Our paper, normally a fairly fun class, is floundering this year. We're still able to put together a decent publication, but the class isn't interesting anymore. Our advisor now has a baby at home, and he is teaching more from dull textbooks and videos that require less prep time on his part. The class has become more formal and less engaging, and we have less time to work on the publication in class. My question is, does anyone have any suggestions for morale boosters for our staff? Today we decided to give up on going to Chicago due to high expense, lack of staff chaperones, and lack of time, so we'll be going to the San Francisco one, a whopping 5 miles away. What kind of social activities, staff bonding, or day-to-day class routines can be implemented to raise our staff's morale?
Responses
Elizabeth Caswell, 10/26/2005, 11:23:23 AM
Wow! Your staff and your teacher are fortunate to have an editor who cares so much. From the teacher point of view, I'd suggest that you come up with some hands-on learning activities that would be engaging for the class and make his job easier. Talk with him alone first, don't confront him in front of everyone. Show him you idea, for example a lesson on that has students role playing interviews. Small awards are always good morale boosters -- the candy bar Payday with a computer generated certificate works well. Get the staff involved with thinking of creative awards and selecting the winners. Small group projects are good for moral building -- do you use the mestro approach to any pages or sections? Then maybe your teacher would allow more class time for working on the paper. Good luck
, 11/9/2005, 3:53:07 PM
Our staff is always very close-knit, and it doesn't come too hard. Every year we do Fall Bonding, where we just go over to someone's house and bring them food and hang out for a few hours. We're thinking about doing a Seasonal Bonding and having a couple more. We also buy stupid toys for the newspaper room and screw around in the time we're supposed to be doing interviews, but at least we're bonding, and if we're still winning awards it's not such a big deal. (This year's stupid toys include an inflatable cicada, a Ride 'Em Unicorn, and a small catapult that shoots tiny plastic babies.)
km, 11/12/2005, 2:57:38 PM
What about a progressive holidy dinner? Each staff member prepares something at his her house and then you travel house to house for food and fun.
Or just the editors could do this with others helping if you have a large staff--For example, everyone goes to the sports editor's house for snacks and a game of volley ball, then travel to the news editor's house for salad and jeopardy, then on to the editor in chief for the main course and scrabble and then to the feature editor's house for soup and story telling about holidy traditions or to wrap presents for a local charity, and finally to the art/photo editor's house for dessert and a game of pictionary.
You need to start early--say 3 p.m and expect it to conclude late, say 11 or midnight.
It's great fun and great staff bonding.
sp, 11/18/2005, 10:34:53 PM
We'd have to secularize that a bit but I like the general idea.
Deborah Jepson, Adviser, 11/22/2005, 9:17:51 AM
I suggest that you give awards at the end of each deadline. My editors give a Fabulous Four award to four staff members who have worked especially hard. (We make the certificates on the computer.) I give writing awards to a writer in each section. After the awards, any staff members who wants to thank another staff members is given the opportunity to do so. The room is filled with positive vibes after this class period.
Branden Officer, 1/3/2006, 12:34:51 PM
One of the best ways to get things going is to have fun right away. Before the shift or class starts, have everyone stand in a circle and do the Hokey Pokey, or play the phone game. Make it fun, friendly, everyone must participate, and short so that you can move on. Even the trust game where you fall backwards and someone catches you can be entertaining and it makes you all engage each other.
reader, 1/8/2006, 9:06:43 PM
we also do awards for each issue, and it's surprising how much it boosts our staff morale. everyone gets really excited when they get an award. we have a few categories that don't change, like Best Story, Best Page Design and Deadline Hero, but we also have a few categories that change to suit the occasion - if there's someone who worked really hard and got in a lot of drafts, or something, we'd award them for that.
we also encourage copy editing groups, which is where staff members get a chance to know a copy editor and other members in their group... they meet and talk about stories, angles, interviews, etc, and those are pretty successful, because you get a chance to meet other people and talk about journalism.
SPM III, 3/15/2006, 9:54:30 PM
BRANDEN,
I LOVE THE HOKEY POKEY IDEA. I AM GOING TO TRY IT OUT @ MY WORK. DETAILS TO FOLLOW.
