Monday, October 31, 2005
Week 11
Finals are over. Time to finish Issue 3.
Andy came to me concerned today. Nazneen was no where to be found and he needed her revised story to finish page 1. Luckily she showed up after lunch. She had slept in after spending all night observing Ramadan. She finished the story, and Andy finished the page. It is so nice to see the staff starting to feel responsible to one another and the larger goal, a newspaper of which to be proud.
My stress level finally reached its limit last week. So this issue we are trying a new system for editing. Instead of me reading and editing all stories the night of layout, the page editors take the stories home and return them the next day. This leaves me to coach the writers as needed. Nazneen and I sat down on Thursday for 30 minutes going through her story about the NJROTC drill team. She's a great newsgatherer, but she is having trouble deciding what information to use in her article and how to organize that information. I was able to determine this only because I was able to sit and discuss with her. Under the old system, I would have read the story and assumed she didn't get the information that wasn't in the story.
Today, I sat with Krissy to edit her cell phone policy update story. We were able to concentrate on grammar and organization. This coaching system is making me feel more useful to the staffers. I also don't feel they depend on me as much, but rather use me as a resource.
Hmm.. where will this usefulness lead to next?
Andy came to me concerned today. Nazneen was no where to be found and he needed her revised story to finish page 1. Luckily she showed up after lunch. She had slept in after spending all night observing Ramadan. She finished the story, and Andy finished the page. It is so nice to see the staff starting to feel responsible to one another and the larger goal, a newspaper of which to be proud.
My stress level finally reached its limit last week. So this issue we are trying a new system for editing. Instead of me reading and editing all stories the night of layout, the page editors take the stories home and return them the next day. This leaves me to coach the writers as needed. Nazneen and I sat down on Thursday for 30 minutes going through her story about the NJROTC drill team. She's a great newsgatherer, but she is having trouble deciding what information to use in her article and how to organize that information. I was able to determine this only because I was able to sit and discuss with her. Under the old system, I would have read the story and assumed she didn't get the information that wasn't in the story.
Today, I sat with Krissy to edit her cell phone policy update story. We were able to concentrate on grammar and organization. This coaching system is making me feel more useful to the staffers. I also don't feel they depend on me as much, but rather use me as a resource.
Hmm.. where will this usefulness lead to next?
Monday, October 24, 2005
Week 10
This post is a little different than the others. I'm writing a the beginning of the week instead of at the end.
Of course, this week is an end of sorts. It is finals week for term 1. We have made it through 1/4 of the school year. I am beginning to see the staff grow, and I am feeling a little pride-ful.
Last week was difficult for me, but luckily not for the staff. The editors stood up and took charge; it was glorious. Sometimes it just takes the adviser breaking down for the staff to step up I guess. Tara took charge of checking in stories last Friday. I normally do this, so I was extremely grateful for one less thing to think about. I walked into the back room on Friday during 7th period. Sarah was working with Shivali, helping Shivali write one of her stories. It was so uplifting to see the coaching going on, I almost cried. Then, this morning, I walk into class and people are already starting to work on the pieces they have due tomorrow for layout. Tara, Karolina and Diane were whispering to each other in the back room. Finally, Tara came to me and asked for advice on getting a picture. They had a plan, but the plan had a fatal flaw in that the photographers could not drive to get the photo. I was so proud that they had explored options before coming to me for ideas. I think I am finally becoming an adviser, not an editor!
I still have lots to work out. I need to figure out the printer situation, and I need to sell more ads. The one deal I made was if the editors and staff make sure we have a paper, I'd take care of advertising since we don't have a staff member to dedicate to that solely. Poor Rachel, the managing editor and advertising manager has become the catch-all staff member. She helps people get interviews, she organizes the advertising filing cabinet, she designs the ads. The poor girl just doesn't have enough hours in the day to sell the advertising too.
So we are off, to finish issue 3 and term 1. Hopefully we'll start term 2 on solid footing and make a run for something good. (how's that for a cliche!)
Of course, this week is an end of sorts. It is finals week for term 1. We have made it through 1/4 of the school year. I am beginning to see the staff grow, and I am feeling a little pride-ful.
Last week was difficult for me, but luckily not for the staff. The editors stood up and took charge; it was glorious. Sometimes it just takes the adviser breaking down for the staff to step up I guess. Tara took charge of checking in stories last Friday. I normally do this, so I was extremely grateful for one less thing to think about. I walked into the back room on Friday during 7th period. Sarah was working with Shivali, helping Shivali write one of her stories. It was so uplifting to see the coaching going on, I almost cried. Then, this morning, I walk into class and people are already starting to work on the pieces they have due tomorrow for layout. Tara, Karolina and Diane were whispering to each other in the back room. Finally, Tara came to me and asked for advice on getting a picture. They had a plan, but the plan had a fatal flaw in that the photographers could not drive to get the photo. I was so proud that they had explored options before coming to me for ideas. I think I am finally becoming an adviser, not an editor!
I still have lots to work out. I need to figure out the printer situation, and I need to sell more ads. The one deal I made was if the editors and staff make sure we have a paper, I'd take care of advertising since we don't have a staff member to dedicate to that solely. Poor Rachel, the managing editor and advertising manager has become the catch-all staff member. She helps people get interviews, she organizes the advertising filing cabinet, she designs the ads. The poor girl just doesn't have enough hours in the day to sell the advertising too.
So we are off, to finish issue 3 and term 1. Hopefully we'll start term 2 on solid footing and make a run for something good. (how's that for a cliche!)
Friday, October 07, 2005
Week 7
It's been a little crazy around here lately. We just finished an issue in 3 weeks. Not pleasant, but still satisfying.
So, I opened the box of issue #2s Wednesday afternoon. Actually, with Frank's (the custodian) help, I tore into the box Wednesday afternoon. I could hardly contain my excitement. However I had to get to the computer lab to monitor my multicultural literature class. That put a small hold on the celebration of color.
They did it. The Spokesman staff published its first issue in full color front and back. The inside pages are still black and white; there is only so much money in the till. The response to the delivery today invigorated the staff. They dropped off papers to oohs and ahhs all over the building. The great full color football photograph on the back page helped a ton. Poor Adil got a little flack from the yearbook staff over that, but he'll get his reward later.
Of course, people noticed the writing too. In fact, I think the color did its job  it got people to look at the paper at little more closely. I heard comments about the Xanga articles, which at first I thought might be a little overkill after issue 1, but it is still a big topic around here. The brief about the students who were arrested at the football game also got us some feedback. Thank goodness Jon has a thick skin.
Unfortunately, all was not positive feedback. We made a pretty bad ethical mistake in the sports section. An athlete who had an issue with a coach got his say in the paper. Too bad we didn't ask the coach or anyone else on the team about it. Turns out it was a personal issue between the athlete and the coach. When the coach approached me about it, he said he would no longer to talk to any Spokesman staff member. All I could do was apologize, and needless to say I felt pretty inadequate. What do you do when you know you've messed up and there is no way to take it back? This will be a good lesson for us as a staff.
Well, it's now off to enjoy the Homecoming weekend. Then we'll be back next week to try this all over again.
So, I opened the box of issue #2s Wednesday afternoon. Actually, with Frank's (the custodian) help, I tore into the box Wednesday afternoon. I could hardly contain my excitement. However I had to get to the computer lab to monitor my multicultural literature class. That put a small hold on the celebration of color.
They did it. The Spokesman staff published its first issue in full color front and back. The inside pages are still black and white; there is only so much money in the till. The response to the delivery today invigorated the staff. They dropped off papers to oohs and ahhs all over the building. The great full color football photograph on the back page helped a ton. Poor Adil got a little flack from the yearbook staff over that, but he'll get his reward later.
Of course, people noticed the writing too. In fact, I think the color did its job  it got people to look at the paper at little more closely. I heard comments about the Xanga articles, which at first I thought might be a little overkill after issue 1, but it is still a big topic around here. The brief about the students who were arrested at the football game also got us some feedback. Thank goodness Jon has a thick skin.
Unfortunately, all was not positive feedback. We made a pretty bad ethical mistake in the sports section. An athlete who had an issue with a coach got his say in the paper. Too bad we didn't ask the coach or anyone else on the team about it. Turns out it was a personal issue between the athlete and the coach. When the coach approached me about it, he said he would no longer to talk to any Spokesman staff member. All I could do was apologize, and needless to say I felt pretty inadequate. What do you do when you know you've messed up and there is no way to take it back? This will be a good lesson for us as a staff.
Well, it's now off to enjoy the Homecoming weekend. Then we'll be back next week to try this all over again.
