Our school is located in an isolated, rural, coastal community with a huge summer population of visitors and beautiful natural resources. In the two years I have been in charge of the yearbook, we have experienced sales growth that can be attributed to our commercial advertising on our weekly student news productions. Each Friday, our student-produced weekly video announcements air …
Just say, “Where do I go to get my credentials?” Don’t say anything else. Don’t say ANYTHING else. Act like you’ve done this a million times before. Remember, he said that 18 to 24-year-olds will determine the outcome of this election. That’s why you are here. That’s why a journalism teacher is here. I kept telling myself this as I …
Rolla High School just celebrated its 76th volume of the Growler yearbook, and the local business community has been one of our biggest supporters over those past seven decades. When I accepted the role of yearbook adviser in the fall of 2022, I excitedly collected and displayed books from years past. The display garnered the attention of many passersby, and …
Whether you have dreamed of being a yearbook adviser since you were the editor of your high school yearbook or you were volun-told to do it, you are in for a wild ride. No other teaching job requires you to plan, create, market and deliver a product with a group of unpredictable, emotional teens. Sounds like the makings of a …
No matter the size of your book or staff, creating a yearbook is a significant undertaking. It can’t be done by one person alone, but I would argue it also shouldn’t be done by students working in isolation or even partners on assignments. There is strength in numbers, which is why I utilize a team system for my yearbook staff. …
Editor-in-chief was not my original title. My adviser sat me down on my living room couch to tell me the EIC quit two weeks before school – my adviser happens to also be my dad. As the assistant editor, I needed to step up. We spent the last two weeks of summer on our MacBooks modifying the former editor’s theme, …
I consider myself more of a writer than a photographer, but what I really am is a storyteller. So it makes sense that I tell all my kids – writers, designers, editors and especially photographers – they are storytellers. For photographers, this sometimes generates a blank look. Do you wonder how to get your kids to take the pictures that …
Coast to coast, yearbook advisers work tirelessly to forge relationships with their staff, teach journalistic skills, and model effective communication, time management and conflict resolution. All of these things are essential to produce a book on schedule for their school communities. If you want to foster and grow the successes of a journalism program, encourage your students to explore opportunities …
Even talented students are still kids, which means all advisers face shared common issues each year. Repetition and practice are key to overcoming these issues. In-class activities and lessons offer a safe space for practice, creativity and mistakes. Here are 10 common challenges your staff might face and how to get your students to master the skills needed to make …
According to George Land’s study of creativity, “young children are creative geniuses and become less creative as they age.” That’s great news for those of us who advise middle school yearbook programs. With one foot still firmly rooted in childhood and the other just stepping into the adult world, our middle school students might be that much closer to their …