The Winter of Our Discontent
Are you feeling the sludge sticking to you? This is the time of year when the initial excitement of yearbook assembly has become static and less glamorous. Deadlines have come and gone, everything is in the middle of construction, and looming tasks seem formidable. Students face stress from their other classes, end-of-the-year tests and projects, relationship drama, and college application decisions. Sickness is passed around, and some face emotional lows from all of the above. How can attitudes and the environment change to be productive and joyous?
Be Proactive
Look for the signs: winter blues, waning motivation, and students beginning to shut down from being overwhelmed.
Check-in on your Leaders
Leaders are key! Do periodic welfare checks. Meet with them and find out how they are doing. It isn't all about the book. It is about their personhood. Listen to their thoughts, feelings, and comments. Model this to them and they pass the behavior to their staff.
Hot Chocolate on a Rainy Day
Add some sugar and spice to the day! A small gesture to offer a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider can transform the class mood from melancholy to cheerful. Costco has large boxes with enough to pass around to the class and offer to other students on campus who are sheltering from the cold or rainy weather. Let them know it is a gift from the Yearbook Staff. Giving to others is a key component of beating the blues! Everyone's spirits are lifted.
Holiday and Christmas Cards
Start and implement the tradition of making holiday and Christmas cards and hand them to every faculty and staff member. Schedule a day in November to create a unique fun photo shoot, then order the bulk cards from any developer. Make a day to write short notes, stuff and seal the envelopes, and deliver them to all the staff. Consider singing a carol or two as you deliver them to add joy and peace!
Gift Exchange
An old-fashioned gift exchange brings cheer to each participant! Set a low price level of $5-10 dollars. Have staff write their names and a few things they like: favorite color, favorite snacks, hobbies, favorite music, etc. Do the traditional draw names and suggest where to gift shop. On the last day before break, have a party to exchange gifts, and enjoy food and music.
Operation Christmas Child/Angel Tree
A great way to build a family bond is to participate in a group event. The Operation Christmas Child organization, Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, or other community-led gift programs are wonderful opportunities for students to shop together and select gifts to give. Make it a group outing to Target or Dollar Tree. Many families have the tradition of driving around to look at Christmas lights. Why not use this same tradition with your class? How fun to enjoy this together and have hot chocolate and cookies.
What About the Yearbook Pages?
The result of all these ideas and opportunities will uplift morale, and encourage spirits. Staff and leaders will be eager to work on the yearbook pages during these static, sludgy days of winter. Your students are humans who need care and attention when the days get tough. As a secondary note, you as the Teacher and Adviser also need self-care. Do not overlook yourself in the process.
United Yearbook joins you in this holiday season. We are grateful for partnerships with each of our advisers and their staff, and are ready and willing to bring your creative ideas to life! Please visit our website at www.unitedyearbook.net and subscribe to our blog, newsletter, and podcast. Schedule your yearbook 1-on-1 here.
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Contributor/ 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.
Contributor: Joon Kim is starting his 29th year as a public school teacher. For the first ten years, he taught English at Bellflower High School, and for the past 18 years, he has been teaching Graphic Design, Video Production, Photography, Yearbook and Journalism at Garden Grove High School. He received his B.A. in English from UC Irvine in 1991 and while his formal education ended then, he is always learning, sharing, growing, and mentoring.
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