The Yearbooking Report Podcast

We're back and talking about one subject that many yearbook staffs avoid - writing. Photos will always be the #1 element of the book, but writing is a close #2, filling in the information that the photos miss. And that's a LOT of information.

Listen for great ideas and advice from veteran adviser Sharon Kubicek from Texas as she shares the importance of writing in the yearbook, the different ways to do it, how school has gone in Te...

It's a new school year, new energy, but eventually one same struggle will rise again. That's page designing - GOOD designing, never random or haphazard. Is your staff designing or just decorating?

Listen to a great conversation with veteran adviser Brenda Field, a former JEA National Yearbook Adviser of the Year from Illinois, with ideas and advice on good page design. It's one of her favorite topics and Brenda offers wisdom for an...

As we go into a much needed summer break, what about yearbook and next year's effort? Those who plan early often have a smoother time of it - but a lot of yearbook advisers and staffs had a struggle this year. It's time for a TRANSFORMATION.

Listen for tips and ideas from former top middle school adviser and current Jostens Education Specialist Kristen Scott. If you want or need to reset the table for yearbook - at any level, ele...

For yearbookers it's time...for the BIG FINISH. The end of the school year is approaching and there's plenty to do, for both now and looking to the future. Distribution, organization, student leadership, planning for next year, etc. 

New Jostens Ambassador Marci Pieper, a recent JEA Lifetime Achievement Award winner, goes over many ideas and strategies she used during her decades long tenure in Missouri. Take notes, you'll get so...

Continuing our theme episodes this season we'll call this The Motivation Report. Many advisers report kids just not working hard this year, and in some cases it may be the adviser! What to do to get your group doing their best work?

Listen to a conversation with yearbooking legend Margaret Sorrows, now a Jostens Ambassador and the former 36-year multi award winning adviser at Bryant HS in Arkansas. Margaret shares her expertise on ...

Your yearbook staff is probably very busy with page designing right now. But WHAT designing? HOW are you designing? and WHY those choices? Listen to a fact filled interview with Rick Brooks of Jostens, a nationally known design concept expert. Be ready to take notes as Rick offers ideas, advice, trends and inspiration on the FEEL of a yearbook theme and look, not just on the cover but throughout your book. For any level of yearbook...

Welcome back to a new school year - and we're ready no matter what challenges may come. Are YOU ready? This episode will help you get there with great advice, ideas and inspiration from guest Sarah Nichols, one of the top student journalism advisers in America and president of the Journalism Education Association (JEA.)

Listen for thoughts on effective student leadership and organization for yearbook, as well as thoughts on student...

Happy End of School Year and Summer Break! But it never quite ends, does it? And active use of social media is one easy way to stay in touch with your audience all year long from wherever you are. 

Listen for great ideas and insights from Kristen Johnson of Jostens Social about WHY to use social media, HOW to use social media and all the basics. Plus find out about the cool new Jostens student influencer program - yes, earn while...

We're all looking ahead to the end of this challenging school year - but then we're concerned for the future, not of yearbooking but for education in general. Students and teachers are struggling, and schools may need years to rebound. What to do?

This episode feature comments and insights from Sara Sausker, Jostens yearbook pro who recently became a leader of the Jostens Renaissance effort. Renaissance could be the game changer fo...

What does the future hold for education, and for yearbooking? Especially - WHO will handle the effort, advisers or students? And WHERE can these people be found? The issue of recruiting for next year and the future is a key one for every yearbook staff.

Listen to a great conversation with Jostens Creative Accounts Manager Lizabeth Walsh who offers great ideas and advice, but also pulls no punches. Liz offers some realistic views on...

In a year of continued challenges, covering people and getting student reactions to news happening around them can be two big keys to a successful yearbooking effort. Yearbooks are always about telling stories, and this episode of TYR features great ideas and insights from veteran adviser Mitch Eden from Kirkwood HS in Missouri. Hear how his staff reports on Kirkwood students with their thoughts and feelings on a host of topics, bo...

Now that school is rolling everywhere, has your yearbook staff come up with a new theme for this year's edition? Maybe you've never tried to develop a theme before?

Listen to a great conversation with veteran adviser Jess Hunziker from Castle Rock, CO as she describes the steps in really working a theme on the inside of the book, why coming up with a unique local theme may be the best of all, and other great ideas and advice for an...

Welcome back to a new school year, and probably another challenging start to a school year. Many yearbook advisers and staffs struggled last year - will it happen again? How to avoid this?

The start of Season 4 of the Report features adviser Emily Hockenberry from Towanda, PA. Last year Emily was a rookie adviser who took on the challenge of not only yearbooking but leading in a pandemic. And she and her staff nailed it with perh...

To wrap up the most challenging school year EVER and the third season of the Report, TYR did something new: we talked to three excellent yearbook student editors about how they dealt with this year, the difficulties they faced, what they learned from it, and some advice for next year's yearbook staffs. The round robin conversation shows the resilience of young people and how they all created terrific yearbooks this year. Enjoy thei...

As we approach the final weeks of this school year (YAY, finally!) this is a great time for yearbook advisers and staffs to begin some advance preparation for next year's effort. What to do? What to handle? HOW? 

Listen for some great advice and ideas from award winning adviser Ava Butzu from Grand Blanc HS in Michigan. Better have a pad and pen for note taking, along with interesting opinions and views on yearbooking and education...

We're back - and in this episode we're looking back but also looking forward with repeat guest Erika Lin Payne. Erika appeared last August in our episode about leading a staff remotely from 2,000 miles away which she's been doing since BEFORE the Virus That Shall Not Be Named showed up. After seven months of this situation this school year, what has she learned about yearbooking and education in general? What does the future hold? ...