Download What Now? How to Manage a Staff After the Book is Completed

What Now?
How to manage a yearbook staff after the yearbook is complete
It’s early April. The yearbook is done. The last deadline has been met. Time to relax? Time
to shut down? Don’t we wish… but advisers know that we need to gear up for next year
-- no rest for the weary. But there is a fun, learning experience that can accomplish this for
you – the mock yearbook experience.
The class (minus seniors) will be divided into groups. Each group becomes a mini-staff and
will produce a “mini-mock yearbook.”
First, the adviser has returning staffers, who are in the running for next year’s editor-inchief’s position, apply for that position. Any format may be used: questionnaire, letter,
samples of work, etc. These applicants then become group leaders and “mock editors-inchief” of their mini-staffs. If you are lucky, the numbers will work out and you will have
about five or so applicants with a class of 30 plus, giving each group four to five members.
Divide the seniors up in the groups so the talent is spread around as fairly as possible.
Previous to the groups being set up, the seniors have been responsible for several tasks in
the classroom: training the inexperienced staffers on the Volumes online
yearbook program, working with the adviser on devising the group
assignment with a rubric, setting up a time table and getting together
supplies needed for the assignment.
Each group is supplied with a clear-pocket (in order to insert a cover
design) three-ring notebook, and plastic sleeve pages. Depending upon
the number of computers in your room, a schedule may need to be
arranged for computer usage, so each group is treated fairly. Some after
school time may be allowed at the discretion of the adviser, but a schedule
with a deadline is set for all the books to be completed. Outside printing
is allowed at the discretion of the adviser and assignment requirements
as long as all costs are met by individual groups.
Each group must come up with a theme that has not been used. A cover
must be designed, with endsheets, title page, divider pages, opening,
closing, colophon, index and folio.
The mock yearbook must include:
1. Two student life spreads
2. One senior mug spread with sidebar
3. One senior superlative spread
4. One people mug spread
5. One academics spread
6. Two clubs spreads
7. Two sports spreads
8. Three ads spreads
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Inspire • Spring 2010
Groups cannot use any layouts in their mock books that have been worked on before the
starting date. Announce groups and assignments on the start date to insure fairness.
Tell groups to expect surprises. Seniors like to devise glitches and so-called “monkey
wrenches” to make it fun and let’s face it – like real life! The seniors need to observe the
groups and how they are working but questions can be answered by either the seniors or the
adviser. The groups must solve their problems themselves. Inventive seniors have come in
dressed up as someone from the administration and stage a fake fire drill or assembly. (We
all know these things that eat up valuable class time and add to frustrations can actually
happen.) But let’s face it…it’s important to know who can handle stress appropriately. And
believe me, this assignment will bring on its share of stress.
Students reviewing their mini yearbook project.
The seniors in the meantime can work on lists of reminders for next year’s staff. Prepare for
book delivery and have some well-deserved relaxed time while the “saplings” are working
their fingers to the bone!
The turn-in deadline is an absolute, with points (like $) lost for any lateness. Group leaders
should include a table of contents as the first page with the recognition for what group
members did.
Group leaders are responsible for the management of the group, group assignments, work
completion, etc., but remind them that delegation is essential. A group grade should be
given, but individual grades need to be assigned also.
A necessary part of the project, and I think the most important, is the group evaluation.
Each group member should grade and comment on him/herself and on every other group
member. Assure the class that these will be kept private and are for the adviser’s use only.
These can be very revealing and helpful when application time comes for the next year’s
staff editorships.
My students have told me that the mock yearbook was one of the most valuable and fun
activities in the class. It gets them prepared for the work next year. They can practice layout
and design and get a feel for which section they may want to work on in the coming school
year. They get to know other people in the class a little better and the adviser definitely gets
to observe how the students work in new situations and in leadership positions.
I have the seniors make comments on Post-It® notes and grade the books. Then I also
grade each book. The groups then share their work with the class. We always save our
books and refer to them for ideas for the next “real” book. (So many ideas are spin offs
from this project.) This assignment becomes more important each year as it develops into
a tradition everyone looks forward to.
Keep the wheels spinning and the ideas flowing! I
Samples of the mini yearbook projects.
Ginger Shannon has been teaching for 41 years, she has been
at MCHS for the past 20 years and has enjoyed spending the
last ten years as a yearbook adviser. Ginger will be retiring
at the end of this year and wants to thank her wonderful
journalism students and her terrific yearbook representative
Geri Johnson and Lifetouch for the wonderful experience.
Ginger Shannon
Martin County High School
Stuart, Florida
What Now?
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