The Colophon - Balfour Yearbooks Blog

“Barney & Friends,” a PBS series which ran from 1992-2009, featured a purple anthropomorphic tyrannosaurus rex. You may remember his clean-up song: “Clean up clean up everybody everywhere. Clean up

Whether you organize your staff by sections (sports, student life, academics, etc.) or function (copy, design, photography), consider adding a few critical positions to your staff.

What’s that saying about idle hands? It’s not what you want to face the last quarter of the school year. When the book is done, keep the staff busy doing useful work. It’s time for underclassmen to

It’s that time of the year. Inertia has set in and your students are stuck. (Metaphorically, the gas is no longer getting to the engine.) At this point, an adviser’s encouragement only goes so far.

In elementary school, there was always a Valentine’s Day party. Each student decorated a shoe box and exchanged cards. Everyone left with a stack of friendly love notes and a lot of candy.

Only 12% of people who make resolutions achieve them. Group resolutions won’t fare much better if you don’t have a plan. To create a course of action, have staff members read the resolutions. Then

What are you planning for the day before holiday break? Tap into your staff members’ anticipation of a vacation with an activity that captures the holiday spirit and promotes staff interaction.

by Linda Ballew Dow Jones Newspaper Fund 2005 Teacher of the Year

In Three Cups of Tea, journalist David Oliver Relin relates a story about a mountain climber who built schools for girls in

National Yearbook Week is October 4-10. This honorary week (the first full week in October) is dedicated to the role that yearbooks play in America. It’s a great time to celebrate our emotional

by Jack Kennedy Dow Jones Newspaper Fund 1993 Teacher of the Year

The difference between good reporting and great reporting lies in the “little things.”

Grading students’ work for scholastic publications is a frequently shared challenge for new and experienced advisers alike. Portfolio assessments are a highly effective evaluation tool for journalism