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BY
DIANA HADLEY
Mooresville High School
Advisers who are trying to decide whether to attend
the advisers workshop at Franklin this summer should
probably use the following formula:
Take the number of students you teach or advise +
the number of faculty members, administrators and
support staff in your school + the number of deadlines
your staff made this year + the number of deadlines
your staff missed this year + the number of parent
phone calls you received+ the number Tylenol you took
during school hours.
If the total is more than 100, an IHSPA adviser workshop
is for you.
Of course, the deck is stacked. Even though the stress
that accompanies the end of the year (who are we kidding
here--the entire year) makes it hard to sign up for
something professional during days that actually could
be free time, these experiences provide information,
energy, fun, and encouragement with people just like
you—the overworked and unappreciated.
I still remember how overwhelmed I was my first year
as an English teacher who had inherited a journalism
class and the school newspaper. When June arrived,
my number one priority was to take a few weeks to
do anything that didn’t relate to school. Fortunately,
during a wave of common sense, I signed up for a adviser
class that I thought might help me teach and advise
the next year— and it was one of the best decisions
I ever made. By the end of the class I had ideas,
more confidence, and new professional colleagues/friends
who have been a source of joy and support throughout
my career.
Although my role at this summer’s workshop would
be leader, I look forward to the experience as another
opportunity to share common frustrations and successes.
Workshop topics will include “old favorites”
such as: staff management, coverage, content, assessment,
rubrics for journalism, and law/ethics. However, flexibility
will be built in to the schedule to include the participants’
specific requests or areas of concerns.
Anyone who has specific questions about the workshop
should feel welcome to share them with the IHSPA adviser
workshop staff.
In the meantime, keep tabulating those points so we
can get together in June.
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