12 Tips For The New Adviser

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MANAGE THE STAFF AS A CLASS

In the yearbook classroom, students are in charge of creating a product under deadline. There are still lessons to teach and grades to give. With these tips, you can set the foundation for a smooth-running class. • Positions/job descriptions: Each student should have a job. The most common jobs are editor-in-chief or co-editors, managing editor, photography editor, design editor, marketing manager, reporters, designers and photographers. Many duties can be rotated to give students experience in all facets of yearbook creation. • Grading: You’ll need a grading system that works for you; communicate it to students and parents. Rubrics are helpful. Set up mini-deadlines before each page submission deadline to allow the work to flow smoothly and give you work to evaluate throughout the process. Give students evaluation forms to judge their own work, which you and the editors can use to determine if criteria were met. • Team building: Mixing games and food with the work will help your staff get acquainted and bond, which should improve working relationships and relieve stress. • Staff manual: Put all the information about how to create the yearbook and run the staff into a guide that staffers can use to get questions answered, from job description and fonts to use this year to staff phone numbers and policies on ads. • Basics of scholastic press law: Prepare to teach them about the First Amendment, libel, copyright, obscenity, ethics and other topics of legal concern. • Staff contracts: A commitment contract, along with a job description, should spell out what is expected of each student. Have both the student and one of their parents sign it. • Meet staff or discuss staffing with registrar or guidance office: If the staff has been selected, meet with them to get their thoughts on the direction of the book. If no staff has been selected yet, ask the registrar how yearbook selection has usually occurred. You want to be able to select your own staff. • Applications for next year: Each January, start thinking about recruiting staff for the next year. Get recruitment materials in place before students start signing up for classes next year.

Photo by Alex Porter

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