Happy Adviser Appreciation Day!

In honor of Adviser Appreciation Day, we’ve asked Balfour advisers from across the country to weigh in on what it means to be an adviser.

“I love being an adviser because of the students I’ve been able to meet and how much more I’ve gotten to interact with them! I’ve definitely also learned a lot more organizational hacks too, which has been extremely helpful!” –Katherine Sands, Dueitt Middle School, Spring, Texas

“I love the interaction that I have with my students. We are working toward a common goal and as we complete pages, I get glimpses into the adult my students will become. That relationship is different than what I experience with students in my other classes. In yearbook, there is a maturity in students that comes out in the quality of work they do. Their work ethic is strong and their desire to put out a quality product shows in their effort. Don't get me wrong, they are still teenagers and when I least expect it, that teenager will let something slip. However, the maturity inherent in my students soon kicks in and after a deep breath and perhaps a PopTart, we are back on track and working to meet deadlines.” –Pam Willard, Prescott High School, Prescott, Arizona

“I had no knowledge of journalism when thrown into it. I was resentful at first, but you better not touch my classes now! I love my staff. They are my yearbook daughters. Our friendships last long after graduation. I learn every single day right alongside my staff.” –Belinda Maye, Smyer High School, Smyer, Texas

“I love getting to work with a group of kids all year, since my students change at the semester. I appreciate getting to watch them problem solve big things. They have to learn how to work in a way that they wouldn't otherwise have to, in high school.” —Tessa Ikola, Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka, Minnesota

“I love advising because I get to know every kid on campus because there are kids in and out of my room all day every day for interviews, photos, etc. It really makes me feel like I’m a part of the school. Prior to advising, I knew about the clubs I sponsored and that’s it. I’m so much more involved now. I learned that these kids will work hard for you just because they don’t want to let you down. My kids are very self-motivated (most days) and are very competitive and are determined to get into the Yearbook Yearbook and any other kind of recognition they can get. It’s that ‘I did this and people know it was me’ thing. I also learned to let the little things go because at the end of the day, it’s the big picture. Over the last two years, I have gone through a ridiculous amount of medical emergencies including a late term miscarriage in January 2018 and then the birth and passing of my twins in January 2019 and then being hospitalized for extreme pancreatitis and gallbladder removal in April 2019. Let the little things go. The kids will be okay. The book will get done. It will be okay.” –Julie Pasha, Pearland Junior High West, Pearland, Texas

“I was a journalism student myself in high school and loved my experience. I wanted more than anything to work with students to make a publication and get to take photographs. I love working with the kids on my staff and together, we have created something that will last forever.” –Stephanie Cox, Woodcreek Middle School, Houston, Texas

“For me, it fulfills a creative need as an English teacher and gives me a break from the monotony of only teaching regular English classes. Yearbook class gives me the opportunity to have a large and effective club that is like an actual class. Being an adviser helps me to feel plugged-in to my school, colleagues and community, and build a rapport with a totally different group of students than the ones that I teach in 10th grade English. Usually, I see the same 70 10th grade students for the entire year; now, I'm able to work with students in different grades and of different abilities. And, yearbook is not like my other classes— there is a self-efficacy and shared passion there in the staffers that sometimes is not present in your students in regular classes. Overall, I have become more involved and knowledgeable about my high school, the weekly events, and the students, as a whole!” –Samantha Padgett, Oak Grove High School, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

“I love advising because you get to be part of basically every event on campus, and you get to know all of the kids who never cross your path in the classroom. I worked graduation last year. I was the person who made sure the tassel was in the right spot, their tie was straight, their hair looked good, and I even hand-collected gum. I was the last adult before they walked across the stage. One of the young ladies who came through stopped me from checking her. She asked if she could give me a hug. Of course, I said yes! As I pulled away, she told me I was the only person who made her senior year noticeable and exciting. I never taught this kiddo and to be honest, I recognized her face but didn’t know her name. I started crying right there! As an adviser, not only do you make a difference in the classroom, but you make one outside.” –Sarah Ellison, Oak Ridge High School, Conroe, Texas

“I’ve only had one full year of experience, but I think my absolute favorite moment (or moments if you count my newspaper advising!) is watching the staff unbox and look at the publication they worked so hard to create. Hours upon hours are poured into making this book that, at our school, gets a day dedicated to, with a distribution event for seniors in the morning and the rest of the students in the afternoon. But before anyone in the school sees the book, the staff gets to see it first. Watching their eyes stretch open as wide as possible as they flip through every page, looking for the photos they took or stories they wrote is an experience. The smell, the soft wisps as fingers flip through pages, the staff pointing out to each other how great a design turned out. It’s my favorite thing about advising. It’s the moment when their work is realized and cemented as part of the history of Shawnee Mission South.

I’ve learned that the most important part of my job is making sure my students have a spot to belong. The publication will get done. It always does. But if a kid doesn’t feel like they belong, then I have some work to do. I thrived because my high school yearbook adviser helped me find a spot where I belonged. It’s one of the biggest reasons I’m a teacher today. I’m learning that finding a kid’s spot is tough, but there is one for every kid, regardless of what they bring to the table.” —Tucker Love, Shawnee Mission South High School, Overland Park, Kansas

“I love advising because the relationships I’ve made with students who have been in my programs over the last seven years have been life changing. Spending two or three years watching young people do things they never thought they could do, have experiences they never thought possible, and grow into young adults in front of me has been so rewarding and awesome. These kids have become part of my family. They have babysat my boys, celebrated my birthday, stayed up late to finish a deadline, shared food, crouched on the sidelines to get the perfect shot, taught me dances and songs, cried on my shoulder, let me cry on theirs. We’ve been through so much together, and they keep me laughing and on my toes every day.” –Danielle Bell, Foster High School, Richmond, Texas

It’s clear advising has a lasting impact on our lives, our schools and our students. What we do becomes a permanent part of the history of the school. And while the rest of the world may not realize what it takes to create a yearbook, we do! Print out this certificate for a small reminder of how important your role is. Happy Adviser Appreciation Day!