It's close to halfway through the Spring semester and the pressure to finalize page spreads is increasing. However, factors are preventing that from happening. Students need help, Administrators have questions, and photos must be edited. To address this, PLAN and get everyone involved!
Create deadlines that provide breathing room before the actual drop-dead dates given by the publisher.
Include the student leadership team in your planning! You’ve invested your time in these students, and now is the time to see them step up. Have them work alongside any students Create flexible deadlines to allow adjustments before the drop-dead dates given by the publisher.
Your investment in student leadership will pay off now. To ensure this, include the team in planning the last steps. Pair them with students who are struggling with their assignments, and do not interfere unless it is requested.
If you have staff who need to make personal contacts to complete their page spreads, strategize together about dates and times to meet. Communicate with parents and explain to the students that as long as their work is complete, their grades will reflect their diligent work.
Contact the administration and plan dates for them to review Senior Quotes, and the Senior Superlatives, and finalize the page spreads.
Ask the secretarial staff and the Athletic Director to review students' names in the class portraits and team sports photograph pages.
Once the student editors and you have reviewed the printed spreads, ask an English teacher to check for errors. It is incredibly helpful to have as many people look over the yearbook as possible.
Double-check the photographs in the spreads for duplicates. Use the "plan B" photos you've put aside to substitute.
Choose a day or two to roam the halls with your staff and access (approved) classrooms to take additional photographs.
Do not forget the faculty page spreads. Schedule interviews with faculty members and your students to produce content. Keep extra content to use as additional filler, just in case.
Enlist the Section Leaders to review captions for spelling of student names. They must be correct. Check the photographs so the names and faces match.
Plan the date for the crew get-together: the editors, section leaders, and staff will focus on making corrections, selecting the date for completion, printing the pages, and reviewing one last time. This date needs to be close to the final release.
Include several workdays in your planning and have fun while you work. Provide snacks and drinks, create special acknowledgment awards, give flowers, include notes, play music, and whistle while you work.
Lastly, pay close attention to the "temperature of the room." Read your students. What are their emotions? Can you gauge their mental and physical health? If you see signs of distress, it is time to have a Disruption Celebration. Surprise your students one day, and bring goofy swag to wear, small inexpensive gifts, and lots and lots of snacks. Bring out the candid photos your students have been taking and spread them around the room. Acknowledge and compliment students who designed the completed layouts. Use a Shoutout Wall that you've covered with Post-It notes of encouragement. Remind the class why they are creating the yearbook. Finally, lead the class in some deep breathing exercises and relaxing thoughts to bring down tension and increase calm. Students can learn that tension can be motivating, and help them exceed expectations. Lastly, remind them the stress is temporary.
If you would like help navigating these pressure months, contact United Yearbook Printing. We'll be there for you. Our website, www.unitedyearbook.net , and our newsletter, podcast, and blog, are tools available to you as you move forward in the new year and complete the book. Schedule your yearbook 1-on-1 consult here.
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Contributor: Lucy McHugh comes to United Yearbook Printing from a 39-year career in public and private school education. She was a former visual art teacher and yearbook adviser. She received a Bachelors of Science in Art from Columbia College in Columbia, SC, a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska in 2000, and in 2014 earned a Certificate in Catholic School Leadership from Loyola Marymount University. Lucy enjoys her family, making art and gardening.
Editor: Donna Ladner obtained a B.A. in Education and a minor in English from California Baptist University, and a M.S. in ESL from USC, Los Angeles. After she married Daniel, their family moved to Indonesia with a non-profit organization and lived cross-culturally for 15 years before returning to the U.S in 2012. Donna has been working as an editor and proofreader for TSE Worldwide Press and its subsidiary, United Yearbook since 2015.
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