For our final podcast of the 2025-26 school year we talked to Tina Cleavelin, a Creative Accounts Manager for Jostens Yearbooks. A 37-year yearbook veteran, Tina gave us great advice on what to look out for, the value of attending a yearbook camp, and things for any staff to do better next year.

We also tackled subjects like dealing with a death at school, what AI can and SHOULDN'T do for yearbook, the real importance of having a theme and more. Enjoy the listening!

We had a great chat with yearbooking veteran Jim Jordan, Special Consultant for Walsworth Yearbooks and formerly a 35-year adviser in California. Listen to a terrific back and forth on issues like adviser stress today, why design is so difficult (and how to solve that,) how will AI figure in the yearbook future, and much more. 

If you are one of the many advisers considering quitting yearbook for next year, hear Jim's advice on why you are NEEDED and how to handle stresses today. It's an hour of talk, many tips and some laughs among our yearbooking tribe - you are not alone...

Yet yearbook writing is a crucial part of any good yearbook. Words fill in the blanks that the pictures don't tell us, and that's a LOT.

We talk with award winning adviser Justin Daigle of Brighton HS in Colorado about the need for writing, why kids seem to hate it so, what writing to add, how to do it and much more. Also the Vice President of the Journalism Education Association, Justin was the National Yearbook Adviser of the Year in 2024.

What is good yearbook marketing? Why is it so important? And how can any staff really get attention for their efforts (that's marketing) that leads to sales success?

For this episode we went for a company person, in this case Shaun Stapleton - he's the VP of sales and marketing for Entourage Yearbooks. Listen to our wide ranging conversation on the what, why and how for any yearbook adviser working with any company. This one is a bit long but it is filled with insights, inspiration and ideas. Never too late to get started with new efforts to promote your book and boost your sales.

From our TYR archives we went back to a great interview with Mike McLean, a professional freelance photographer and trainer from Texas who has been helping yearbook staffs for many years. 

Listen as Mike goes through some basic steps to improve your photo shooting, along with in-depth information on lens usage, better lighting and more. Get some great advice for rookie photogs and also students/advisers who really want to up their picture taking game.

And then we pull out the crystal ball to think about yearbook in the future - no book? Using Social Media. What about AI and how to use it right now and later. We dream some dreams for any level of yearbook, for rookie advisers to veterans. Great listening anytime but especially into summer break...

We talked with a Jostens Renaissance legend, Stand Tall Steve Bollar, who has been a leader on climate and culture for over two decades. A Renaissance Hall of Famer, Steve gets clinical in breaking down what school climate and culture really are, how to change them, how the Renaissance 6 R's formula can make that change, and other ideas to improve any school, any level. More from Steve at https://www.standtallsteve.com/.

Call this MUST HEAR PODCASTING if your school is struggling with these issues. Stand Tall Steve is one of the best, a great conversation...

We talked to superintendent Dr. Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder of Central Regional School District in New Jersey about that view. She's also a Jostens Renaissance Hall of Famer and the Renaissance Champion for the northeastern corner of the U.S. She's been using Renaissance ideas since her days as a special education teacher. 

Proof? Got that. Ideas? Have those too. Motivation? You won't get a better story than Michelle's. Listen in and see how Jostens Renaissance can be a district wide strategy to benefit ALL students...

And the Platinum School of Distinction Award is the ultimate. State College High School in State College, PA decided to make that their target for 2023-24. They nailed it and it's made a real impact on the life of their building, a large school in central PA. Students AND adults.

Renaissance/PBIS leaders Jennifer Evans and Danielle Ambrosia sat down for a chat with us about their diverse school, why Renaissance, ideas they've used to reach the Platinum level and much more. They went for it and crushed it - and your school can too...

Listen as we talk to veteran educator Christina Onuskanich from Mill Hall, PA. Christina was a 2023 Jostens Renaissance National Educator of the Year and a national leader in using the Renaissance student leadership curriculum. Her kids LOVE their student leadership class.

She also talks about using Renaissance at the middle school level, those unique ages when students begin to assert themselves. Watch and note the many ideas that Christina's school has used over the last several years.

We talked with educator and administrator Mark Brown from Newburg HS in Oregon about mental health in schools and how to change the game for the future. Mark is a Renaissance Champion for the U.S Northwest, and also has a personal story which motivates him to improve mental health for anyone who asks. Get some ideas and insights for your own school situation.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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!

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!

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...

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!

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. 

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.

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...

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 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!

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?

How can teachers get re-motivated? How can struggling students get rewarded? How can you possibly finish the yearbook this year? 

Sit back, relax, grab a beverage and enjoy the listening. This crazy year 2020 can't end soon enough - and we'll get back to our regular programming in mid January!

Listen to how Erika led her staff remotely long before the "virus" showed up and disrupted everyone. Get some tips and ideas for any adviser because, sure enough, schools are going remotely again. Erika did it - you can too!

Host Scott Geesey discusses the situation and offers some simple advice on how to get things started and how to handle some of these possible roadblocks, along with key changes especially for this year to insure that your yearbooking effort is a great one. These ideas and tips are especially for yearbook staffers and rookie advisers, but successful veteran advisers can find some useful thoughts as well.

The key word here is SIMPLE - with teachers already overloaded by dealing with the COVID situation, what are some simple ideas to help make a great 2021 yearbook while juggling the other challenges brought on by the virus and health? It will mean some basic changes along the way but changes that will ultimately mean a better yearbooking effort now and then for years into the future...

Also listen and see how you can get a quick resource to help with a new storytelling strategy! 

Check out this episode with comments from Penn State University associate professor John Beale, also an experienced  veteran photojournalist who teaches a course on smartphone usage for journalism. Pick up a bunch of tips on using your mobile device for yearbooking, along with some discussion on journalism today. Then let's go use those phones - for good!

And John also shares nearly five decades of yearbooking wisdom for advisers from rookies to veterans. This episode runs a bit longer than others but only because John's advice on all things yearbook is thorough and outstanding. 

Listen for great ideas and wisdom from Casey Nichols, recently retired as the outstanding adviser at Rocklin High School in Rocklin, CA. Now a traveling ambassador for Jostens, at Rocklin Casey always stressed good and frequent storytelling with his staff which resulted in an outstanding yearbook every year - and a happier and more understanding student body. One helps the other...

Also check out some of the latest news in yearbooking!

Listen for tips and inspiration on both organizing your staff, and that kids at ANY level can create a top notch yearbook! Yes middle schooler advisers, you can do this!

Hear Sarah's thoughts on good student journalism, inspiration to get there, dealing with administrators and journalism, and advice on yearbooking. It's a great way to end the current school year!

Listen to an interview with Maddi Hallock, adviser at Bradford Area High School, PA, on her staff's Barker Day entertainment and distribution event which is anticipated by everyone each year. Hear ideas and insights on what they do and see how YOU can do it!

And advisers, you have a chance to earn some graduate credit hours for yourself just by doing yearbook work! Listen in for some details...

For advisers, perhaps ask your students to listen to this on their own, then report back to you on their views. You may find some new inspiration to get more students to write...

In this episode, starting the new school year - and the key is ORGANIZATION. Listen as a seven time winner of the Jostens Yearbook Program of Excellence Award shares some tips and ideas on organizing the yearbook year.