Last week, Mrs. Galbreath, Yearbook Adviser, and Miss Lechman, Photography Teacher were able to travel to Orlando, Florida to attend Jostens Adviser University (JAU). With advisers from all over the country, they felt very blessed to learn from top-notch instructors and network with other educators.
One of Mrs. Galbreath’s favorite classes was led by Yearbook Adviser, Cody Harrell, on the subject of alternative copy. He emphasized that the goal is to capture a reader’s attention and get them to read everything on a page. Some examples of alternative copy include timelines, surveys, quote boxes and infographics. Years down the road, the photos will remain, but the memory will fade and the words will bring back the story behind the photo. A touching moment was when Mrs. Galbreath saw that Audrey Mills (’22), Editor-in-Chief of the CCS 2021-2022 Impact yearbook, had sent in a heartfelt comment with a photo that was displayed during a PowerPoint that honored special advisers.
Miss Lechman was able to participate in a photo adviser track which was packed with knowledge from professional photographers and contained hands-on activities labs and even had homework. Some of the topics included sports photography, lighting environment challenges and practical classroom tips. After attending an iPhone photography class presented by Tina Cleavelin, Miss Lechman was awarded a prize for her iPhone photography based on angle, selective focus and rule of thirds.
The closing assembly was led by Gian Paul Gonzales, a ninth-grade world history teacher who is better known for coining the phrase ALL IN, which the NY Giants give credit for motivating their 2011 Super Bowl winning season. He challenged the JAU attendees to not just be ALL IN as a slogan but make it a LIFEstyle.
“This conference is the best conference I have ever attended in my 27 years of teaching. I have practical ways to implement real world skills and build culture of community and professionalism that is both goal-driven and fun!” – Mrs. Kelly Galbreath
Both teachers cannot wait to kick off this school year with all the knowledge they acquired while earning 32 hours of professional development. They look forward to using what they’ve learned and making this the best year yet for yearbook and photography classes!
