If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to the excellent season two bonus episode of Ask Mike. In the episode, titled “How Do I Create a Podcast?” Mike Taylor, CJE, and guest Samantha Jo Berry of Bridgeland High School in Houston, Texas, discuss the many benefits of adding podcasts to her journalism class curriculum. Whether the podcast stands alone …
It’s the time of year when many yearbook staffs are finishing their books. The only problem? There are still months left in the school year! If you’re looking for a journalism skill-building activity for your yearbook staff, Mike Taylor, CJE, has an option for you: podcasts! The possibilities of scholastic journalism keep expanding, and many schools are turning to podcasts …
The benefits of art and writing as a means to process trauma are widely acknowledged, and the survivors of the February 14, 2018, school shooting in Parkland, Florida, have turned that means of therapy into a book. “Parkland Speaks: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share Their Stories” was published by Crown Books, a division of Random House, in February of …
Everyone hopes for a year of smooth sailing, with an exceptional staff and an appreciative community. That rarely matches reality. Sometimes a curveball changes the program. It could be planned or hit you out of nowhere. Advisers who faced drastic culture shifts in their classroom offered sound advice. Understand your audience Not my yearbook After 11 years, Jai Tanner had …
In the world of yearbook, there is the short game and the long game. The short game includes everyday stuff like “What are we doing in class today?” “Who’s taking photos tonight at the volleyball game?” “How did your interview with Mr. Lottes go?” The long game for the adviser is always played in the back of your mind as …
It always comes down to this. Your final deadline is just days away and there are way too many pages left to finish. There it is. That image of Sisyphus pushing the rock up the hill. The peak is within reach but the summit still seems a long way away. And the stone is huge and heavy. But somehow our …
Matt Schott has been teaching at Francis Howell Central High School for more than a decade, but he didn’t take a direct path to teaching. He shared his story with Behind the Byline hosts Evan Blackwell and Jenica Hallman. You can listen to their conversation at walsworthyearbooks.com/podcasts. Student Journalist Schott began his journalism journey in his Chicago-area high school. He …
Jai Tanner’s yearbook career spans 21 years and three different states – and that’s not even counting her high school yearbook experience. She spent the first three quarters of her career in Texas and New Mexico. Her yearbook staff at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas, was no stranger to Crowns and Pacemakers. Her move from the Southwest to …
Scholastic journalism can lead people in many directions. For Anna Elizabeth James, it led her to making films. In a highly competitive, male-dominated industry, James sill leans on the lessons and work ethic she learned from her time as a yearbook editor. Joining the Yearbook When she began writing, James knew she had at least a little bit of talent, …
Taking part in yearbooks or scholastic journalism doesn’t always translate to a career in journalism. For Jennifer Ward, it did… at first. She had an impressive news career, with positions at the Dallas Morning News Online and the Fresno Bee. Eventually, she decided to follow her heart and opened a store dedicated to tabletop games, the Crazy Squirrel Game Store …