporary father concise and thoughtful timeless advice about how to fulfill your role as a father. In this podcast, Michael talks about his new book, and some of the central components of being the pater familias.

"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 young boys can fill their summer with healthy leisure and positive growth.

Can a 20 second prayer transform your day? How about your son's? Heights teacher and author, Michael Ortiz, discusses how a century old norm of piety--the Morning Offering--allows us to renew each and every day while placing our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings on the altar.Can a 20 second prayer transform your day? How about your son's? Heights teacher and author, Michael Moynihan, discusses how a century old norm of piety--the Morning Offering--allows us to renew each and every day while placing our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings on the altar.

In this episode, third grade teacher, Mr. Tom Longano, shares his experience on how to foster a love of reading in his students.

This week on HeightsCast, we listen to the second part of Mr. Alvaro de Vicente's lecture on Moral Imagination.

Boys develop a world view and paradigm that informs much of how they see themselves and their obligations to the world around them. This view informs not only their macro view, but also their smaller interactions with day to day situations. What is this view, or moral imagination, why does it matter, and how do we shape it for the good?