Adviser Mentor Program

See how you can benefit from Walsworth's exclusive peer-to-peer mentoring program.

New Adviser Mentor Program

At Walsworth Yearbooks, we love all our advisers and believe that the more help and support we can provide them, the more likely that each one will love the process of creating a yearbook as much as we do.

We especially recognize how important it is for our new advisers to get the special care and concern they need to not only survive year one, but to thrive and want to keep helping great kids create a beautiful yearbook. That’s why we created the Adviser Mentor Program.

What people are saying about the Mentor Program...

“I just had my first mentee meeting with my mentor, Dinah Emmons.  I am in my third year as an adviser.  My big goal for the next three years is to incorporate more writing into our school’s yearbook. I am a teacher coming from an art and design background. English is my second language and I have never been particularly strong when it comes to writing and grammar.

“Meeting with Dinah helped me to have a much stronger idea of how to get started and how to work step by step towards this big goal.  Also, just heaving another adviser confess that the first year, she had no idea what she stepped into felt like an affirmation of experience for my first year as a yearbook instructor.”

– Masha Tatarintseva – Immaculate Heart High School, Los Angeles, California

What people are saying about the Mentor Program...

“I have had a wonderful adviser this year. My adviser has helped me to manage yearbook students and has given me advice from his personal errors in the past. The adviser mentor program has been invaluable to me this year!”

– Madalyn Sparks – Wilkes Central High School, Wilkesboro, North Carolina

What people are saying about the Mentor Program...

“As a first-year adviser, my mentor helped with tips and tricks that would’ve taken me years to figure out. She has been a guide on which steps to take first and how to best execute them. She has listened to me grumble about building a strong yearbook staff and the frustration of working with teenagers! Most of all, she has been an excellent example of a teacher who is devoted, passionate and cares – not only for the yearbook, but for me, her students, her school and everyone involved.”

– Stephanie Baertlein – Edgewood High School, Madison, Wisconsin

What is the Adviser Mentor Program?

Each year, hundreds of teachers become the new yearbook adviser and are faced with the sometimes daunting task of creating a yearbook for their school. These new yearbook advisers often struggle with recruiting and training a staff, learning new software and meeting deadlines, but mostly they struggle with keeping the book moving forward when it feels like there are always a million things to do.

While the Walsworth Yearbooks sales representative is the frontline resource for the new adviser by helping with staff training, setting a budget and assisting with deadline submissions, sometimes turning to someone who is doing what you are doing, and has the advantage of having done it successfully, can be an encouraging shoulder to lean on.

To this end, we have developed our Adviser Mentor Program, now in its fourth year.

The Adviser Mentor Program is about matching experienced yearbook advisers (the Mentors) who have successfully created a yearbook over several years with yearbook adviser rookies (the Mentees) offering them camaraderie, wisdom and extra support.

Mentoring provides an experienced adviser an opportunity to “pay it forward” by helping guide a first- or second-year adviser with the expertise they have developed over time.  The mentor can offer their unique perspective, experience and love for yearbooks on topics such as:

  • Setting and meeting deadlines
  • Working with the school’s administration
  • Grading
  • Working with parents
  • Providing advising tips and tricks from your experience
  • Offering monthly encouragement through every step of the process

Requirements to be a mentor:

  • A current Walsworth Yearbooks customer
  • Three years or more of yearbook advising experience
  • Willing to make one contact each month with your mentee – a contact can be a telephone call, email, text message or a chat over coffee
  • Commit to be a mentor for the entire school year

What you can expect from us:

  • A monthly email from Jim Jordan, program ambassador, offering suggestions to share with your mentee
  • Direct access to Jim Jordan at any time for advice, assistance and support
  • Surveys and regular check-ins so we can help make your relationship with your mentee productive
  • A commemorative pin celebrating your work as a mentor

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, contact your Walsworth Yearbooks sales rep. If you are a new adviser who needs support, click this button.

 

 

Are you ready for a change?

Ready to learn even more about becoming a Walsworth Yearbooks school? We’re excited to show you all the resources and services we offer. Let’s get started.

photo by: Kylie Jones