Build the Team
In yearbook, we ask a lot of our staffers, so we need to give a lot to our staffers. What can we give our yearbook staffers? We give them FOOD. FAMILY. AND FUN. When school begins in the fall, it is important to start building a strong sense of community among our staff.
Let’s start with some yearbook fun
Teen Titans Go! from Cartoon Network: Yearbooks Are In! Watch the clip.
Collections of Celebrity Yearbook Photos:
- From Seventeen Magazine
- From InStyle Magazine
- From People Magazine
Pics or it didn’t happen: If you’ve taken photos at delivery and distribution, share them with the new staffers. If your staff compiles an end-of-year video, show it!
Spend time together
Netflix Party or Watch Netflix Together Both are Google Chrome extensions you can use to sync Netflix for multiple viewers. The extensions require each person to have a Netflix account. Within the viewing party, you can chat in real time. Alternatively, you can use phone apps like Rave — Watch Together or Airtime: Watch Together to watch YouTube videos or Tik Toks together.
Host a gathering at an editors’ house. Make everyone who attends wear a nametag. Play party games. Food and drink can be BYO.
Use Zoom or Google Meets for editor-led team building sessions outside of yearbook class time. Host a yearbook show-and-tell with staffers and their elementary school yearbooks. Bonus points to new staffers who show off their parents’ high school yearbooks. Reinforce yearbook terminology playing Kahoot, or you could play Yearbook Bingo with cards you created on BingoBaker.
Quick Ways to Create Community
- Create a staff playlist, and every staff member adds a song
- If your staff works in teams, brainstorm team names, colors and mascots
- Host spirit days
- Design a staff t-shirt
- Create a GroupMe that includes every single staff member
- Share baby photos and play Guess Who?
- Team Building and Ice Breaker Ideas from Herff Jones
