From time to time we feature guest columns from Balfour advisers. This guest post from Buffalo High School adviser Ryan McCallum ran in the fall issue of Elements, our biannual magazine. Ryan shares a feedback and evaluation system that increased his staff’s efficiency and improved deadlines. This is his 18th year teaching and 17th advising.
As with most creative endeavors, the real progress toward producing a yearbook is concentrated in the week leading up to each deadline. It's amazing to watch everything come together in a short amount of time, but there is a drawback. The quickly-approaching shipping data means that students often don't receive thoughtful feedback with enough time to do anything useful with it.
While students took pride in surviving the chaotic deadline scramble, I knew their work could have been more polished, unified, fresh and inclusive. For my own sanity as an adviser, I wanted a way to get more done without adding to the already frantic deadlines.
To deal with this issue, we borrowed an idea from Atari and Apple and instituted Demo Days, soft deadlines two weeks ahead of crunch time. On these days, staff members present spreads, stories and photographs to the whole staff. Their work is complete enough to show the group a clear plan and offer us an opportunity to provide feedback.
A writer and editor work together on the day before Demo Day, making sure they are on the same page with what they will tell the class and what areas of feedback they may want. Photo by Jayna Sigurdson
Often our Balfour representative attends these days which adds some importance to a soft deadline and encourages the staff to have something meaningful to share. Since instituting Demo Days, our work hit the next level of quality.
Staff members are actually eager to receive feedback because they know they have two or three weeks to act on it. There’s a buzz of energy that surrounds Demo Days, but it’s controlled and focused. This has allowed us to make a more cohesive, interesting, complete and well-developed book. It also allows the whole staff to work together to improve every spread.
At their November Demo Day, Tatanka staffers present their current spreads and listen to feedback. The staff holds the day two weeks before deadline to have ample time to enact changes suggested. Photos by Chloe Paul
On top of that, we get to celebrate great ideas and hardworking students which provides a positive example for other staff members to follow going into future deadlines. Being ready to share something meaningful on Demo Day is a source of pride for my students because they can see how their input impacts the whole book.
Now, our actual deadlines are dedicated to turning good work into excellent work. Demo Days have been the key to creating a sustained and manageable energy that starts a month before each deadline instead of days prior to shipping.
