The Mike Taylor Back-To-School Checklist

Photo by Nicole Gravlin CJE

THE MIKE TAYLOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL CHECKLIST

THE MIKE TAYLOR BACK TO-SCHOOL CHECKLIST The phone rings. The area code is from the school where you recently interviewed. You take a deep breath and answer. You hear, “Hello, this is Principal….” Congratulations! You just landed the teaching job of your dreams. However, there’s something extra you weren’t expecting: you are now your new school’s yearbook adviser. “Am I prepared to teach students to create a yearbook?” runs through your head. On the first visit to your new classroom, you take in the unplugged computers, cameras on shelves and last year’s yearbook sitting on a shelf. Don’t panic. Walsworth is here to help you excel at your new gig. We have a lot to explain and a lot to share.

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STEP ONE: MEET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION Before you even plug in your computers, schedule a meeting with your principal. Reserve ample time to go through all your questions. This may take more than one meeting. Summer is a great time to have those meetings, but don’t just “pop in.” Schedule them in advance. Make friends with your principal’s assistant. Consider bringing a cup of coffee to that first meeting, and writing a quick email or thank you after it’s done. While sitting down with the principal, ask point blank about the last several years of the yearbook class. Here are some topics you’ll want to go over: 1. When does the book traditionally arrive for delivery? 2. What does the book sell for/cost the school? 3. Where is the current publisher contract? 4. Who is responsible for publishing decisions? 5. Is the school under a contract with a photographer? 6. Who receives the commissions from the photo company? The yearbook or the school? 7. Are School Photo Picture Day and Retake Day already on the calendar? What are those dates? 8. Are last year’s bills paid? Did the book make a profit? If so, how much and where is it? 9. Is there a budget for equipment and training? a. Computers/software b. Cameras c. Travel and workshops 10. Is there any training I can attend? Will the school pay for this training? (By the way, Walsworth’s Adviser Academy happens each summer. If you missed this excellent training this year, make sure you sign up for next year. Talk with your Walsworth sales rep to get registered.) At the end of this initial meeting,

schedule another with the principal, activities director and bookkeeper. The outcome of your meeting with the principal should include all important dates on the calendar for the entire year. You should understand how money is to be collected and reported and how bills are to be paid.

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STEP TWO: MEET YOUR YEARBOOK PARTNERS Your next meeting should be with your Walsworth sales rep. Don’t feel like you need to get all the answers in your first meeting. You will have ample opportunities to get answers as you go. However, your rep will have several items to discuss with you to get you started down the right path for the year. YOUR REP WILL HELP YOU SET UP YOUR: • Budget • Deadlines • Online Sales • Marketing plan • Yearbook specifications This meeting will help you get to know your sales rep. Make sure to discuss any expectations you have of them. Your sales rep can also help you get matched with a mentor through Walsworth’s Adviser Mentor Program. You’ll be paired with an experienced adviser, who will make themselves available for questions and support. A mentor can come in handy as situations arise throughout the year. They can offer advice for navigating relationships with the school administration and parents, and on topics such as grading and accountability by students. Next, it’s time to meet with your school photographer. Find out the requirements for your photos and the dates scheduled for school pictures. If you have seniors, make sure there are dates, requirements and solutions to getting each senior photographed. Do everything possible to get as many seniors in the book. Parents will not be forgiving if their senior is not in the book, even if it is the senior’s fault. Do not fool yourself – doing this task alone can be daunting. Review the commission policy. Most photo companies provide the school with a commission check. Often the check is applied to the income of the yearbook. You and your principal should have some sort of understanding where these monies go. Before meeting with students, you may want to talk to the registrar and counselors. Find out about scheduling situations. Sometimes, students are placed in the yearbook class for the convenience of scheduling. Check with counselors on behavior or attendance issues. Remember, you have expensive equipment and a valuable product you and the students will be responsible for.

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STEP THREE: CLAIM YOUR SPACE Before the school year begins, try to spend a day or two just getting to know your classroom. This is an important step. Once the halls fill with students, you’ll be glad you did it. CHECK FOR A FEW NECESSITIES: 1. A phone 2. Lockable cabinets for camera equipment 3. Enough electrical outlets for computers, printers, chargers and more 4. A separate office or space for you and your editors 5. Separate work space and teaching space Make the space your own, but keep in mind that it will need to be comfortable for your staff. This is a great time to go through the “New Advisers Field Guide to Yearbook” from Walsworth. Pay close attention to Section 2: Preparing your Classroom. Locate the Yearbook Suite curriculum. If there is not one in the classroom, pick up the phone, call your Walsworth rep and order one. You can also go to the website and download individual units. I would suggest reading the “New Advisers Field Guide to Yearbook” first. What if the yearbook staff is extra-curricular? If your yearbook program meets as a club, you will need to set a standard of goals and expectations that is even stronger than the typical every day classroom activity. Why? You have a great deal to accomplish and precious time to not waste. There should be a set of guidelines for members to meet. Use the information garnered from your first several meetings and the “New Advisers Field Guide to Yearbook.” This information will fall under Section Three: Preparing your students. Whether it’s a class or a club, stress the guidelines from day one. Establish a set of consequences for failure to follow the guidelines. And whether yearbook is a class or a club, you may want to include a student contract and a parent contract, so students and parents have expectations in writing. STEP FOUR: SET GUIDELINES

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STEP FIVE: MEET YOUR YEARBOOK STAFF

It’s time to meet your staff and begin building your team. This could be tricky. Kids have a way of testing authority. This holds true especially if you, the new adviser, are replacing a long-term adviser who built a program or was loved by students. Prior to calling them in for discussions, check with guidance about each class member. Make sure they are scheduled to be in the program, and check for any conflicts. Create staff expectations. It is important that all involved agree on a set of expectations from the very beginning. The first of these expectations is that this publication is a student-driven, student-created product. Use the staff forms in the “New Advisers Field Guide to Yearbook” or create your own manual. Walsworth’s Yearbook Suite curriculum contains every form you will need, including a student and parent contracts. You may want to begin with an informal meeting between returning staff and editors. You can do this one-by-one or as a group. Listen, but do not promise that you will continue the program as a status quo situation. Let them know you are ready to listen, talk and work as a team, but you are the new adviser. Next, hold a formal meeting. Include parents and your administration. In this meeting, you should explain your expectations, your plan to communicate with everyone and consequences for non-compliance to the rules and formats of your program. Keep the meeting light, but keep it structured and informative. You may also want to spend some time coming up with a P.O.P.S. Program.

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STEP SIX: SEEK OUTSIDE HELP

Parents What is P.O.P.S.? Parents of Publication Students.

This is a simple program where parents sign up to bring food and snacks during yearbook work nights. Have a calendar of planned work nights and let parents volunteer to bring in dinner during those long work nights. A P.O.P.S. program can go much further. Parents can be in charge of chaperoning on field trips and conventions, raising funds for equipment and serve as a sounding board for growing the program. Like all booster type programs, you are still in charge of the day-to-day activities; they are simply a resource and a help system. Photographer Ask your school photographer if they will help train your staff photographers before any sporting events. Social Media As you begin lesson planning, there are some areas that might help you out. Walsworth has an extensive social media presence. You will be able to access some great ideas on the Walsworth Pinterest and on my Pinterest account, @taylormjc . I’ve created several boards on Pinterest for yearbook pinning inspiration. You should also follow Walsworth on Twitter @yearbookforever and follow me at @yrbkmiketaylor . Feel free to #AskMike all your yearbook questions. Your Walsworth sales representative may also have a social media presence. All of these social media accounts are updated regularly. Use your publication’s social media to sell books and gather information and photos. Find out how to create, use and learn from your social media in your Yearbook Suite curriculum, “New Advisers Field Guide to Yearbook” and the unit called “Engage Your Audience and Sell More Yearbooks with Strategic Marketing.” You can also reference our social media calendar designed for your staff to engage with your community. Walsworth Beyond social media, Walsworth can be a wonderful resource for new advisers. There’s the Adviser Mentor Program mentioned above. The company has several useful eBooks on their website, including 12 Essential Yearbook Tips and Our Best Advice for New Advisers.

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Walsworth has a whole website devoted to yearbook help. The address is easy to remember – yearbookhelp.com. The site provides information on every yearbook topic for both students and advisers. You can sign up for the monthly newsletter, Timely Tips, which features information relevant to the time of year. Each email includes a list of reminders that advisers need to be aware of that month. Walsworth’s Parent Email Program – known as PEP – sends emails straight to the parents at your school. It can be a great resource for helping you sell yearbooks. Walsworth hosts regular online webinars, which cover a wide range of topics. If you’re not able to catch the live webinar, replays are posted on the website. Professional organizations Finally – and most importantly – there are organizations for you, your students and your publication. The Journalism Education Association is the largest educator association to help you in your classroom. They have an extensive library of publications in their book store. Along with the National Scholastic Press Association, they offer two huge conventions each year, and even offer certifications for journalism teachers. JEA will also be able to point you toward your state or regional association. These associations will offer state conventions and even regional or local workshops. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is an international student press association. Their goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges. CSPA hosts educational conferences and idea exchanges, and publishes text books. This group holds three annual competitions and conventions. The National Scholastic Press Association provides journalism education to students, teachers and advisers throughout the United States. Their goal is to “promote the standards and ethics of good journalism as accepted and practiced by print, broadcast and electronic media in the United States.” They offer writing, editorial, and legal information of interest to student journalists. The Student Press Law Center offers a source for regularly updated legal guidelines and answers to your questions about the First Amendment. You may want to contact your local Society of Professional Journalists. They will happily supply guest speakers and opportunities.

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STEP SEVEN: DEFINE YOUR ROLE

Remember, your title is Adviser. This is not your publication. You are there to advise the students in creating their publication. Here is a list of your duties: • Create an environment conducive to learning and production of the publication. • Track the progress of both the editors and all staff members to maintain an accurate publication that meets deadlines and budget restrictions. • Teach both basic and advanced skills so your publication meets deadlines with accuracy and efficiently. • Establish a system for evaluating both the editors and the staff members on assignments. STEP EIGHT: THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Take a moment to appreciate your official first day of school. As the first bus is pulling up to the school and the first bell is about to ring, you are ready to begin a journey that teachers before you have loved and cherished. The journey is not an easy one. It is a daunting task. However, the outcome is a true love letter to the school. Each book you advise, each student you interact with will fill your heart with joy. You’re going to be amazing. You have people and support systems behind you. Simply reach out to your Walsworth Yearbooks sales representative if you have questions or concerns. You have the Yearbook Suite curriculum at your fingertips and people here at Walsworth are a phone call, email or tweet away.

MIKE TAYLOR, CJE , is a Key Accounts Manager with Walsworth Yearbooks. He taught yearbook, newspaper and television production at Lecanto High School, Lecanto, Florida, for 13 years, where his publications staffs won numerous awards. Taylor has been awarded the JEA Medal of Merit, CSPA Gold Key and Florida Scholastic Press Association Gold Medallion. As a well-known instructor at workshops and conventions across the country, he has consulted with countless yearbook staffs to help them realize their potential in creating journalistic yearbooks.

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FIND MORE WALSWORTH EBOOKS Walsworth is among the top three yearbook printers in the U.S., and the only family-owned publisher of yearbooks. As a leading provider of resources for yearbook advisers, Walsworth’s focus is making the yearbook creation process easier and more

successful for our schools. Learn more by visiting us at walsworthyearbooks.com.

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