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Talks with Tyler ISDDestry Walsworth - Talks SafetyIn the latest Talks With Tyler ISD episode, Acting Chief of Tyler ISD Police, Destry Walsworth, discusses his extensive background in law enforcement. He highlights the district's proactive safety and security efforts, focusing on protecting students from dangerous activities such as vaping and fentanyl. Walsworth also addresses the growing concerns around social media threats and bullying. Additionally, he shares valuable resources available for students and parents to help keep everyone informed and safe. Tune in for an important conversation about maintaining a secure environment in Tyler ISD.Support the showFOOTER: If you want to...2024-10-2422 min
Yearbook Chat with JimYearbook Adviser of Note: Brit Taylor, Hagerty High School, Oviedo, FloridaWelcome to another exciting Adviser of Note episode of "Yearbook Chat with Jim." In this episode, Jim Jordan talks with the legendary Brit Taylor, CJE, a star of Florida scholastic journalism with 30 years of experience at Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida. Brit is a passionate educator, dedicated to helping high school students grow and thrive in the world of publications.Brit shares his journey from junior high involvement in publications to becoming a full-time journalism and media production teacher. We also delve into the details of Hagerty High School's yearbook program, including its size, design and...2023-10-2753 minYearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note Jason Davis, Cactus Canyon Junior High, Apache Junction, ArizonaJason Davis has had quite the journey. He grew up in Minnesota, but now lives in Arizona. His first job was as a fry cook in his family's restaurant, then as a professional journalist, and now is a teacher. He had no yearbook experience when he started advising, but how has one of the best middle school/junior high yearbook programs in the country. In this episode, Jason chats with Jim Jordan about his life and yearbook journey. He also shares excellent advice for fellow yearbookers. And, because it's important to Jason and Jim that pe...2022-05-121h 00Yearbook Chat with JimState Student Journalists of the Year: Part 2Host Jim Jordan recently discovered that seven of the JEA State Journalists of the Year winners all have yearbook in their resumes AND their schools published their books with Walsworth Yearbooks. He believes strongly that yearbook students are also true scholastic journalists – just as much as newspaper, online and broadcast – and deserve this kind of recognition. On this episode, Jim chats with three of those State Journalists of the Year. Lucy Bickel, ELCO High School, Myerstown, PennsylvaniaKaitlin Reynolds, Millard West High School, Omaha, NebraskaElizabeth Bunnell, southside High School, Fort Smith, ArkansasLucy is a four-year yearbo...2022-04-1458 minYearbook Chat with JimState Student Journalists of the Year: Part 1Host Jim Jordan recently discovered that six of the JEA State Journalists of the Year winners all have yearbook in their resumes AND their schools published their books with Walsworth Yearbooks. He believes strongly that yearbook students are also true scholastic journalists – just as much as newspaper, online and broadcast – and deserve this kind of recognition. On this episode, Jim chats with three of those State Journalists of the Year. Annie Brown, Homestead High School, Mequon, WisconsinAudrey Culver, Liberty North High School, Liberty, MissouriAsher Montgomery, Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, FloridaAnnie is a four-year staffer on The...2022-04-061h 01Yearbook Chat with JimRising Star Carly Gates, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, FloridaWhen JEA announced their 2021 Rising Stars and three Walsworth Yearbooks advisers were on the list, Jim Jordan knew he had to get them on his podcast. His third and final interview was with Carly Gates, from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida.If you haven't already, be sure to check out the previous interviews with Rising Stars Laurel Wicke and Joanna Chadwick. 2021-12-1038 minYearbook Chat with JimRising Star Joanna Chadwick, Derby High School, Derby, KansasWhen JEA announced their 2021 Rising Stars and three Walsworth Yearbooks advisers were on the list, Jim Jordan knew he had to get them on his podcast. His second interview was with Joanna Chadwick, the yearbook adviser at Derby High School in Derby, Kansas. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the previous interview with Rising Star Laurel Wicke, and stay tuned for the third and final JEA Rising Star episode. 2021-12-0949 minYearbook Chat with JimRising Star Laurel Wicke, Drake Middle School, Arvada, ColoradoWhen JEA announced their 2021 Rising Stars and three Walsworth Yearbooks advisers were on the list, Jim Jordan knew he had to get them on his podcast. His first interview was with Laurel Wicke, the yearbook adviser at Drake Middle School in Arvada, Colorado. Stay tuned this week for interviews with two more JEA Rising Stars. 2021-12-0839 minYearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note Karen Johnson, Kearney High School, Kearney, MissouriKaren Johnson, MJE, always knew she wanted to be a teacher and a coach. When she started college, she realized that social studies (which often seems to go hand-in-hand with coaching) wasn't really for her. It wasn't long before she switched to English, then added a journalism minor. Since then, she's been a yearbook adviser at tiny schools and at large schools. She's working on her sixth book at Kearney High School, and has helped build a strong program at the school. In addition to this interview, you can learn more about Karen on our blog. 2021-10-0753 minYearbook Chat with JimBobby Hawthorne and the Writing ProcessBobby Hawthorne is a master storyteller and journalist. He's well known in the scholastic journalism world, and can frequently be found teaching at journalism workshops and seminars. In this episode, Hawthorne and your host, Jim Jordan, share what it takes to be a good journalist and tell a great story in your yearbook. You can find more episodes of Yearbook Chat with Jim on the Walsworth Yearbooks website. 2021-08-121h 07Yearbook Chat with JimOur 50th EpisodeIt's our 50th episode! Today, we're sharing a mini-episode to reflect on where this podcast has taken us since we launched in 2018. Thank you to everyone who has been on this podcast journey with Jim and the Walsworth Yearbooks Podcast Network. 2021-04-2904 minYearbook Chat with JimA Family AffairA few weeks ago, host Jim Jordan read two articles on the Walsworth Yearbooks blog about covering controversial topics in a yearbook. Those two articles were written by a father/daughter yearbook team, which sparked the idea for this episode. Jim Jordan was a yearbook adviser for 35 years, and during that time all three of his children were on his staff. So he decided to reach out to the authors of those articles, Jon and Lucy Bickell, from Eastern Lebanon County High School in Meyerstown, Pennsylvania. He also asked his friend Brit Taylor, CJE, whose daughter, Maggie, i...2021-03-1959 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How Can I Promote Myself?In this extra special episode, Ask Mike and Yearbook Chat with Jim team up to talk about promoting your yearbook! Hosts Mike Taylor, CJE, and Jim Jordan are joined by three members of the Walsworth marketing team, Jenica Hallman, CJE, Jimmy Gilligan and Sarah Scott. They share tips for writing press releases, ideas for promoting your yearbook, and why you want to promote your 2021 yearbook more than ever before!Listen to the episode, then share your marketing with us! Send press releases to mike.taylor@walsworth.com or jim.jordan@walsworth.com, and be sure to tag...2021-03-1245 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How Can I Promote Myself?In this extra special episode, Ask Mike and Yearbook Chat with Jim team up to talk about promoting your yearbook! Hosts Mike Taylor, CJE, and Jim Jordan are joined by three members of the Walsworth marketing team, Jenica Hallman, CJE, Jimmy Gilligan and Sarah Scott. They share tips for writing press releases, ideas for promoting your yearbook, and why you want to promote your 2021 yearbook more than ever before!Listen to the episode, then share your marketing with us! Send press releases to mike.taylor@walsworth.com or jim.jordan@walsworth.com, and be sure to tag...2021-03-1245 minYearbook Chat with JimPromote Yourself and Your YearbookIn this extra special episode, Ask Mike and Yearbook Chat with Jim team up to talk about promoting your yearbook! Hosts Mike Taylor, CJE, and Jim Jordan are joined by three members of the Walsworth marketing team, Jenica Hallman, CJE, Jimmy Gilligan and Sarah Scott. They share tips for writing press releases, ideas for promoting your yearbook, and why you want to promote your 2021 yearbook more than ever before!Listen to the episode, then share your marketing with us! Send press releases to mike.taylor@walsworth.com or jim.jordan@walsworth.com, and be sure to tag...2021-03-1245 minAsk MikeAsk Mike | How Do I Take My Yearbook Above and Beyond in 2021?How did are they doing it? All over the country, yearbook staffs are stepping up and making amazing yearbooks in the middle of a pandemic that has displaced almost everything about the school year. The yearbook program at Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is one of those who is making the most of their incredible year. Listen in to hear host Mike Taylor, CJE, chat with adviser Michelle Corbett, staff member Kalea Lamphier, and Walsworth sales rep Erin Grunnet about how they’re working to make the best book their yearbook program has ever done. Listen to th...2020-12-3147 minAsk MikeAsk Mike | How Do I Take My Yearbook Above and Beyond in 2021?How did are they doing it? All over the country, yearbook staffs are stepping up and making amazing yearbooks in the middle of a pandemic that has displaced almost everything about the school year. The yearbook program at Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is one of those who is making the most of their incredible year. Listen in to hear host Mike Taylor, CJE, chat with adviser Michelle Corbett, staff member Kalea Lamphier, and Walsworth sales rep Erin Grunnet about how they’re working to make the best book their yearbook program has ever done. Listen to th...2020-12-3147 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note Susan McNulty, J.W. Mitchell High School, Trinity, FloridaSusan McNulty became a yearbook adviser early in her career as a teacher, but budget cuts tore her away from the role. Years later, she took over the J.W. Mitchell yearbook program the same year her daughter served as editor-in-chief (the outgoing adviser had assigned the roles before McNulty took over). She took over a strong yearbook program, and books under her leadership have won recognition from all over, including the All-American from NSPA, Gold Medalist from CSPA, and All-Florida from FSPA. In this episode, McNulty and podcast host Jim Jordan discuss her career, her classroom, and the...2020-09-241h 02
Ask MikeThe East Coast/West Coast SlideAsk Mike | Host Mike Taylor, CJE, begins the new season by interviewing two editors-in-chief as they start their new year. As you may have guessed from the episode title, one resides on the east coast and the other on the west coast.Neri Verniani, from Oviedo High School in Oviedo, Florida, and David Dablo from El Camino Real Charter School in Los Angeles, California, share how they're guiding their yearbook staff to create the 2021 yearbook under extraordinary conditions. 2020-09-1059 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note Susan Massy, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee, KansasSusan Massy has been advising yearbooks for more than 30 years, and most of that has been at her current school. Yearbooks produced under her guidance have won many awards. In this interview with Jim Jordan, Massy discusses how much she struggled her first year, what made her come back to a second year, and the one big thing that made her yearbook experience better. In this interview, she recalled how she learned that yearbooks can be a true journalistic endeavor. In the interview, she shares how inspiring her students can be, and how much she loves watching t...2020-08-2057 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note Michelle Shue – Out of the life raft and on to bridge building (as the new year begins)2020 has been an odd year for everyone. We've all had to learn to navigate brand-new challenges. For Michelle Shue and her yearbook staff at Davie County High School in Mocksville, North Carolina. Like many schools around the country, they didn't have much warning when they learned they wouldn't be returning to the classroom. With their final deadline approaching, Shue and her staff buckled down and submitted half their book's pages in a two-week window!2020-07-0252 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note Kathy Beers, Timber Creek High School, Fort Worth, TexasKathy Beers, from Timber Creek High School in Fort Worth, Texas, exudes creativity. She’s known for always having ideas, and her successful yearbook marketing tactics have been shared with schools all over the country. In this episode, host Jim Jordan talks to Kathy about her roundabout journey to yearbook and where she gets all her great ideas.2020-04-301h 01
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Level Up Update: Visiting Meridian High SchoolThink back to early March. It may seem a lifetime ago, though in reality it was only a couple of weeks. School was still in session. There was no quarantine. No one thought to wear facemasks, and toilet paper could be easily found on the well-stocked shelves of your nearest supermarket. It was during this time that Mike Taylor, CJE, went to visit our Level Up winner, Meridian High School, for their first in-person visit on a cold Thursday afternoon.2020-04-1631 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Jonathan Dixon, Corsicana High School, Corsicana, TexasWe're excited to introduce you to the March Adviser of Note! Johnathan Dixon is the yearbook adviser at Corsicana High School in Corsicana, Texas. His staff is known for their incredible photography skills, and it's not unusual for them to place in the Walsworth Yearbooks Photo Contest. In this episode, host Jim Jordan talks photography, building a yearbook program from the ground up, and the journey that brought him to Corsicana High. 2020-04-061h 01
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Brad Cook, Gresham High School, Gresham, OregonBrad Cook, yearbook adviser at Gresham High School in Gresham, Oregon, is a bona fide graphic designer. He teaches graphic design, digital photography and yearbook. Before becoming a teacher, he was a graphic designer at many places, including Nike – and he does his design work despite being colorblind! He’s passionate about typography – you can catch his session with Jim at the Nashville JEA Convention this March – and all things design. In this episode, Brad and host Jim Jordan take a deep dive on great design and creating an incredible yearbook.2020-02-201h 01
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Why Do You Love Yearbook?Happy Valentine’s Day! This is the time of year when the Walsworth Yearbooks Podcast Network celebrates love in all its forms – especially the love of yearbook! In this episode, host Mike Taylor, CJE, interviewed four yearbook staffs about why they love yearbook. He spoke to the staffs of Braden River High School in Bradenton, Florida; Liberty North High School in Liberty, Missouri; Kearney High School in Kearney, Missouri; and Lee’s Summit High School in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.2020-02-1341 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Why Do You Love Yearbook?Happy Valentine’s Day! This is the time of year when the Walsworth Yearbooks Podcast Network celebrates love in all its forms – especially the love of yearbook! In this episode, host Mike Taylor, CJE, interviewed four yearbook staffs about why they love yearbook. He spoke to the staffs of Braden River High School in Bradenton, Florida; Liberty North High School in Liberty, Missouri; Kearney High School in Kearney, Missouri; and Lee’s Summit High School in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.2020-02-1341 min
Yearbook Chat with JimLevel Up Update #1 with Har-Ber High School, Springdale, ArkansasIn October 2019, Har-Ber High School in Springdale, Arkansas, and Meridian High School in Maycomb, Illinois, were selected as the winners of Walsworth Yearbooks’ Level Up contest. The prize package, worth over $3,500, includes a visit by Jim Jordan and Mike Taylor, CJE, to work with their staffs, editors and adviser. In early January, Jordan visited Karla Sprague, CJE, and her staff at Har-Ber High School and shared his experience.2020-02-0634 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | What are some cool things middle school yearbooks are doing?Some of the work being done by middle school and junior high yearbook staffs is absolutely amazing. That’s why host Mike Taylor sat down with the yearbook staffs of Carl Albert Middle School and Cactus Canyon Junior High to discuss what they’re doing right, what they’re working on, and what will happen when they move on to high school.2020-01-3046 min
Yearbook Chat with JimRising Stars Part 2: Vanessa Martinez, Samantha Lasarow and Bridgette NorrisIn this episode, Jim honors three of Walsworth’s six advisers named a 2019 JEA Rising Star! Listen to his interview with Vanessa Martinez of El Dorado High School in El Paso, Texas; Samantha Lasarow of El Camino Real High School in Woodland Heights, California; and Bridgette Norris of Boone High School in Orland, Florida. Be sure to listen to the previous episode to hear Jim’s Rising Stars interviews with Leigh Rogers, Angie Wolfe and Dan Sidwell.2020-01-211h 24
Yearbook Chat with JimJEA Rising Stars, Part 1: Leigh Rogers, Angie Wolfe and Dan SidwellIn this episode, host Jim Jordan honors three of Walsworth's six advisers named a 2019 JEA Rising Star! Listen to his interview with Leigh Rogers of Hermann High School, Missouri; Angie Wolfe of Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska; and Dan Sidwell of Freedom High School in Tampa, Florida. Check back next week as Jim completes his Rising Stars interviews with Vanessa Martinez, Samantha Lasarow and Bridgette Norris. 2020-01-091h 30
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Darren Thomas, Saugus High School, Santa Clarita, CaliforniaDarren Thomas has been teaching for years, but never advised a yearbook until the 2019 school year. As a new teacher at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, he was looking for a way to feel more connected to his new school. He leaned on his editors that first year, and the staff created an award-winning book. In his second year, Thomas and his staff have the difficult task of covering a school year that includes a tragic event – a school shooting Nov. 14, 2019 left two students dead. He discusses that monumental task and yearbook life in general wi...2020-01-0251 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How to I Reach the "Aha!" Moment? An Interview with Colonial ForgeWhen the yearbook editors of Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, Virginia, attended an Elite Weekend at the beginning of the year, their stress was evident to Mike Taylor. Now, several months later, they've come a long way. Mike sat down with adviser Tiffany Kopcak and two editors to discuss how they reached their "Aha!" moment. 2019-12-1947 min
Yearbook Chat with JimJEA Adviser of the Year Becky Tate, Shawnee Mission North High School, Mission, KansasWe already knew Becky Tate, CJE, is amazing. She's been at Shawnee Mission North High School in Mission, Kansas, for 31 years and many of her yearbook students have gone on to become journalism advisers themselves. Now that her awesomeness is being recognized in a new way - she was just named JEA's 2019 H.L. Hall Yearbook Adviser of the Year - we're celebrating her by re-releasing Jim's interview with Becky from earlier this school year. Jim even reached out to Becky after the announcement and they recorded a bonus piece about her experience that day. 2019-12-1656 min
Yearbook Chat with JimLive at the NHSJC Washington, DCNot able to make it to the NHSJC in Washington, D.C. this year? Did you attend but want even more? Want to revisit fond memories? Listen to this episode of Yearbook Chat with Jim, recorded live from the Fall 2019 convention in Washington, D.C. Jim interviewed JEA President Sarah Nichols, Convention Chair Meghan Percival, and the editorial staff of Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.2019-11-2551 min
Yearbook Chat with JimBONUS: Julia Satterthwaite and the Monta Vista High School yearbook editors – part 1Julia Satterthwaite, MJE, just handled her first big deadline as a yearbook adviser. She’s advised other publications for several years, but host Jim Jordan is following her journey for the first year advising at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. This is the first check-in episode. He’ll continue to follow Julia and her staff’s progress throughout the year. Stay tuned to learn how they’re navigating the yearbook process together!2019-11-1835 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Pat Monroe, Burges High School, El Paso, TexasPat Monroe has been an adviser at Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, for 29 years. During that time, her staffs have won many awards for their yearbook. This month’s adviser of note shared her background, including her previous career as a broadcast journalist, and what working with yearbook staffs means to her. You can learn more and see pictures of Pat and her students at walsworthyearbooks.com.2019-11-1455 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How can I Improve my Yearbook Photography?Mitchell Franz, of Yoakum, Texas, is a photographer. He started out as a scholastic journalism student and now, at 29 years old, he makes his living from his photography. In this episode, Mitchell and host Mike Taylor discuss the ways yearbook staffs can make their photography better.Plus, they challenge photographers to take great academic photos. Listen to the episode for details on how to win a $50 gift card from Mike and Mitchell.2019-11-0737 min
Yearbook Chat with JimJulia Satterthwaite, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino California, Takes on the Challenge of Creating a YearbookJulia Satterthwaite recently made some big changes in her life. She and her family recently moved from Michigan to California. In her new job at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, she added "yearbook adviser" to her list of roles for the first time. Follow along all year as host Jim Jordan checks back in with this experienced journalism educator as she navigates her first year of yearbook. 2019-10-2457 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I stop my staff from writing bad stories?A great story starts with a great interview. In this episode, host Mike Taylor, CJE, interviews the staffs of Seminole High School, Gainesville High School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Eastern Lebanon County High School about creating great stories and great spreads. They shared their advice for getting great stories into the yearbook – from checking in with writers to the basics of a good interview.They talk about writing stories about the whole school, the benefit of being nosy, and teaching newbies to write stories that matter.2019-10-1052 min
Yearbook Chat with JimHow Can I Level Up My Yearbook?In this special WYPN crossover episode, host Jim Jordan teams up with Mike Taylor, of the Ask Mike podcast, to talk about leveling up your yearbook! They bring in yearbook experts do discuss the possibilities and ways yearbook staffs can make improvements. They also speak to advisers and staffs about the ways they want to Level Up their yearbooks for 2020! Get some help achieving your goals. Enter the Walsworth Yearbooks Level Up contest at walsworthyearbooks.com/level-up and you could win a visit from Jim and Mike!2019-10-0353 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How can I level up my yearbook?In this special WYPN crossover episode, host Mike Taylor teams up with Jim Jordan, of Yearbook Chat with Jim, to talk about leveling up your yearbook! They bring in yearbook experts do discuss the possibilities and ways yearbook staffs can make improvements. They also speak to advisers and staffs about the ways they want to Level Up their yearbooks for 2020! Get some help achieving your goals. Enter the Walsworth Yearbooks Level Up contest at walsworthyearbooks.com/level-up and you could win a visit from Mike and Jim!2019-10-031h 05
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How can I level up my yearbook?In this special WYPN crossover episode, host Mike Taylor teams up with Jim Jordan, of Yearbook Chat with Jim, to talk about leveling up your yearbook! They bring in yearbook experts do discuss the possibilities and ways yearbook staffs can make improvements. They also speak to advisers and staffs about the ways they want to Level Up their yearbooks for 2020! Get some help achieving your goals. Enter the Walsworth Yearbooks Level Up contest at walsworthyearbooks.com/level-up and you could win a visit from Mike and Jim!2019-10-031h 05
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Always be SellingCreating a yearbook is fun, but most staffs can't accomplish that without the funds raised from sales! In this episode, host Mike Taylor speaks to students at several different schools about how they sell and market their yearbooks. Find Ask Mike on Twitter, @yrbkmiketaylor and don't forget to use #AskMike. 2019-09-1932 min
Yearbook Chat with JimBecky Tate, Shawnee Mission North High School, Mission, Kansas, Has an Amazing Yearbook CommunityBecky Tate, CJE, is in a position many journalism advisers would envy. She and the four other high school publications teachers in her district all get along. It probably helps that one of those four is her husband and two are former students. Becky has advised some incredible, award-winning yearbooks during her three decades at Shawnee Mission North High School in Mission, Kansas. In this episode, Becky and host Jim Jordan discuss her success, her history and the community she helped to build.2019-09-1256 min
Yearbook Chat with JimLeah Waters and Neelam Borah – An Incredible Gift of LifeWhen Neelam Borah fell seriously ill her freshman year of college, she soon learned she needed a new kidney. She received that kidney within a few weeks from someone she'd never met. Leah Waters is a high school journalism teacher in Texas, which is how she heard about Neelam's need. Leah saved Neelam's life, and their shared love of writing continues to connect them. You can read some of Neelam's writing on her blog. You can learn more about kidney donations from The National Kidney Foundation. 2019-08-2255 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | The Bicoastal EpisodeHost Mike Taylor spends a lot of time traveling from yearbook workshop to yearbook workshop all over the United States. At two recent workshops, one in California and one in Florida, he was especially impressed with the editors at Saugus High School and Freedom High School. So he interviewed them!These students already have impressive yearbook careers. They shared their experiences and their expectations for their 2020 yearbook. 2019-08-1555 min
Yearbook Chat with JimWhat Was New in Year Two?Way back in season one of Yearbook Chat with Jim, host Jim Jordan interviewed six yearbook advisers who had just wrapped up their first year of advising. Five of these yearbook advisers are still at it. For the start of season 3, Jim checked back in with those five to see how they're doing and what they expect as they head into their third year of advising yearbook. These advisers represent a broad range of schools. From California to North Carolina, from high schools with thousands of students to a high school with less than 100 students, these advisers b...2019-08-081h 18
Ask MikeAsk Mike | From the El Paso Summer Yearbook WorkshopAsk Mike is back and ready to talk about yearbooks! Host Mike Taylor, CJE, kicks off season three with interviews done at the summer yearbook workshop in El Paso, Texas. In this episode, Mike interviews a great group of students about their yearbook hopes, dreams and fears for the 2020 school year. 2019-08-0150 min
Yearbook Chat with JimYearbook Adviser of Note: Dow Tate, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, KansasBy the time he reached high school, Dow Tate was already a contributor to his local newspaper. That’s how much he was meant to work in journalism. Dow is now the publications adviser at Shawnee Mission East in Prairie Village, Kansas. Jim named him the May Adviser of Note, and it's difficult to imagine someone more deserving. Dow's students speak highly of him, and his staffs have won many awards. Listen in to hear Dow's story, from growing up poor outside Dallas, Texas, to selling magazines at the age of five, to meet...2019-06-1349 min
Yearbook Chat with JimCourtney Hanks and the University High School yearbook editors – part 3Host Jim Jordan has been checking in with Courtney Hanks and the yearbook staff of University High School in Orange City, Florida all year. This final check-in, done in May, catches the graduating seniors right before they move on to the next stage and next year's staffers before they take over their new roles. 2019-06-0358 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | What’s in a theme?What makes a great theme? In this episode Mike Taylor, CJE, answers the questions and walks you through how to find a great theme for your 2020 book.Taylor explains his theme-finding exercise that’s broken down into seven-minute increments. You can get a powerpoint presentation with even more inspiration. Just ask him! Email Mike at mike.taylor@walsworth.com or find him on Twitter, @yrbkmiketaylor.Plus, Mike explains what “What’s the T?” really means (check it out at the 34 minute mark).2019-05-2355 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | What’s in a theme?What makes a great theme? In this episode Mike Taylor, CJE, answers the questions and walks you through how to find a great theme for your 2020 book.Taylor explains his theme-finding exercise that’s broken down into seven-minute increments. You can get a powerpoint presentation with even more inspiration. Just ask him! Email Mike at mike.taylor@walsworth.com or find him on Twitter, @yrbkmiketaylor.Plus, Mike explains what “What’s the T?” really means (check it out at the 34 minute mark).2019-05-2355 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Live From AnaheimRecorded live at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Anaheim on April 26, 2019. Host Mike Taylor's session from the conference floor. Featuring 12 "micro-interviews" with yearbook advisers and staffs, Mike asked the all-important question, "How has journalism helped you?"2019-04-2639 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | What Sets These Yearbooks Apart from the Crowd?Some yearbook staffs impress year after year, despite staff changes or a new adviser. So how do they do it?Mike Taylor answers the question in this episode! He sat down with staff members from three Florida schools that are frequent award winners: Hagerty, J.W. Mitchell and Palm Harbor University High School.The eight yearbook editors in this podcast share their methods for creating excellent yearbooks and ensuring next year’s will be even better, even if they won’t be there any more because they graduated!2019-04-2239 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Vanessa Martinez, El Dorado High School, El Paso, Texas, is Not Competitive at AllIn this episode, Jim Jordan talks with Vanessa Martinez of El Dorado High School in El Paso, Texas. She shares her journey from high school journalism, to college, to professional journalist, then finding her place as a scholastic journalism educator. She shares what it was like to follow in the footsteps of a well-liked, award-winning adviser, how her competitive streak drives her to help her students succeed and the significance the Spanish language plays in their school and yearbook. Contact Jim at podcasts@walsworth.com.2019-04-0449 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I create a podcast?Looking for something to do with your students after your yearbook is complete? Consider creating a podcast! In this episode, host Mike Taylor and Samantha Jo Berry, the publications adviser at Bridgeland High School in Houston, Texas, discuss the ins and outs of podcasting.That's right, it's a podcast about podcasting!Podcasts hold enormous educational value for students. They teach important skills like listening and storytelling. Plus, they're fun to create and don't actually require any special equipment!Mike and Sam walk through the ins and outs of podcasting, and why they're a...2019-03-2836 min
Yearbook Chat with JimParkland Speaks: Live from CSPARecorded live at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Spring Convention, host Jim Jordan sat down with yearbook adviser Sarah Lerner and students who survived the February 14, 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In the weeks following the shooting that left 17 dead, Lerner was approached about putting together a book of work about their school's experiences that day and after. The result is "Parkland Speaks: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share their Stories." In this episode, Lerner and students who contributed to the book share their stories about using writing and art to...2019-03-2052 min
Yearbook Chat with JimBONUS: Courtney Hanks and the University High School yearbook editors – part 2Courtney Hanks is making her mark on the yearbook world. She and the staff of the award-winning Odyssey yearbook at University High School in Orange City, Florida, have been working hard to create an incredible 2019 yearbook. Listen in as host Jim Jordan checks in with Courtney and her staff, EIC Emily Edwards, EIC Jonathan Jackson, Managing Editor Brooke Williams, Managing Editor Jordan McKendrick and staffer Julie Annunziato. In the first check in following winter break, Courtney and the staff reveal their theme, share the struggles they've faced so far, and discuss what they've learned on t...2019-03-1435 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I take my yearbook from picture book to journalistic masterpiece?Four years ago, the yearbook program at Williamsville North High School in Williamsville, New York, was fine. They weren’t creating award-winning or journalistic yearbooks, but their yearbook club was creating image-based books that the community liked well enough. However, that wasn’t good enough for adviser Erin DeVantier. Once her eyes were opened to the possibilities journalistic yearbooks offer, she brought on English teacher Kate Curcio to kick their yearbook program into high gear.It worked. Their second-ever journalistic yearbook is a CSPA Crown finalist. Erin, Kate, and this year’s EIC Serena Leatherbarrow shared their experi...2019-03-0732 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Jai Tanner, Yelm High School, Yelm, Washington, Breaks Rules and Creates Amazing Yearbooks Wherever She IsJai 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 the Pacific Northwest, from an urban high school to a rural high school, required Jai to adapt. She’s grown to love Yelm High School in Yelm, Washington, but it took some trial...2019-02-2150 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | What should I know about CSPA?Season Two of Ask Mike kicks off with a bang! Host Mike Taylor, CJE, discusses the importance of Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and the services they offer with Executive Director Ed Sullivan.Mike and Ed cover the benefits of being a CSPA member, the difference between their critiques and contests, and dive into the details of the upcoming annual Spring Convention.You can learn more about CSPA at cspa.columbia.edu. You can find Mike on Twitter @yrbkmiketaylor. Ask him a question using the hashtag #AskMike.2019-02-1437 min
Yearbook Chat with JimJim Asks MikeIn the Season 2 kickoff of Yearbook Chat with Jim, host Jim Jordan interviews his friend and peer Mike Taylor, CJE. Mike works as the Journalism Specialist for Walsworth, but the story of how he got there is full of fun twists and turns. Mike shares his story with Jim as well as his thoughts on the yearbooks being created now. If you want more Mike, check out his podcast, Ask Mike and follow him on Twitter, @yrbkMikeTaylor (and use #AskMike). You can follow Jim on Twitter, @yrbkJimJordan.2019-01-3155 min
Yearbook Chat with JimRemembering Kathy CragheadKathy Craghead was a highly respected member of the scholastic journalism community. Her death in May left a hole that will not soon be filled. She will be remembered for her dedication to the craft, her sharp wit, and how deeply she cared for her friends and family. In tribute to this extraordinary woman, host Jim Jordan tracked down 15 of her dear friends and asked them to share their memories of Kathy.2018-12-2749 min
Yearbook Chat with JimThe Yearbook Legend Himself: Charles Bruce WattersonBruce Watterson was a pioneer in the yearbook world. From working for his high school newspaper to being the first (or one of the first) schools to create a yearbook on a personal computer, Watterson is a giant in the yearbook world. In this episode, host Jim Jordan chats with Bruce about everything from his humble beginnings in Hazen, Arkansas, to why he's so impressed with what yearbook staffs of today are accomplishing. You can follow Jim on Twitter and Instagram at @yrbkjimjordan, and let us know what you think with #WYPN and #ChatwithJim. Send...2018-12-2059 min
Yearbook Chat with JimCrystal Kazmierski's Incredible Yearbook CareerCrystal Kazmierski's yearbooks started winning major scholastic journalism awards before she even knew they were a big deal. She advised 24 yearbooks at Arrowhead Christian Academy in Redland, California. Twenty-two of them won Pacemakers and one of them was a Pacemaker finalist. The one year they didn't place was because they didn't enter. In this episode, host Jim Jordan chats with his longtime friend about her amazing career. Starting with how she came to yearbook (with her college degree in theater), their conversation follows her career all the way to retirement in 2017. During their chat, Crystal...2018-11-2955 min
Yearbook Chat with JimBONUS: Courtney Hanks and the University High School yearbook editors – part 1In this special bonus episode, host Jim Jordan follows up with Courtney Hanks of University High School in Orange City, Florida. Recorded just days before the first big yearbook deadline of the school year, Courtney and her editors share the challenges they’ve faced so far, their plans for the rest of the year and share some background on how they got where they are. Jim will continue to check in with Courtney and her staff as the year progresses. Subscribe to receive these special bonus episodes as they are released.2018-11-2151 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Andrew Young, Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas on Creating Yearbooks with Junior High StudentsAndrew Young is the yearbook adviser at Woodland Junior High in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Despite only being in the role for a few years, he's an accomplished young adviser who leads his junior high yearbook class to create amazing, award-winning yearbooks. He believes that teaching younger students should not hinder you from producing an impressive product. In this episode, Andrew and host Jim Jordan delve into the challenges unique to middle school and junior high yearbooks. He also shares some of the best parts of advising yearbook staffs at this age and why he believes every student should b...2018-11-151h 00
Yearbook Chat with JimLive from the Fall National High School Journalism Convention, Chicago, IllinoisRecorded live at the JEA/NSPA Convention in Chicago, host Jim Jordan brings on guests Christy Porcelli, from H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, convention chair Brenda Field, from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois, and Dr. Bradley Wilson, with JEA. Listen in to learn fun facts about the panelists, and hear a bit about the convention and their yearbook stories.2018-11-0228 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I take even better photos?Your yearbook staff may already take great photos, but there's always room for improvement. That's where photography expert Mark Murray comes in. He knew he wanted to teach photography when he was just a kid, and made that dream come true.Mark and host Mike Taylor discuss the keys to great photography, from composition to equipment to etiquette. Mark has great advice to share for every part of scholastic photojournalism.Be sure to stick around to the end, for the Ask Mike questions portion: students and advisers from around the country sent in questions, which...2018-10-3155 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I take even better photos?Your yearbook staff may already take great photos, but there's always room for improvement. That's where photography expert Mark Murray comes in. He knew he wanted to teach photography when he was just a kid, and made that dream come true.Mark and host Mike Taylor discuss the keys to great photography, from composition to equipment to etiquette. Mark has great advice to share for every part of scholastic photojournalism.Be sure to stick around to the end, for the Ask Mike questions portion: students and advisers from around the country sent in questions, which...2018-10-3155 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I find and tell awesome yearbook stories?Finding great yearbook stories can be a challenge. Yearbook staffs want to make every year different, but much of the school year is always the same. There are always football games. Prom always happens.Two great advisers are here to help your staff fight the yearbook doldrums! Tiffany Kopcak, from Colonial Forge High School in Virginia, has a staff that consistently turns out great student life stories. Brit Taylor, from Hagerty High School in Florida, has turned his staff into amazing sports writers.These two share their insights and methods with host Mike Taylor. By...2018-10-2549 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I find and tell awesome yearbook stories?Finding great yearbook stories can be a challenge. Yearbook staffs want to make every year different, but much of the school year is always the same. There are always football games. Prom always happens.Two great advisers are here to help your staff fight the yearbook doldrums! Tiffany Kopcak, from Colonial Forge High School in Virginia, has a staff that consistently turns out great student life stories. Brit Taylor, from Hagerty High School in Florida, has turned his staff into amazing sports writers.These two share their insights and methods with host Mike Taylor. By...2018-10-2549 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Alyssa Boehringer, McKinney High School, McKinney, TexasAlyssa Boehringer entered the yearbook advising world with a bang. Her first year as adviser at McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas, -- after taking over from the very adviser who'd taught her in high school - The Lion yearbook won a CSPA Silver Crown award. Alyssa and Jim chat about the incredible work she and her students have done, how she manages to excel with less than three years of experience, and the incredible marketing videos she creates with her staff. You can learn more about Alyssa in Walsworth's Adviser of Note blog post...2018-10-1849 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How can student leaders coach great writers?Some students are born leaders. Some develop into great leaders. Either way, strong student leadership fosters strong yearbook programs.Recorded on location at the Elite Weekend yearbook workshop in Kansas City this September, host Mike Taylor found for extraordinary young women leading their yearbook staffs.Addie Von Drehle and Emily Cooper are the EICs at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas. Kelsey Volk and Molly Elfrink are copy editors at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in nearby Shawnee, Kansas.These four students sat down with Mike to share their yearbook...2018-10-1151 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How can student leaders coach great writers?Some students are born leaders. Some develop into great leaders. Either way, strong student leadership fosters strong yearbook programs.Recorded on location at the Elite Weekend yearbook workshop in Kansas City this September, host Mike Taylor found for extraordinary young women leading their yearbook staffs.Addie Von Drehle and Emily Cooper are the EICs at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas. Kelsey Volk and Molly Elfrink are copy editors at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in nearby Shawnee, Kansas.These four students sat down with Mike to share their yearbook...2018-10-1151 min
Yearbook Chat with JimAdviser of Note: Courtney Hanks, University High School, Orange City, FloridaCourtney Hanks earned her new nickname through her dedication to helping students understand what makes a great yearbook. This remarkable young adviser earned a Silver Crown with the second high school book she ever advised (and her third ever). Courtney and the yearbook staff at University High School in Orange City, Florida are taking giant steps to build a great yearbook program. Courtney was named a 2018 JEA Rising Star, and is this month's Adviser of Note. She and host Jim Jordan have built a friendship over the past year, and today's discussion reflects t...2018-10-0548 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Why should I join NSPA?Happy National Yearbook Week!This week is all about celebrating yearbook and building a better yearbook program. That makes it the perfect time for host Mike Taylor to bring in Gary Lundgren of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).In this episode, Mike and Gary discuss the benefits of NSPA members, and how the organization helps yearbook staffs and advisers hone their craft.They cover the difference between a critique and the eminent Pacemaker competition, NSPA's upcoming conventions, how advisers can find their footing and improve their program, and even dip their toes...2018-10-0447 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | Why should I join NSPA?Happy National Yearbook Week!This week is all about celebrating yearbook and building a better yearbook program. That makes it the perfect time for host Mike Taylor to bring in Gary Lundgren of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).In this episode, Mike and Gary discuss the benefits of NSPA members, and how the organization helps yearbook staffs and advisers hone their craft.They cover the difference between a critique and the eminent Pacemaker competition, NSPA's upcoming conventions, how advisers can find their footing and improve their program, and even dip their toes...2018-10-0447 min
Yearbook Chat with JimRiding Out the Storm with David Graves, St. Thomas Episcopal School, Houston, TexasTwo days into the 2018 school year, everything changed for yearbook adviser David Graves and the students and staff of St. Thomas' Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. They left school on Thursday, but didn't return to school for more than two weeks and they weren’t back on their campus until after the first of the year. Hurricane Harvey had hit the Houston area, and their school was one of many affected by the record-setting flooding it caused. Despite living through a life-altering disaster, David and his students still had a yearbook to complete. Their already chosen them, "No...2018-09-2157 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | What makes yearbook storytelling great?Bruce Watterson is widely known as "The Yearbook Whisperer," and episode eight of Ask Mike helps illustrate how he earned that title. Watterson and host Mike Taylor delve into the possibilities yearbook staffs can create.In their conversation, Watterson and Taylor cover the topics of creativity, digital storytelling tools, winning awards, the perfect yearbook and the benefits of yearbook critiques. Even after 44 years in the yearbook business, Watterson's enthusiasm continues to shine throughout the conversation. His yearbook insights will be enormously helpful to yearbook staffs trying to tell a better yearbook story.2018-09-2046 min
Ask MikeAsk Mike | How do I market my yearbook?Kathy Beers is a marketing genius. It's not just us who think that. Her creative methods are used by yearbook staffs far and wide. In this episode of Ask Mike, Kathy chats with host Mike Taylor about some of her favorite methods to sell yearbooks and ads. For example, she doesn't call them "senior ads." They're "senior tributes," and it works!Kathy shares more than 30 minutes worth of selling advice, then Mike brings in fellow advisers who have used her methods to discuss what works with them. We hope you enjoy this yearbook ma...2018-09-0651 min