12 Tips For The New Adviser

5B

MANAGE THE STAFF AS A CLUB

Whether students produce the yearbook as a class or club, the goal is still to create a yearbook about students for students. It’s just more difficult to keep student staff engaged and feeling responsible in a club. Read the section on holding yearbook as a class, and then consider these tips: • Establish a firm editorial staff structure so students know who they report to and how the creation process works. • Have all editors and staff sign a commitment contract. Make it clear from day one that yearbook involves dedication and commitment year-round. • Assign students positions with job descriptions, and assign them pages and tasks related to their individual interests immediately. This will help keep them engaged. • Give story and photo bylines. If students understand their work will be on their peers’ bookshelves at home forever, they may work harder to create a high-quality book. • Foster a fun, professional and team-oriented yearbook culture. This will reduce the formation of cliques and keep the group working smoothly as a team. • Set aside time for staff members to learn about press law. Teach them the basics to avoid plagiarism and copyright violations. • Consider having a one-day fall workshop as a training and bonding exercise. • Create continuity. An entirely new staff year after year increases your workload and prohibits you from getting a jump on the year. To create staff continuity, hold a yearbook “interest meeting” each spring and invite the entire student body to attend. Ask other teachers and the counselors’ office for recommendations. This recruitment work will enable you to have new staff members for the next year shadow current staff members in the spring and attend summer workshop.

Photo by Jeffrey Zimmerly

6