The Yearbooking Report Podcast

Scott Geesey, CJE

Tips and ideas for yearbook storytelling and organization, and education, from elementary school to college read less
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The Yearbooking Report, Mid January 2024
13-01-2024
The Yearbooking Report, Mid January 2024
It's roughly halfway through another school year - and for many schools ROUGH is a good term to use again this year. That goes with another key word, CULTURE. Schools everywhere - and many yearbook staffs - are struggling through another year. One man who knows all about good yearbook and school culture is veteran adviser Mitch Eden. Now retired after 25+ years of teaching and advising, Mitch is a new Jostens Yearbooks Ambassador, working with schools across the country to improve their journalism and marketing efforts.  Listen to this episode of the Report for insights and advice on not only improving yearbook culture but school culture as well during tougher times, and how your yearbook work could also boost the entire life of your school and everyone in it. This one's a keeper because every school out there can use some of Mitch's advice to have a better year - and have FUN doing this valuable work.

Episodes

The Yearbooking Report, Mid January 2024
13-01-2024
The Yearbooking Report, Mid January 2024
It's roughly halfway through another school year - and for many schools ROUGH is a good term to use again this year. That goes with another key word, CULTURE. Schools everywhere - and many yearbook staffs - are struggling through another year. One man who knows all about good yearbook and school culture is veteran adviser Mitch Eden. Now retired after 25+ years of teaching and advising, Mitch is a new Jostens Yearbooks Ambassador, working with schools across the country to improve their journalism and marketing efforts.  Listen to this episode of the Report for insights and advice on not only improving yearbook culture but school culture as well during tougher times, and how your yearbook work could also boost the entire life of your school and everyone in it. This one's a keeper because every school out there can use some of Mitch's advice to have a better year - and have FUN doing this valuable work.
The Yearbooking Report, Mid November 2023
12-11-2023
The Yearbooking Report, Mid November 2023
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 Texas this year, and sage advice for any adviser but especially for rookie folks.
The Yearbooking Report, late August 2023
26-08-2023
The Yearbooking Report, late August 2023
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 any yearbook staff. And for teachers, hear Brenda's thoughts for everyone after 28 years of experience, including these last three tougher campaigns.
The Yearbooking Report, Mid May 2023 - TRANSFORMATION
19-05-2023
The Yearbooking Report, Mid May 2023 - TRANSFORMATION
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, elementary to college - Kristen has some thoughts to share on how to transform your yearbooking effort into one you'll enjoy next year while making your best book ever. Take plenty of notes!
The Yearbooking Report, Late March 2023
24-03-2023
The Yearbooking Report, Late March 2023
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 some new inspiration here!
The Yearbooking Report, Mid January 2023
16-01-2023
The Yearbooking Report, Mid January 2023
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 yearbook but also on motivating young people to tell the stories, take the photos and create a great yearbook THIS year.  And even if your staff is doing fine the wisdom from Margaret is worth a listen for any adviser. Be ready to take notes from a master...
The Yearbooking Report, Mid November 2022
16-11-2022
The Yearbooking Report, Mid November 2022
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 - it's time for a real upgrade!
The Yearbooking Report, Early October 2022
09-10-2022
The Yearbooking Report, Early October 2022
It's the PHOTO Episode with great ideas, advice and inspiration from veteran freelance photographer and photo instructor Mike McLean. This one goes a little long because Mike has so much great information and stories to share, all tied to improving your photography this year. Get ready to take LOTS of notes...
The Yearbooking Report, Late August 2022
29-08-2022
The Yearbooking Report, Late August 2022
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 journalism today and education in general. This is an hour that will help any yearbook adviser to get the new year off to a good start!
The Yearbooking Report, May 2022
04-05-2022
The Yearbooking Report, May 2022
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 you post about yearbook and more! Great advice here for folks who are social media rookies to veterans, no matter who you work with.
The Yearbooking Report, April 2022
28-03-2022
The Yearbooking Report, April 2022
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 for every school looking to make that rebound - and yearbooking can be an integral part of that. We'll toss out some challenging opinions and stats, but then also offer some answers. Be ready to take notes!   Find out more about Renaissance at www.jostensrenaissance.com.
The Yearbooking Report, February 2022
02-02-2022
The Yearbooking Report, February 2022
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 how to get your staff for next year, which could include new advisers as well. Take plenty of notes on many parts of yearbooking and get some much needed inspiration from Liz. And yes, it's not too early to start planning for next year; in fact, this year's it's imperative to start NOW...
The Yearbooking Report, December 2021
13-12-2021
The Yearbooking Report, December 2021
It's halfway through the school year but not too late to try some new creative design ideas with your yearbooking effort. Get ready for a LOT of them with insights from Jostens Creative Design Manager Rick Brooks. What's hot and trendy, how has the pandemic affected design, what are some new cool cover treatments, and much more - you'll be taking notes on what's popular with design for this year and next year!
The Yearbooking Report, October 2021
20-10-2021
The Yearbooking Report, October 2021
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, both hard news and softer features. It's time to "timestamp" this school year, one like no other, and telling stories in the yearbook and elsewhere is the way to do it. Plus get some other ways to tell those stories beyond the pages of your book.
The Yearbooking Report, September 2021
24-09-2021
The Yearbooking Report, September 2021
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 any yearbook adviser and staff.  In yet another challenging school year, here is some inspiration for all - and a reminder that yearbooking is all about the stories...
The Yearbooking Report, August 2021
22-08-2021
The Yearbooking Report, August 2021
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 perhaps the best overall book in school history.    Listen to this episode as Emily details how they did it - with more writing, better photos, good page design, no fear of pushing the kids, and the key to everything - STORIES. Have a pad and pen ready for tons of notes, ideas and inspiration - it's a great start to another great yearbooking year. No matter your situation, rookie or veteran, you can DO THIS!
The Yearbooking Report, May 2021
09-05-2021
The Yearbooking Report, May 2021
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 their ideas and views!
The Yearbooking Report, April 2021
13-04-2021
The Yearbooking Report, April 2021
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 for 2021. Great conversation. And stay tuned for a great FREE service for teachers and students everywhere no matter where you are or who you work with. Did you know this is available to you?
The Yearbooking Report,March 2021
21-03-2021
The Yearbooking Report,March 2021
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? Listen for some interesting thoughts and observations - and a special treat at the end, what makes for an authentic taco recipe? NO BEEF?? See if you agree...
The Yearbooking Report, February 2021
22-02-2021
The Yearbooking Report, February 2021
As yearbook staffs navigate this very challenging school year, what are the technology tools that keep Jostens schools ahead? And how did they come about? Listen to a fascinating interview with Jostens Product Director John Dalke as we talk some tech, find out more about some great yearbooking tools and look to the future.