For those who don't know already, I am a yearbook adviser in addition to being an English teacher and cheerleading coach. This position is one that I find to be completely overwhelming and stressful at times- But also completely satisfying and fulfilling. I was a yearbook editor at my high school in Niles, Michigan. I was the sports editor, meaning that I created all of the layouts for the sports pages. I LOVED yearbook as a student- I liked being able to be creative and take ownership of something so special. Plus, my friends were all editors too, so of course we had a bit of fun here and there going to Dairy Queen instead of going to local businesses to sell ads, or climbing around up in the ceiling of our high school, where they stored all the old yearbooks.
Being on the other side of the book is different, of course. As an adviser at Jefferson High School, I handle selling and ordering the books, managing my staff, making sure every sporting event, choir concert, and club meeting gets photo coverage. I plan and run picture day, picture retake day, senior picture day, senior retake day (phewwww). I sell ads, I create ads, I run the software and work with our publishing company rep, and obviously I make sure that by the end of it all, we have a yearbook made. This is a huge responsibility to me because after all, the yearbook is the historical record for our school. Our yearbook, The Nautilus, dates back to 1912. Seeing those old yearbooks and flipping through pages from the 20's, 50's, 90's- It reminds me that my staff and I have the duty and honor of producing the historical record of LJHS for alumni to enjoy in future years.
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Kansas City, Kansas to tour the Herff Jones yearbook plant. I was thrilled to take advantage of this opportunity. While I work in the trenches of the yearbook biz every day, I realized I knew very little about what happens to my students' work once we hit "submit" on each page. This tour enlightened me. It gave me the knowledge and rejuvenation I need to finish out the school year feeling energized and ready to inspire my students to knock this book out of the park.
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| Loved the personal touch of Broncho buttons! |
Unfortunately, I was quite sick with a sinus infection, so traveling last Wednesday was rough. Flying with a sinus infection- I give it 0/5 stars. Once I landed in Missouri though, I made my way over the border to Kansas and got the rest I needed to get my butt in gear for the tour on Thursday.
On Thursday, 6 other advisers and I got to walk through the doors of the Herff Jones plant and experience the world of yearbook from a different perspective. I loved all the little touches about this place that made it homey and fun. There were tables and chairs made of yearbooks, books hanging from the ceiling, and even old senior yearbook photos of each employee on the wall.
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| I'm always proud to represent Jefferson anywhere I go! |
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| Every plant employee's yearbook picture is showcased somewhere in the building |
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| Tables made of yearbooks |
On our tour, we spoke with several employees about what it takes to do their job. We saw how a team works specifically on enhancing and correcting every photo in the books- They even check for obscene hand gestures in large group photos. If you work with teenagers at all, you know how much they love to sneak in little gestures in the back of group photos. These HJ employees catch those sneaky things! Plus, they correct those pesky yellow gymnasium pictures and lighten dark, outside shots. This was such a neat thing to see in action. As an adviser, I teach my staff members to correct photos in Photoshop, but knowing that professionals will make magic happen on each picture too was awesome.
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| Learning about the software storage |
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| Plates are created to print each spread |
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| A completed plate, ready to print |
Our group saw every bit and piece of how a yearbook is made- We saw the ink barrels, the presses, the paper, the covers. We saw how the machines laser -cut covers, and emboss letters. We saw how covers are stamped and pages are cut. As a staff, we look over each layout a million times before pressing that submit button so it was a nice thing to see that the same care is taken once the pages leave our hands. Throughout the plant tour, several employees stopped to explain a machine's function. I liked watching the stacks of signatures move around the plant, seeing the employees hand-check for quality control, and witnessing history being made for schools across the country.
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| We go to see the laser technology used for covers in action |
There were so many things I never stopped to think about before, like how groups of pages are bound, how the cover is adhered to the pages, or how the books are packaged and shipped to schools. It was fun to just see the look of the books in production too, to steal some ideas!
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| Hot off the press! One of two large presses in the facility |
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| Freshly printed spreads |
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| The amount of ink used annually is incredible |
For lunch, we had the opportunity to share a meal with the customer service reps from our respective areas. This added another layer to the task that is yearbook production. The adviser is not the only one overseeing a book's journey. We work with reps who visit frequently and answer questions. Reps can also teach students and share ideas.
I enjoyed the afternoon presentations from Herff Jones employees and from a visiting special guest- A yearbook adviser who has worked with the company for years. She shared her ideas and secrets in regards to creating a great staff environment and morale. We chatted about motivating staff members, school demographics, and adviser mental health. We discussed the reality of our position; there isn't anyone in our schools who know what we do. Like, really know. It can be isolating to have no one to turn to when you don't know how to flow the portraits correctly or how to teach your staff best photography practices. Reps help tremendously of course, but there are many day-to-day things that we take on alone. Discussing this and talking about how we can each out to each other and make connections with advisers from around the country was uplifting.
Tomorrow, I get to show my staff members the photos and videos from the plant and I am excited to teach them about what I learned. The secret to being a good teacher? Never stop learning. It is easy to forget what it feels like to be the student- Widening my perspective on what my job means to students and community members, plus how endless the possibilities are for our book was just what I needed and what I gratefully gained from my experience.
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| Book covers, ready to be adhered to cardboard backing |
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| Did you know that yearbooks for Hawaii schools are sent on a ship? They are too heavy for airplanes |
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| One of the many fascinating pieces of machinery in the plant |
Each adviser on the tour was asked to share their ending word(s) to the following statement; Yearbook is...
I said, Yearbook is an Outlet. I think of the design process, ownership, responsibility, and publication my students experience as a creative outlet. They may walk in having only taken pictures on an iPhone and learn that they have amazing photography skills. They may have never designed a layout before and discover a graphic design skill set. They might feel like writing isn't their thing and realize they have a knack for writing copy and captions. This is more than a book. It is a family, it is love, it is dedication, it is creativity, it is growth, it is an outlet.
Have questions about the role of a yearbook adviser, the Herff Jones plant, or anything else? Leave a comment or contact me via email: zarahmumaw@gmail.com
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