Eleven Kids is Too Many

A couple of weeks ago, D and I took eleven of her students to Phoenix for a National High School Journalism Convention.  It was four days (Thursday-Sunday) of sessions about everything from layout to Student Press Law to writing good headlines to font and color choices.  There are also some great keynote speeches, this year from Aaron Brown (former CNN anchor) and Mary Beth Tinker (primary figure in student press law).  Thousands of students come every year, and this is the second year D has brought some of hers to the event....last year's convention was in Anaheim.  It's an opportunity for the younger writers and editors (no seniors) to prepare for next year's newspaper class, gather some great ideas, and sharpen their skills.

Last year, there were only seven or eight kids, and it was a simple drive up the 5 freeway to Anaheim....this year, we had to wrangle eleven kids all the way to Phoenix.  Carlsbad-->carpool to airport parking-->shuttle to the airport-->Southwest flight to Phoenix-->bus to the transit station-->light rail to downtown-->walk to the hotel.  They were all very well-behaved and we got several compliments from the flight crew, other passengers, and people in the airport.  Still, it made me realize that some people have eleven kids, and I cannot imagine how they do it....it was like herding cats at times.

Once we were there, we kept to the area around the hotel and didn't venture out more than a couple of blocks for dinners.  For the most part, journalism students tend to be more mature than the average high schooler, so they are actually pretty entertaining to hang out with.  It didn't even make me feel that old....I can somehow still relate to 14-17 year-olds.  All in all, it was a very fun extended weekend, though I was trapped in the hotel room working most of the time (even on Saturday and Sunday).  D's already trying to figure out how to get a bunch of students to Portland (Oregon) next spring, while also managing an eight-month-old baby.

And now for the EXCITING PART!  The convention is geared toward the advisors just as much as it is toward the students.  There are sessions for advisors on many of the same subjects, as well as advisor-specific topics.  In addition, this conference is one of the few times per year that JEA (the Journalism Education Association) offers their certification program.  There are stringent requirements for advisors that include years of teaching and either continuing education credits or a rigorous written exam.  This year D took the test, and we just found out yesterday that she passed!  She is now officially a Certified Journalism Educator, accredited by the most prominent organization in the industry.  I'm all kinds of proud and excited for her, as she really enjoys teaching journalism and this is a great recognition of her skill.