Teaching journalism

[ChollyTrippi]

After nearly a decade as a sports writer, I recently took a job teaching high school journalism. Classes start in less than two weeks. The school paper is a joke, but there's a lot of potential and a lot of cause for excitement on my part. I know some of you have taught in the past and was seeking any advice you might offer. Thanks.

 

[Overrated]

Flirt with any and all chicks in your class. Offer to give them rides home after a long, steamy night of production. Offer them cigarettes. If they smoke, they poke.

 

[Overrated]

But seriously, work out your lesson plan to a T. Teach them about real-world journalism, instead of the bull**** textbooks and classes teach. Tell them stories about what you went through, good and bad. Know exactly what you are talking about. If they sense weakness or ignorance, you're ****ing dead. Be cool, but not too cool. Be a ****, but not too big of a ****.

 

[Cadet]

Make friends with the secretaries and the janitors. They hold keys to everything in the school, literally and figuratively.

 

[slappy4428]

Flirt with any and all chicks in your class. Offer to give them rides home after a long, steamy night of production. Offer them cigarettes. If they smoke, they poke.

Be careful of sloe-eyed sabras

 

[Ace]

Flirt with any and all chicks in your class. Offer to give them rides home after a long, steamy night of production. Offer them cigarettes. If they smoke, they poke.

Be careful of sloe-eyed sabras

 

[SF_Express]

I've always thought that if I was going to teach a class, I'd tell them that they were going to pass my class as long as they tried hard and -- never missed a deadline. I'd make that the one absolute, that aside from serious illness or whatever, the one absolute requirement I had was that they turn in assignments on time.

 

[Marvin]

You might want to check out the book "No Time Outs: What It's Really Like to Be a Sportswriter."

As also suggested on this board, "Pond Scum and Vultures."

 

[txsportsscribe]

Teach them about real-world journalism, instead of the bull**** textbooks and classes teach.

easier said than done when there's a set curriculum.

best of luck but also be prepared for 75 percent of your students taking the class because they think it's a blowoff while the other 25 percent do all the work. i've taught at the high school level and as a graduate teaching fellow in a college undergrad reporting lab. ran as fast as i could from the high school job but would go the college route again in a heart beat.

also get ready to be caught under an avalanche of paperwork, especially for any special needs students.

 

[buckweaver]

I've always thought that if I was going to teach a class, I'd tell them that they were going to pass my class as long as they tried hard and -- never missed a deadline. I'd make that the one absolute, that aside from serious illness or whatever, the one absolute requirement I had was that they turn in assignments on time.

That's a good one. Drill that one in their heads early.

Also, get them interested in all the different production aspects of the newspaper. By this I mean, get them to realize that writing is not the only (or coolest) job in journalism. You don't have to be a writer to make a living or have an enjoyable career in journalism. (Hell, we got enough hacks as it is.)

Threadjack alert: If they do decide to stick with journalism, it will make them better-quality newsroom employees if they're not narrowly confined to knowing only what their own department does. There's nothing I hate worse than deskers who don't have any tolerance for photogs, or SEs who don't understand the concept of production, and the utter lack of understanding and communication between different departments in a newsroom.

Finally, I'd suggest calling up an editor or press supervisor at the local paper, and inquiring about taking a field trip (at a CONVENIENT time for the journos, please. No disturbing the worker bees.) Get them involved (or at least interested in) the local paper because a) it helps the paper; 2) it gets you/them involved in the community; III) showing is always more fun than telling.

 

[MGoBlue]

I hope to teach journalism once I get this second pension secured.

 

[leo1]

Teach them about real-world journalism, instead of the bull**** textbooks and classes teach.

easier said than done when there's a set curriculum.

best of luck but also be prepared for 75 percent of your students taking the class because they think it's a blowoff while the other 25 percent do all the work. i've taught at the high school level and as a graduate teaching fellow in a college undergrad reporting lab. ran as fast as i could from the high school job but would go the college route again in a heart beat.

also get ready to be caught under an avalanche of paperwork, especially for any special needs students.

this might be true but i'd suggest the teacher keep an eye out for that kid who maybe doesn't pipe up because it's high school and he's not in the popular crowd but who might be someone you can steer into a career in journalism. i'd think if you had an impact on even one kid it would be a worthwhile experience.

 

[Songbird]

She's got Betty Sabra eyes (clap-clap clap). [/Weird Al version of Kim Carnes song]

 

[the_rookie]

Here's what happened last semester (high school):

There was a teacher who supposedly taught journalism. Apparently, it was a spin-off of the yearbook course. Well, because I was completely unaware of this course I didn't take. However, the experience I had already was invaluable to the class -- and the teacher.

Here's a list of the stuff I did:
1) the entire layouts (for four issues; three newsletters and one newsprint)
2) wrote 40 per cent of the paper -- 95 per cent of involved quotes, which were seldom used in other students'.
3) showed students how to use InDesign (this was my first time using it, too)
4) covered certain sport team beats (about three or four stories were for the paper, the other 25+ were for practice)

Here's what the teacher did:
1) edit the stories (WAAAY too many mistakes. Still trying to figure out how she received an English degree?
2) tell students to write "stuff"
3) supervise meetings
4) bring in doughnuts! ;D

My advice for a teacher who HAS the experience: ditch the textbook. Any graduate knows learning out a textbook is tedious. Inspire them. Get them off their seats with stories that will keep their attention -- isn't that what journalism is all about?

Be funny. No student likes a stiff @$$ teacher. Make your class unique.

I just thought of this now: how about creating a style guide for your class. Ask them what they believe is the proper way to write something?

MOST IMPORTANTLY: provide them with endless grammar lessons/tips. The Elements of Style is a real gem.

 

[Mudbone]

Here's a good resource from my student teaching days: www.highschooljournalism.org

 

[slappy4428]

I hope to teach journalism once I get this second pension secured.

Those who can not do, teach.

 

[Jack_Bauer]

I agree wholeheartedly with the "miss a deadline, don't pass the class" idea. I am also in favor of "spell a name wrong, fail the assignment."

 

[Overrated]

I agree wholeheartedly with the "miss a deadline, don't pass the class" idea. I am also in favor of "spell a name wrong, fail the assignment."

That's a ridiculous outcome for one missed assignment. It's ****ing high school.

 

[FileNotFound]

I agree wholeheartedly with the "miss a deadline, don't pass the class" idea. I am also in favor of "spell a name wrong, fail the assignment."

That's a ridiculous outcome for one missed assignment. It's ****ing high school.

You miss a deadline at my professional shop, there's a house ad with your name on it. Miss it twice, and you're out of a job. Anything that reinforces the importance of making deadline is a good thing.

 

[Overrated]

I agree wholeheartedly with the "miss a deadline, don't pass the class" idea. I am also in favor of "spell a name wrong, fail the assignment."

That's a ridiculous outcome for one missed assignment. It's ****ing high school.

You miss a deadline at my professional shop, there's a house ad with your name on it. Miss it twice, and you're out of a job. Anything that reinforces the importance of making deadline is a good thing.

In no way am I saying deadlines aren't of the utmost importance. I'm just saying it's high school. Nobody should fail a class because they missed one assignment, unless it's a senior term paper or something.