It's nearing the end of the school year here, and with that, another class of seniors is graduating! But what awaits them on the other side of high school? While the world may be their oyster, that doesn't mean everything will always work out the way they plan. In this episode, the multitalented teacher & opera singer Rachel Davies shares her own successes, but more importantly her failures and 'almosts.' Rachel shares how reframing her story has helped her move forward after some BIG setbacks. Caitlin Rathe and intern Phoebe interview Rachel and fellow senior (and almost graduate!) Georgia in this episode. Get ready to learn lots about high school theater, the pressures of perfectionism on teenage girls, and some pro-tips on how to keep moving forward when it feels all is lost. What we're reading: Rachel: No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood Georgia: The Lady Hardcastle Mysteries by T.E.Kinsey Caitlin: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick Phoebe: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Rachel's Blog Post - ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Stories We Tell Her Voice at the Table ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Twitter

Welcome to our second episode in the series, "The State of the Union on Adolescent Girls." The question today - how can teachers get kids to love English? And more broadly, how can we help students on their journey to being lifelong readers and writers? To reflect on this, Megan Griffin and Caitlin Rathe sat down and chatted with our Her Voice at the Table Intern, high school senior Phoebe, to learn about life in high school English classrooms and what she hopes comes next. The conversation ranges from a discussion of the role of Classics in the English classroom to the state of the humanities today. And Phoebe leaves us with reasons to hope for the future! NYTimes Op-ed referenced in our conversation Phoebe's Blog Post - ⁠The Exceptional Hero's Journey: What My Bookshelf Has Taught Me About Classic Literature Her Voice at the Table ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Twitter

Hello Her Voicers! This episode marks the first in a series where we'll be hearing directly from students how they are doing - both academically and socially. We're calling this "The State of the Union on Adolescent Girls." This exploration is inspired by our work as educators at an all girls high school, especially in light of a recent CDC study uncovering increased sadness and violence in teenage girls' lives. In this episode, our wonderful HVATT intern Grace sat down with Kate and Caitlin to talk about the challenges high school girls face in balancing who they are with how they want to be perceived. Finding an identity, and knowing yourself, has only become more complicated with the omnipresence of social media. For example - did you know you're not supposed to outfit repeat on social media? Not me! Get ready to learn about digital dos and other faux pas, as well as the ways Grace and other young women are seeing a way out and beyond the constructs of a curated life. We hope this conversation provides insight into the landscape facing adolescent girls, and also leaves you hopeful for the future. Grace Keller - People Being People: Dispatches from a High School Senior on Learning to Know Herself Her Voice at the Table ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠Twitter

On today's episode, Caitlin Rathe interviews Kate Schenck and two current seniors- Margaret and Reagan - on their undying love of rom-coms. We put to bed the idea that rom-coms are less than "real" literature. Margaret and Reagan share the ways reading for fun has benefitted their well-being, inside and outside of school. And can you imagine what your high school experience might have been like had you read "fun" books as part of class? All this and more awaits in this very fun chat! Rom-com bibliographyTessa Bailey - in general, here's a list of her workDiana Gabaldon - The Outlander SeriesAli Hazelwood - The Love Hypothesis Emily Henry - Beach Read Colleen Hoover - It Ends With Us Christina Lauren - The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone - A Merry Little Meet Cute Lucy Score - Maggie Moves On Links to blog posts Kate Schenck - Rom-Coms and Book Nerds: A Love Story Margaret and Reagan - The (Book) Love Hypothesis: Part Two of "Rom-Coms and Book Nerds: A Love Story" Her Voice at the Table Blog Instagram / Twitter

So, what's a ritual? And how can you start one? As the Her Voice Team were stuck at home for a few days (thanks to another Dallas ice storm), we had plenty of time to chat with our own Megan Griffin about her recent post over on the blog "The Sacred Rituals of Reading and Writing in Community."  Dear listeners, if you are wondering what makes something a ritual, you are in luck! After defining a ritual, and what makes something sacred, you'll learn how to create rituals in your daily life and the role of community in these practices. We hope this episode provides an opportunity to slow down and reflect as we continue through 2023 together. Casper ter Kuile - The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices  Her Voice at the Table Instagram / Twitter

Hi friends! Welp, we recorded this episode a week ago but due to the insanity of the holidays it is coming out Christmas eve. Are you curious what all the ladies of Her Voice at the Table want to read over the holidays and what is at the top of our gift lists? Well, take a listen! And for the full story - take a peek at our gift guide blog post. Wishing you all a very merry holiday season, and here's to 2023 ahead!  Instagram / Twitter

Hello and welcome to ALMOST THANKSGIVING! Can you believe how fast this holiday season has come up? Neither could we when we recorded this episode last week. This episode brings you a conversation with Jessica Bailey, Kate Schenck, and their friend and colleague Liesl Mayerson. In Liesl's recent post over on the Her Voice blog - "Finding Her Place at the Table" - she lets readers into the classroom with her Seniors in Foodie Literature. We were delighted to have her on the show to talk about this class, books that really resonate with students (and their moms!), and ways that we all have a relationship with food. This includes a debate on regional stuffings, turkey vs. tofurkey, and more hot cultural topics. From our table to yours, wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving! Foodie Lit Booklist Instagram / Twitter

Welcome to our FIRST FULL episode of the Her Voice at the Table podcast. Thanks for your patience waiting for this one, we have learned A LOT these past few weeks. In this episode, Jessica Bailey interviews our co-hosts Kate Schenck and Megan Griffin about their new take on teaching Antigone - through the lens of catharsis - and what we can all learn from this ancient Greek tragedy. Have you felt the need to scream as life returns to "normal" in the wake of the pandemic? Or perhaps as the holiday season approaches too quickly? Then this episode has something for you! And if you want to read along with us, here are the texts and pods referenced in this episode. Sophocles' Antigone: A New Translation Brian Doerries The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today Kamila Shamsie Home Fire And the podcast that started this all - Brian Doerries on "On Being with Krista Tippett" Her Voice at the Table Blog Instagram / Twitter

Meet Kate, Megan, and Jessica as they introduce you to the mission of Her Voice at the Table and what you can expect to hear on future episodes. Links from the episode: Kate's first meditation on writing and well-being: The Promise of Writing  Megan's recent post on the blog: Jane Eyre Pilgrimage, Part I: Or, How Kate Bush is Preparing Me for This School Year Her Voice at the Table Blog Instagram / Twitter