Jim Jordan's 40 Things To Do After The Yearbook Is Done

STAFF PROJECTS — KEEP ‘EM BUSY IF YOU NEED TO

16. STAFF PORTFOLIOS. As an ongoing activity, have all staffers keep and update their work in an online portfolio that includes a cover letter and a resume. Renee Burke from Boone High School in Orlando, Florida, modeled her portfolio project after the one students put together for National Journalist of the Year. Though not as detailed, it has all the year’s clips and features; a piece that shows the most growth (first, middle and final draft); and if they are a returning staffer, they also must reflect on how their portfolio shows their growth as a writer, designer or photographer. 17. CREATE A MANUAL FOR THE EDITOR WHO WILL HAVE THE JOB NEXT YEAR. Once the final proofs are done and distribution is planned, have the current editor(s) make a manual for the editor(s) who will be doing their job(s) next year. Include the following: • Detailed list of everything that needs to be done in that position • Timeline of when each important task needs to be completed • A “what I know now that I wish I knew then” section that will help the new editor avoid mistakes that the current editor has made • A list of what the current editor has learned while holding this position

18. YEARBOOK RESEARCH PROJECT. Do you have seniors who have nothing to do when the book is done? Do they sit around doing NOTHING? This is the project for them. Assign each of them (though it could easily be done in teams) a specific tradition, activity, club or event at your school and have them research all the information about it found in the previous books you have in your yearbook library. As a final project, they must write a summary report of all their findings and present it to the class. It’s fun to find out how many winning seasons the football team has had in a row or what class has won the most homecoming competitions. It is also a great way to emphasize the importance of the yearbook as a history book and reference source. Very quickly, they can see what years did the best reporting and in what years there was very little coverage being done. 19. DEEP CLEAN THE YEARBOOK SPACE. Believe it or not, there are always students who love to clean and they take pride in doing a great job of it. Be sure to ask for volunteers for this one, but you can gently nudge them to take it on. At a minimum, be sure to do a thorough job of cleaning and disinfecting all your keyboards. They tend to get filthy no matter how hard you work to keep them clean.

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