Taking stock in the first week of school

By Kristen Scott, Kealing Middle School, Austin, Texas

As stores stock up and back to school supplies begin to hit the shelves, there’s no better time than now for advisers looking to get a head start on preparations. Take a look at these four quick tips for kicking the year off on the right foot.

  1. Bring the fun
    Students are just as sad to say goodbye to carefree summer days as their teachers, but getting back into a routine doesn’t have to be dull. The first day of school is an excellent opportunity for team building activities and games. Tried and true favorites like the human pretzel are a great way to demonstrate that yearbook is far from an ordinary class.
  2. Get to know the team
    Along the same lines, taking time for a few icebreakers diffuses first day tension and allows students to learn a little more about the team that they will be working with. Low stakes activities like a staff bingo or even two truths and a lie get students talking and learning about one another from the start.
  3. Give and take
    Some advisers start the first day with a small gift bag or survival kit for the staff. Items included inside might be geared toward the team identity, like a staff shirt or badge. Another option, that keeps in line with the tone of fun, might be for the items included to have a symbolic representation related to yearbook production. For example: a playing card mighty signify working as a team, a rubber band to stress that yearbook staff members need to be flexible or a red pen to explain that strong work seldom comes without criticism and staffers should aim to be gentle when handing out critique.
  4. Set expectations
    While there’s value in keeping things light, advisers might be careful not to send the message that yearbook work is secondary. Preparing a course letter or syllabus reminds students that despite the fun tone, work is an expected part of creating a yearbook. Further, sending home information that outlines behavior expectations as well as classroom policies and procedures for students and parents to read and sign, is best done before production gets underway.

Making a strong first impression is hardly a new concept. For further reading, an internet search for icebreakers for medium sized groups yields hundreds of options for fresh activities that facilitate teamwork and build trust among a new staff.