IHSPA Insider

By Lauren Wagner, MJE

Zionsville High School Adviser

How many days left? I know you know. At this point in the year, “just make it to the last day” feels like a valid plan. But this is also the time when a few intentional actions can set you up for a smoother return in August (or, gasp, July?!). Nobody has time for big projects right now, but these five to-do items can carry your program forward and hopefully help you actually step away when the year ends.

1. Let the new editors take charge. Editors don’t magically become effective leaders; they have to be taught how to do it. If they don’t start until August, they’re already behind. Give them something real to own before the year ends: run a meeting, make coverage decisions, update policies, or lead feedback. Then actually coach them through it. It won’t be perfect, and that’s the point. Start building leadership skills now while the stakes are still low.
2. Collect contest material. Those contest deadlines often feel a lifetime away, and, yet, they sneak up on you. Before you leave for the school year, make a folder of contest-worthy content. I ask my students to fill out a form identifying a few of their best pieces to submit. Do the collecting now so those deadlines are less stressful later. And one deadline that is NOT a lifetime away? Print, broadcast and web Hoosier Star entries (June 1).
3. Get summer meeting(s) on the calendar. Don’t wait to compare schedules in a group message. When editors have a date early, it helps them prioritize it in their summer planning and sets the tone that leadership doesn’t just happen during the school day. I’ve done my fair share of elaborate planning (looking at you, ziplining course) but these days I keep it simple. I schedule meetings when I’m already planning to be in school, like Back to School Days when we host a yearbook table. Make it an informal coffee chat or a full day of editor bonding. Just make it happen.
4. Clean or organize one thing. We all have that problematic area of our classroom (just one?). It nags at you all year— if only you had the energy to deal with it. That might be a pile in the corner or a chaotic Google Drive. Take a little time now so it’s one less thing waiting for you in August. Even better, outsource it. Give students ownership of something that will make next year run a little smoother.
5. Close the chapter, celebrate, and take the break. It’s easy for to-do items from the school year to trickle into the summer. Before you know it, months off do not feel like much of a break at all. Give yourself a deadline for the end of this school year. Mark it by celebrating all the good with your students, your teacher friends, your family, or all of the above. Not everything got done the way you wanted. That’s okay. Give yourself permission to leave some things unfinished without carrying them into summer. You’ll come back with a clearer head and more energy to figure them out.

Need to refresh your photography skills or lessons this summer? Check out the Digital Photography Complete Course. The book is set-up as a 20-week photography course. It breaks down the basics of using a camera although way to advance photography skills. The book features in-depth lessons along with photography tasks for student to apply what they learned.

As the 2025-2026 school wraps up, here is just a small sampling of great journalistic writing from students across the state. This just scratches the service of the great student journalism happening in Indiana, so make sure to share your students' great work using the link below.

• A Lucky Cat’s Legacy by Charlotte English, Logansport High School
• ‘Buenoism’ by Ella Thompson, Southport High School
• Heat of the moment by Marissa Par, Southport High School
• The Value of Our Voices by Colin Amini, Isabella Herbert, Madeline Williams, Claire Rawlings, and Cassandra Osburn, Columbus North High School
• Through the Lens by August Vermillion, Center Grove High School
• Up the octave by Jordyn Doty, Southport High School

• A Need for Speed by Addison Prieshoff, Zionsville High School
• Beneath the mat by Gabe Harman, Southport High School
• Hitting the Mark by Vivian Munger, Columbus North High School
• Lone Golfer Tees Up for Sectional by Kayla Barnett, Paoli Jr.-Sr. High School
• Look Out Longhorns, Hagerty’s Coming to Austin by Yadira Melo, Logansport High School
• Running Routine by Kara Ennis, Greenwood Community High School

Submit the best of your student's work here. Every month we'd like to highlight great journalism from IHSPA journalists. We'd like to high light a variety of journalism, including print, yearbook, broadcast, writing, photojournalism, podcasts, etc. So, keep submitting your student's work throughout the year!