Can you teach good character?
A new initiative is turning the volume up on the conversation about what it means to cultivate good character, and why it matters now more than ever.
A new initiative is turning the volume up on the conversation about what it means to cultivate good character, and why it matters now more than ever.
Can you teach good character?
The Educator Online • Brett Henebery
Character formation is not an optional add-on to education; it is part of what schools are always doing, for better or worse. For families seeking an education that takes virtue seriously, classical schools offer a compelling vision: one in which curriculum, habits, teachers, and community work together to form students who can not only succeed, but live wisely and well.
What if the life you long for is formed one teaspoon at a time? In this episode of Composed, Christine Perrin speaks with classicist, writer, and homeschooling mother Nadya Williams about the small patterns that fill a life: reading aloud on the couch, gathering friends around books and snacks, welcoming children into imperfect homes, and writing in the margins of family life. Together they explore motherhood, Christian human dignity, education, AI, and the hope of building a humane culture through local, faithful, ordinary practices. For mothers who feel stretched thin and are hungry for wisdom, this conversation offers a gentle invitation to begin with one small good thing.
How does a father help his son become a good man? In this episode of Forged, Brian Williams speaks with Marine veteran, novelist, and journalist Elliot Ackerman about the small habits and embodied patterns that shape a man’s life and form the next generation: wearing a suit with intention, writing a thank-you note, keeping a friend, caring for meaningful objects, reading deeply, and learning to live with purpose. Drawing from Ackerman’s series “A Man Should Know,” the conversation explores why fathers, coaches, mentors, and male friendships matter in a culture where many young men are left to make it up as they go. For fathers seeking to lead their homes with wisdom, steadiness, and hope, this conversation offers a clear reminder: formation often begins in the little things. Ackerman also reflects on the Marine Corps, the influence of his own father, the meaning carried by inherited objects, the discipline of writing, and the quiet work of raising children with both acceptance and standards. Together, Brian and Elliot consider how fathers pass on more than advice. They pass on habits, stories, loves, friendships, and a way of seeing the world.
After nearly 20 years of homeschooling, this mother is honest about both the work and the gift of educating her children at home.