Treering Blog

By participating in Teacher Appreciation Week, students and parents recognize the efforts of their teachers. We’ve created two free printables to help make it easy because this week can be a powerful way to build rapport between home and campus life, which can ultimately enhance the learning experience for everyone involved. Additionally, participating in Teacher Appreciation Week can teach students the importance of showing an attitude of gratitude.

The science behind being thankful

Studies show that when you share gratitude with others, your brain becomes re-wired in a positive way. Gratitude helps you:

• Feel happier: Gratitude can make you feel good by making more of the happy chemicals—dopamine and serotonin—in your brain.
• Think better: Gratitude can help you use the prefrontal cortex (thinking part) of your brain more, which helps you make good decisions and solve problems.
• Reduce stress: Gratitude can help you worry less and feel less scared by calming down the part of your brain that makes you feel anxious.

Now that’s something for which to be grateful.

Free printables

We made these printables available as a convenient way for parents to participate in Teacher Appreciation Week. Simply download and print the materials from the comfort of your own home for your child or work with other classroom parents to cultivate a display on the classroom door in the teachers’ lounge. Whichever you choose, you and your child can personalize the messages, which can make them more meaningful and memorable for the teacher.

"All About My Teacher" printable

This full-color mini poster with fill-ins is a fun way for parents and their children to document the impact of their teacher. Download it here. (Did you know this page is also available as a pre-designed yearbook spread you can drag and drop into your Treering yearbook?)

Teacher appreciation card

We’ve made it easy to write a letter thanking teachers for all their hard work and dedication. Fill in the blanks of the card below. Thank you cards can be compiled into a scrapbook or displayed in the classroom. Download it here.

We hope these printables help to create a fun and festive atmosphere in the classroom. Teacher Appreciation Week is a way for students and parents to express gratitude towards the teachers who have had a positive impact.

We see you, teachers; your hard work and dedication are recognized and valued.

Form and function. A yearbook table of contents needs both. A well-designed one can make it easier for students and families to navigate, even in a smaller book. It’s another avenue to communicate your theme. And it’s also a layout worthy of those images that didn't make it elsewhere in the book.

Do you need a table of contents in your yearbook?

Yes, especially, if you do not do an index. A table of contents is the proverbial road map or neon directional sign for your book. It’s also professional. 

Normally, I’m not a proponent of “everyone else does it.” This is an exception. Yearbooks are reference books. Reference books have tables of contents. Therefore, yearbooks should have tables of contents. (Somewhere, my son’s logic teacher is smiling.)

Tips for small yearbooks (<60 Pages)

If you're working on a smaller yearbook, here are a few additional things to keep in mind when designing your table of contents:

• Keep it Simple: Stick to the essentials and only include major sections or events in your table of contents.
• Use Space Wisely: You may not need a double-page spread; integrate your table of contents on the title page.

Tips for larger yearbooks (>100 pages)

For larger yearbooks, consider the following:

• Add Sub-Sections: Include sub-sections or categories to help readers navigate through the content more easily.
• Use Visual Cues: Incorporate visual cues such as icons or graphics to help readers quickly identify different sections of the yearbook. These should of course correspond to your theme.

How do you arrange a TOC for YB?

It may be tempting to tackle this first since it spans the first few spreads of your yearbook. Wait! You may increase sections or move pages through the design process. 

• Let your ladder be your guide: A yearbook ladder is essential when planning your book and for creating the table of contents. Make sure your ladder and table of contents align.

• Determine the level of detail: At minimum, include the major sections: people/portraits, events, clubs and organizations, athletics, and arts. Larger yearbooks may need to create sub-sections.
• Focus on clarity: Ensure your sections and page numbers are easy to read and understand, even at a glance.
  

4 tips to integrate your yearbook theme

Because every detail counts when creating your epic school yearbook, there are a few ways to apply your theme to your yearbook’s table of contents.

1. Use Theme Colors: Incorporate theme colors into the layout for text, borders, or background elements.

2. Include Theme Graphics: Add graphics or illustrations related to your yearbook theme to enhance the visual appeal. This could be icons, symbols, or images representative of theme elements.

3. Custom Fonts: Choose fonts that complement your yearbook theme and use them consistently throughout your table of contents. This will help tie the design together and create a cohesive look and feel.

4. Creative Section Titles: Get creative with your section titles and use language that reflects your yearbook theme. 

A well-designed table of contents is a requisite element of a school yearbook, helping to guide readers through the content and enhance their overall experience.

No one reads yearbook stories. Sound familiar? I felt that way in my first five years advising. Focusing on photojournalism was almost an act of rebellion against the genius who mentored me in my high school’s newsroom. Yes, pictures are worth a thousand words and all that. By adding writing to your yearbook pages, you give names to faces and intent to actions. It’s more than so-and-so on the thing doing the thing; it’s context and clarity. It's a change for the better.

Copy as design

I’ve said it for years because my aforementioned high school adviser brainwashed me (in a good way): Content drives design. If you plan on increasing your yearbook’s written content, learn how to design with copy. 

Headlines

Headlines are a great way to connect yearbook spreads back to the theme. On a spread about robotics, push yourself to make the main verbal entry point read more than “Robotics.” Your headline font, weight, color, and placement are just as important as the dominant photo.
‍

How to write yearbook headlines

Not only is it a part of the dominant element of your spread’s hierarchy, but headlines also help organize the yearbook by providing a visual cue and structure for the content.

Captions and stories

While not every topic may need a story, (nearly) every photo deserves a caption. Captions are entry-level writing opportunities. Compare the two spreads below. They are from the same yearbook. One is captions only; the other has a story.

The captions are close to the photos they complement. The story connects to the headline and subheadline.
‍

How to introduce writing to the yearbook

As an adult, it can be tough to approach another adult and have a conversation (cool mom at the playground, I’m looking at you). Likewise, getting students to approach their peers isn’t the easiest skill to teach. As with all skills, take the easy +1 approach: start small, master that skill, and add another. 

A progression, like the one below, builds confidence while building familiarity.

1. Introduce a question of the day (QOTD)

The heading says it all. Advisers or the editorial board select a question, and yearbook students ask four non-yearbook students the QOTD. 

Yearbook creators are encouraged to start with their peer groups and branch out. The only caveat is that they cannot ask a student a QOTD twice until everyone has had a chance. No repeats. You can track this with a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) board, via a Google Sheet fed by a Google Form, or with your roster.

Do the math with me for a second: if six yearbook students each interviewed four students daily, that would be 120 student voices added to your yearbook in a week. With a larger staff of 18, that’s 360 new voices. Use these as Q&A moments in your portrait section or sidebars through athletics, arts, and student life spreads.

With those figures, you could get a meaningful quote from nearly everyone on campus each quarter.

2. Practice interviewing in class weekly

Repetition builds skills, and we educators know that. In the yearbook classroom or club space, the work of photoshoots, layout design, and marketing sometimes overshadows the process of creating. Take time to teach, practice, and evaluate your team’s skills. Here are a few ideas:

3. Take it to the street!

The key to a good yearbook interview is to have good questions. While there are hundreds of lists on the interwebs (we list some of our favs below), tailoring the interview to the subject will always give you the best material.

The best way to prep is to craft questions using the Five Common Topics: definition, comparison, relationship, circumstance, and testimony. 
‍

Using the "Five common topics" for yearbook copy

The inverted pyramid is the go-to launch point for budding journalists.

Once you have a list of questions—“Give me a quote for the yearbook” does not count—ask them! 

The late Casey Nicols inspired a love of focus groups in me. As a journalism mentor, he encouraged me to bring in clubs or teams at lunchtime and interview the group. There was strength in numbers for them, as interviews were new for our yearbook staff. And our staff received some of the best quotes because they would play off each other. 

As a result, their writing became interesting. Students read it. It became the expectation.

4. Start small

Remember, easy +1. If there is no writing in your yearbook, add captions. Play with sentence structure so it’s not always subject-verb-adverb. Add a prepositional opener. Make it a complex sentence. Then

You don’t have to do it all. Ever. Tell your community’s story your way. 

Help with interview questions

Use these lists of interview questions for creating QOTD, practice interviews, and as launch pads for longer form copy.

You can even have students rank their favorite and least favorite questions. Make sure they have a reason why. Re-write the “bad” questions and craft follow-ups for the helpful ones.

When it comes to crafting memorable yearbooks, superlatives are a staple. These awards allow students to celebrate their peers in fun and lighthearted ways while preserving memories of who they were during the school year. However, the classic titles like Teacher's Pet, Most Likely to Succeed, and Class Clown—while timeless—can feel a bit overdone. That’s why we’ve curated a fresh list of over 100 yearbook superlatives that go beyond the clichés and embrace today's students' diversity, creativity, and individuality.

Senior Superlative Ideas for Any High School Yearbook

The best yearbook superlatives celebrate individuality and avoid focusing solely on physical attributes. By shifting the focus to creativity, character, and accomplishments, your yearbook can reflect the dynamic personalities of your class while creating moments of joy for everyone who flips through its pages.

And they are no longer just for your senior section. We're also seeing superlatives for elementary and middle school students plus teachers.

Superlatives For the Pop Culture Fanatics

1. Future viral sensation
2. Most likely to be verified on social media
3. Most likely to get a deal on Shark Tank
4. Next big TikTok trendsetter
5. Future Marvel hero
6. Most likely to direct an Oscar-winning film
7. Most likely to write a best-selling YA novel
8. Next reality TV star
9. Most likely to produce a Grammy-winning album
10. Most likely to host a podcast

Standouts for World-Changers

11. Future Nobel Prize winner
12. Most likely to start a nonprofit
13. Best candidate for the CIA
14. Most likely to be a UN ambassador
15. Most likely to create a greener future
16. Most likely to invent the next big thing
17. Most likely to solve world hunger
18. Most likely to lead a humanitarian mission
19. Most likely to make space travel affordable
20. Most likely to change the world through art
21. Most likely to reform the education system

The Standouts in Personality

21. Most likely to brighten your day
22. Best advice giver
23. Most likely to laugh at their own jokes
24. Best at making new friends
25. Most likely to win at trivia night
26. Most likely to remember your birthday
27. Most likely to cheer you up with a meme
28. Most likely to have a cool hobby you didn't know about
29. Most likely to be a secret genius
30. Most likely to travel the karaoke circuit

Tech & Innovation Superlatives

31. Most likely to work at a tech giant
32. Future app creator
33. Most likely to go viral on GitHub
34. Most likely to build the next social media platform
35. Most likely to win a robotics competition
36. Most likely to design a sustainable city
37. Future AI specialist
38. Most likely to lead a virtual reality revolution
39. Future cybersecurity expert
40. Most likely to write the code that changes the world
41. Most likely to build a flying car

Creative Superlatives

41. Most likely to design a fashion line
42. Future Disney Imagineer
43. Most likely to illustrate a graphic novel
44. Most likely to be a professional photographer
45. Most likely to write/produce/star in a Broadway musical
46. Future art gallery curator
47. Most likely to star in a viral dance challenge
48. Most likely to edit an award-winning film
49. Most likely to open a boutique
50. Most likely to host a DIY show

School-Spirit Leaders

51. Most likely to plan the best reunion
52. Most school spirited
53. Most likely to remember every school tradition
54. Most likely to stay involved as an alum
55. Most likely to be voted into the Hall of Fame
56. Most likely to name their pet after the mascot
57. Most likely to preserve all their yearbooks
58. Most likely to organize the class group chat
59. Most likely to wear school colors forever
60. Most likely to volunteer at every school event
61. Most likely to return as a teacher

Celebrate Explorers and Adventurers

61. Most likely to backpack around the world
62. Most likely to climb Mount Everest
63. Most likely to be on a national geographic cover
64. Most likely to travel in a tiny home
65. Most likely to road trip across America
66. Most likely to work on an antarctic research base
67. Most likely to be a wilderness survival expert
68. Most likely to discover a new species
69. Future travel blogger
70. Most likely to live on a sailboat

Humanitarian Superlatives

71. Most likely to be a first responder
72. Most likely to work in public health
73. Most likely to foster rescued animals
74. Most likely to start a free library
75. Most likely to volunteer internationally
76. Most likely to champion mental health awareness
77. Future advocate for marginalized communities
78. Most likely to win a humanitarian award
79. Most likely to organize a food drive
80. Most likely to host fundraising galas

Superlatives that Celebrate Unique Skills

81. Most likely to master a new language
82. Most likely to memorize the entire dictionary
83. Best at solving a Rubik’s cube
84. Most likely to train a pet for tv
85. Most likely to start an e-sports team
86. Most likely to be a Guinness world record holder
87. Most likely to excel at any board game
88. Most likely to master culinary arts
89. Most likely to be a pro dungeon master
90. Best at remembering random facts

Community Superlatives

91. Best neighborhood organizer
92. Most likely to run for local office
93. Most likely to open a community center
94. Most likely to start a neighborhood tradition
95. Most likely to build a successful co-op
96. Most likely to run a food truck everyone loves
97. Most likely to revitalize a downtown area
98. Most likely to be a local celebrity
99. Most likely to mentor future generations
100. Most likely to make everyone feel included

Athletic Superlatives

101. Most likely to be in the Olympics
102. Most likely to compete in the X-games
103. Most likely to coach a championship team
104. Best teammate
105. Most likely to design athleisure wear
106. Most likely to become a fitness instructor
107. Most likely to run a marathon on every continent
108. Most likely to be a sports journalist
109. Most likely to win a Superbowl/Stanley Cup/World Series/MLS Cup/NBA Championship
110. Most likely to build an inclusive sports league
111. Most likely to train the next MVP
112. Most likely to win a Heisman

How to Choose the Right Superlatives for Your School

When brainstorming yearbook superlatives, consider your school’s culture and student body. What resonates with your classmates? Are they passionate about social causes, obsessed with pop culture, or deeply involved in athletics?

Here are four tips to guide your process:

1. Survey students: Your yearbook team should come up with the categories and the student body should nominate the winners.
2. Focus on positivity: Avoid potentially negative or divisive categories.
3. Stay relevant: If you arent using your theme to determine which superlatives to offer, incorporate trends in technology, media, and culture to keep your list fresh.
4. Celebrate achievements: Recognize contributions across academics, arts, athletics, and community involvement.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

Meet Abby, Treering’s Community Advocate Team (CAT) Director. Not only does she advocate for schools and parents who need support, but she also advocates for the team she leads by creating a positive, proactive environment.

Do you have a yearbook story for us?

In 7th grade, I won the athlete of the year superlative. The photographer set up her photoshoot after a workout and expected me to do a chin-up. I was a swimmer. The resulting image showed me with my tongue out, hair in disarray, and shirt pulling from my shorts. It told people, “I’m a great athlete, but a mess everywhere else.” I always wondered why they didn’t photograph me in my element, the pool.

And thus, you began fixing yearbook issues! You’re in the midst of our busiest season because April through May are when our spring deliveries go to print.

Yes, this is my favorite time. I started hyping up the team in January by letting them know we are approaching the final stretch. It’s now, in the 11th hour, when customers are putting the final touches on their masterpieces and inevitably things are going to go wrong.

Last summer, we increased our permanent staff to better serve customers. We also increase seasonal help during this time and extended the hours phone and email support are available.

What other new initiatives have you begun?

We are constantly evolving. In fall, we started Welcome Walk-Throughs for new yearbook editors so they are ready to cheerlead their own book. During these one-on-one sessions, an advocate goes over page count, shipping, dates and deadlines, yearbook promotion, and how to engage the school community, set up folders/photo storage, complete portrait autoflow, and go print ready. It’s a lot! We really want to build confidence.

Every day, we learn from customers, and many updates to the app or new themes have come from them! 

How does it feel to see your ideas in motion?

We are just scratching the surface! Last year, I wanted to do something fun for our customers and recognize our community by rewarding them for doing a great job and for all the hours they put in. The #TreeringMemoriesMatter came from that. I’m excited to see how it expanded to the #YearbookHero and #TreeringMemoryMaker contests.

There are always things we can do along the way to help people smile. Whether it’s these large-scale contests or telling yearbook editors what looks great in their books—it’s about kindness. Our customers put hours they don’t have into their craft.

When people think of “support,” they probably envision a cube farm with a bunch of headsets and scripted responses. How is Treering Yearbooks different?

The work culture at Treering Yearbooks is what attracted me to the company in 2012. Our focus has always been on customer service. When most help centers have a “turn and burn” philosophy, Treering doesn’t monitor call times. Our advocacy team is trained to anticipate future needs and educate editors. I tell them, “Answer the unasked questions.”

Every year, satisfaction surveys consistently mention how much yearbook editors and parents appreciate the focused time they receive on the phone from our agents. 

If you could tell a Treering yearbooks customer anything, what would it be?

The CAT team is here to help you every step of the way in your yearbook journey and we are here to help you when you are overwhelmed. There’s no limit to what we won’t do for them (in the yearbook).

Operative phrase: In the yearbook. Visit/favorite/bookmark help.treering.com for more.

Not every yearbook coordinator is an Emmy Award winner, but Katie Parish is. The gold hardware on a shelf over her shoulder should be intimidating; after all, Katie knows the value of a quality interview. Two seconds in, and I’m completely disarmed as we talk about volunteering, yearbooking, and being WFH moms.

How did you move from the newsroom to the classroom?

I retired from my television job when my daughter started kindergarten, and I needed something to keep me creative. A lot of people shy away from the PTA, but I really found a wonderful community and was like, “Can I please help make the yearbook?” I started small, just helping with some of the pages.

A lot of people shy away from the PTA, but I really found a wonderful community and was like, “Can I please help make the yearbook?”
Tweet

‍

When we moved schools, I was helping with social media, and the yearbook mom disappeared. I just jumped in and I instantly loved Treering so much. It was so easy to use I totally got it. While I had some previous experience, it just was so much better than the platform we had at my previous school. You have immediate access to photos when parents share them and there are a plethora of graphics and fonts. It’s super simple to lay out the pages and add graphics.

Over 80% of your school community bought yearbooks last year. How did you do it?

My community is a late adoption community: they upload pictures late and they buy books late. I actually leave holes in my spreads because I know I’m gonna be getting more photos second semester.
Over a two-week period, we promoted a class contest. We said whichever class buys the highest percentage of books the week after spring break will win a sweet treat party and the teacher will receive a $25 Target gift card. It’s really important when you have teacher buy-in. The winning class sold 100%, the next one was at 98%.

I love the idea of a marketing contest. How else do you involve the school?

On Halloween, our principal dressed up as Where’s Waldo. I mean, what was I supposed to do? I put him on 13 pages in the book and the kids had to find him. That was just a little interactive thing, and that’s something else that’s so fun about yearbook: it’s organic. During the year, you can build into the book and make align with your community in this specific moment.

We always do a cover contest. Students draw something school related and they have always had to include the name of the school, our key words—Ready, Responsible, and Respectable—and the year. The yearbook committee narrows it down to the top 20, and then the PTA narrows it down a little bit further. The teachers and front office staff, admin, everybody who helps run the school, gets to vote on the winner. I paste all the final covers onto some poster board and have them available to be seen in the office. Then, the winner goes on the front, and the six runners up on the back cover.

Next year is the school’s 20th anniversary, which is the platinum anniversary. So we’re gonna do some silver foil on the cover.

How does your experience as a yearbook coordinator help in your role here at Treering?

Because I work full-time as a Customer Success Manager and I have two kids that I have to run all over creation, and I still volunteer for the PTA, I know what a busy plate looks like. I can help editors prioritize and schedule their yearbook lives, and help them figure out what they should be working on and when so that we’re taking small bites out of the book at a time.

We start with planning out their ladders which translates into an accurate page count and shared photo folder organization. Do you know what’s so great about crowdsourcing? This could be a whole yearbook about your kid, but when you have that option for everyone to contribute, and you make it easy for them to access it, it just gives you so much more diversity in your book of faces.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

One of the 18 tornadoes crossing Kentucky in December 2021, an EF-4, the deadliest tornado in the Commonwealth's history, devastated towns in the southwest corner. Pennyroyal Area Christian Home Educators of Kentucky (PACHEK) students delivered food, assisted with clean up, and served with various faith-based relief organizations in Pembroke, Mayfield, Bremen, and Dawson Springs, KY. Yearbook volunteer, pastor’s wife, and homeschool mom Lora Farrell first caught our eye when she submitted her yearbook team’s spread, detailing both the devastation and the work to right it all in the 2022 Treering Design Contest. They won second place.

How does it feel to go from second place to first?

That was really shocking because I almost didn’t even enter. I really loved the spread we entered last year and I felt there wasn’t a spread this year (yet) at the same level of my personal satisfaction. It was such a fun surprise to be a finalist.

We are leveraging the free yearbooks we won from the contest to incentivize donations for our Beta Club fundraiser. We are partnering with Funds2Orgs for a shoe drive. We collect shoes, and they pay us per pound. The shoes then help micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations build their businesses and the money we raise will help students attend Beta’s national convention.

Let’s talk design. How did PACHEK choose Groovy for their 30th anniversary book?

The students really liked the design and we wanted to do something throwback. It’s not 90s, but the 70s seem to cycle back through every 20 years or so and it just works. 

On our divider pages, we used photos from previous years along with a paragraph with a little bit of group history. The team and I reached out to older members of the community. Because we are near Ft. Campbell, there is a large, transient military population. It was tough to get some photos as a result. Most are the ones I’ve taken over the previous 12 years. We did include interviews with older members of the community since digital photos weren’t the norm back then.

How do you build a 124-page book in a homeschool environment?

Yearbook is strictly a volunteer job. We currently have four students who build the book and two moms training to take over as sponsors. As part of our campus culture, there is naturally lots of photo sharing in the group: people share at the end of the day or after a field trip—it’s automatic.

During each co-op module, we meet twice a month. Between these sessions, it’s once a month. We break down tasks throughout the year to curb procrastination. I leave notes on the spreads in the Treering app. The students are intrinsically motivated and I like to give them a little extra with parties and food during work sessions. We also do a year-end celebration when the book arrives.

What tips do you have for someone just getting started as a yearbook club adviser?

Don’t be afraid: the software is user-friendly and there are resources available. With our previous company, I had to use a lot of outside resources. In Treering, I can set margins and page styles. I love the new folder features where we can add subfolders and share between folders. 

The biggest thing is to be consistent throughout the year by managing the workload.

Teachers are the greatest, so you don’t want their yearbook pages to fall flat. The one thing teachers truly deserve (besides a raise) is an amazing yearbook spread or two. So let’s give these hardworking folks their due and give the student body something to talk about by including fun and clever teacher spreads in this year’s book.

Here are some fresh yearbook spread ideas to capture a more dynamic view of your teachers and staff on your book’s pages.

Throwback

Did you know that teachers were once students themselves? Well, of course. But this concept might be mind-blowing to some of the students at your school. Ask your teachers to submit images of themselves when they were the age of their current students and give a little insight into what they were like.

When I was a junior, our Chemistry teacher showed us a commercial that he starred in when he was a high school track star. It was hilarious (those shorts!) and it gave us a glimpse into our teacher’s background.

Teacher’s pet(s)

Create a collection of photos featuring your teachers with their adorable animals. Whether it’s a poodle or a piranha, there is a lot to be discovered by displaying these companions. To add some dimension, you could create a mod displaying quotes about different teacher’s childhood pets. Another idea would be to create a guessing game where you have to match the pet to the teacher.However you style it, animals are a big hit.

Just like us

Teachers seem like a different species to your students sometimes. So for a spread to tie everyone together, gather some similarities between your teachers and the students. You might have to poke around a bit, but you won’t have to look too far to find some teachers that enjoy a snow day, Taco Tuesday, or cheering on the team. Teachers stay up late to finish their work, play games on their smartphones, and like to get all decked out for Halloween. Finding similarities between the teachers and students will remind the reader that they are all part of a tight-knit community.

If I wasn’t a teacher

Poll your teachers on what they thought they were going to be when they grew up. Pick some of the best responses and use illustrations or Photoshop to make these ideas come to life. Everyone will get a little chuckle out of seeing their favorite teachers outfitted as cowboys, astronauts, soccer players, or mad scientists.

Obviously a teacher

A while back I was out to dinner with my sister. She reached into her pocket to retrieve her chapstick and managed to fish out two glue sticks and a flashcard. I immediately glanced at her inky fingers and the pencil in her hair. She was such a teacher at that moment.

So for an ‘obviously a teacher’ spread, ask teachers to identify their own moments like these and photograph the evidence. Whether it’s the day they realized that all their shoes were built for comfort or when they referenced their nephew being born “last semester,” every teacher gets the self-realization epiphany now and then. These moments are usually marked by a quick giggle; make room to share the laughs in your yearbook.

Two truths and a lie

It’s a simple game, on the surface: each participant provides three statements–two are true, and one is false. It’s up to everyone else to determine which is which. And it’s a great idea for a spread about your teachers.

Ask teachers to craft their three statements, and have them pose for the camera with their best poker face. Whether you include the answer key is up to you, but we’d recommend hiding the answers somewhere in the ads. For additional photos, you can show a mix of the facts and the fantasy for a really fun and creative spread.

The annual yearbook is a great platform to show your teachers’ human sides and cement a lasting impression for years to come. The best spread ideas contain an unexpected, personal glimpse into the teachers’ lives. So step away from the blackboards and apples, and provide a new, exciting spread.

Your goal is to add another dimension to the teachers that all work so hard educating today’s students. These teachers are wholly invested in their students’ futures, and the yearbook should be equally tenacious in capturing our teachers in their best light—as themselves.

You, too, believe every child deserves the spotlight. And when you took on the open-ended challenge to celebrate in style, your creativity, honesty, and heart were on full display.

We're honored to showcase the showstopping designs and the stories of the creators who brought them to life.

Grand prize winner

Narrowing down over 1021 entries to the top 100 took two days. We reviewed every submission carefully, appreciating the heart behind each one. Designs that went beyond the template rose to the top because they had personal touches.

In each round of evaluations and re-sorting, one spread stood out and eventually became the $500 Grand Prize Winner.

Why we loved it

It showed how design can be energetic and balanced. Both the warm colors and shooting stars are lively.

"It screams, 'third grade,'" a judge said.

And yet, with all that is going on, the main entry point is still the headline, and your eyes move in a circular pattern. There are verbal guides to highlight the five main sections. Cotari keeps it grounded by using a consistent photo style and typeface.

Cotari said, "It matches [my daughter's] personal style, hobbies and interests, and her playful personality!"

POV: people sent their favorite moments and somehow they're OURS too!

Nearly all the submissions captured a different perspective: students shone across academics, athletics, and activities. Grandparents held places of honor and remembrance. Together, we gushed over pet pics and cried over stories of overcoming trials. Check out the top 100 submissions before seeing the Big Ten.

Thank you for embracing the spirit of Treering's custom pages and giving your child the spotlight.

Custom page design contest finalists aka the big ten

A group of judges combed through the top 100 to create the top 25, then top 15, and finally, the top ten. Each of the runners up earned a $50 Amazon gift card for their visual interest and originality.

Tonya Renoud, Sweet Home, OR

Why we loved it

‍Renoud had us at start here.

"When he looks through these years later, he can walk down memory lane," she said.

This is exactly what she gave us. There is a path peppered with highlights from the end of summer to the start of next summer. Pets—this might be our first-ever duck submission—are especially timestamps in childhood.

Valerie Shannon, Findley, OH

Why we loved it

‍Brutus and Boden.

At a glance, these two family members stand out because of their cute factor. Once we stopped to read, Shannon won us over with her tongue-in-cheek copy, which she called a "fun peek into our homeschool day."

"The theme of this year's contest was 'Every Child Deserves the Spotlight,'" a judge said, "and she managed to use her spread to give four kids, the dog, and herself a moment to shine."

Shannon's design is clean despite being full of copy. We love how she chose a color palette and anchored each family member's daily routine with one color using a tool line and circular frame. Both the frame and the knockout on the heading text are offset. It's these little details that elevate the design.

Therese Wright, Albuquerque, NM

Why we loved it

‍This was one of two magazine-style custom pages that captivated us. We loved the torn elements and how Wright used the black paper to highlight moments from her daughter's senior year. For Wright, these design elements held further meaning:

"Torn pages with rough edges, curving tracks, splashes of pink (representing moments of easier breathing) brighten up the darker moments that have strung these ups and downs together and keep her rock 'n rollin toward an unknown future, able to face each new challenge and sing, 'I am ready! Hold Tight!'" Wright said.

The watermarked roller coaster further illustrates the Wright Family's journey, which began with a 17-month ICU stay. Despite countless hospitalizations, communication barriers, and daily health challenges, Wright's daughter has persevered with strength and joy, communicating through American Sign Language and music.

This is the ultimate senior celebration.

"Albuquerque Sign Language Academy gave her a voice in the world and a place to belong from 1st grade to 12th," Wright said.

Tracy Guara, Katy, TX

Why we loved it

‍The photos as badges caught the judges' eyes, as many identified with this milestone as troop leaders or former Brownies.

"This is a moment in time," said a judge. "It's exactly what custom pages should be."

Guara's daughter is a fourth-generation Girl Scout who achieved badge and cookie-selling goals.

"I was honored to create this spread mimicking a Girl Scout Brownie sash," Guara said.

Hannah Wong, Knoxville, TN

Why we loved it

‍It looks complicated.

"This spread is not just a collection of photos and milestones," Wong said, "it's a heartfelt tribute to her dedication, growth, and the pride I feel as her parent."

The layers made it rich. With a single photo as background across the spread, Wong layered photos, editable shapes, and textboxes to create this magazine-inspired look. Even with all the content, she maintained alignment in her columns (the designers really geeked out over this) and pulled color from the background to connect the top five headlines.

While it looks complicated, the layout is clean and straightforward to recreate with Treering tools.

Dana Denning, Albuquerque, NM

Why we loved it

‍Everything points us into the spread.

Denning's choice and use of graphics here are masterful: the plane is flying toward the center, the arrow points to the center, and even the shadows on the skyline at the base of the spread lead toward the center. Additionally, her spread uses a design hierarchy we don't see outside of traditional yearbook pages.

Rolly Garcia, Macon, GA

Why we loved it

‍It's cliche, but this spread truly put the cool in school. With playful colors, encouraging graphics, and photos of highlights in- and outside the classroom, Garcia captured the spirit of early childhood education.

"The filmstrip has those fine motor milestones in the classroom," said an educator-slash-judge. "We see pencil grip and dexterity skills developing."

Garcia said, "A notable element in the design is the paper airplane, which symbolizes the concept of 'soaring'—reflecting the idea that when students learn and grow, they are empowered to reach new heights."

Kirsten Megaro, Great Meadows, NJ

Why we loved it

‍Megaro's extra touches of texture made us want second, third, and thirtieth looks.

"I know this was made in the Treering app," said a judge, "but I can't help but think it was first a pen-and-ink creation in a notebook during math class."

The judges loved the rectangle at an angle, the use of circles, and the font choices. They also emphasized the black scribbles and frames, which brought clarity to what could have been a complicated visual.

"We want to celebrate and remember the 'regular' moments of life," Megaro said, "not just the school-related stuff, so these pages allow us to do that and we love being able to look back on them from year to year."

Ashley Babelon, Chicago, IL

Why we loved it

‍Max's kinder to-do list became an "eye spy" moment for us. We wanted to see if he ticked all the boxes. (He did!)

"Max also loves 'Toy Story' and Minions, and so the color scheme and font act as a mini time capsule of the things our little boy loves right now," Babelon said.

Ileana King, Stevenson Ranch, CA

Why we loved it

‍From the interview to the before-during-after photos, we loved the depth of coverage on this spread.

King said, "To add a fun twist, I used AI to create the sticker of a capybara and a T-rex, two of his favorite animals, riding a roller coaster. Then I added Treering graphics to make it look like Space Mountain, which is my son's favorite roller coaster."

One of the judges said, "This is one of the things you pull out when a future daughter-in-law comes over."

Thanks to all who entered and shared their story with us.

Here at Treering, we keep school yearbook prices simple. Your yearbook pricing has two factors: page count and cover type. With this all-inclusive approach, there are no minimum orders, shipping costs, contracts, or hidden fees to consider, and your team will have access to everything they need (templates, design tools, support, and more). This way, you don't need to go searching all around the internet for "Treering Coupons."

But if you did that—and ended up here—we'll give you the inside scoop on how we approach discounts, so you know when and how you can save money.

Treering coupons for parents and students

Treering discounts school yearbook prices in the fall. This early purchase discount is a marketing tool for advisers to gain momentum for book sales and it helps parents lock in a great price. We think it’s a win-win-win.

Here’s how the discount schedule works:

• August: 10% off
• September: 10% off
• October: 10% off

Because these discounts are automatically built in, parents and students don’t even need Treering coupons to take advantage of the deal. They’ll automatically get the sale price when they pre-pay. 

Treering coupons for yearbook advisers

When yearbook advisers work with Treering, they can score their friends a great deal on their school’s yearbook prices while also earning free books for their school.

Here’s how it works:

• Yearbook advisers using Treering share their special referral coupon code with friends and fellow yearbook advisers.
• When yearbook advisers sign up their schools with Treering for the first time, they can use that special coupon code to receive 10% off their school’s yearbook prices.
• The yearbook advisers who shared the code earn up to 10 free yearbooks for their school each time those new schools sell their first yearbook through Treering.

Not using Treering for your school yearbook?

Treering has helped more than 20,000 yearbook advisers do really cool things with their yearbooks without their efforts feeling like a full-time job. We’ll show you how we can do the same for your community.

You’ve heard the adage, and likely uttered it yourself: fail to plan, plan to fail. That advice works whether you’re saving for retirement or just trying to get yearbooks in the hands of students across campus. It’s also why you need a yearbook marketing plan (and all the free tools below). It may seem backward to start marketing a book that hasn’t been finished yet but this is the best time to create a plan and put it into action. 

Three ways to start your marketing plan

1. Set your goals

SMART Goals are prevalent in the ed world. My favorite principal once said, “We tell students they can achieve anything. But if I want to be an astronaut, I can’t just go into space tomorrow.” (There’s that planning need again.)

Reverse engineering the school year and yearbook production cycle will help you achieve your goals. 

Here are some examples of SMART goals:

• Sell XX amount of yearbooks by November 15th
• Increase Recognition Ad sales XX% by April 15th
• Increase all Yearbook sales XX% by May 30th

2. Create a calendar with important dates

We created this yearbook marketing calendar so you can plot important dates while creating a schedule that fits your school (and your sanity). 

3. Recruit your team and delegate tasks

For each campaign, spread out the responsibilities. Using a marketing campaign template will help you stay organized by listing the budget, design development, communication modes, important dates, and who is responsible.

Customize your yearbook marketing plan

Know your audience. Toastmasters has been preaching this one sentence since 1924 and it’s worked out well for them. Determine who wants what you are selling and why. Below, we've literally taken a page from Marketing Unstumped, Treering’s guide to yearbook marketing.

Because the same message will not resonate with everyone, you want to spend time understanding what the message is for students, parents, faculty, and local business owners. Then, go find them.

Identify your best channels to reach each audience section where they live. In other words, go to them. Utilize all the marketing channels you have available to you and evaluate which ones work best for which audience. Possible marketing channels include:

• Email
• Staff newsletters
• All-call services
• Parent organization website
• In-school bulletin boards
• All-school events
• School meetings
• School sports games
• School arts events
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• TikTok

‍

Yearbook committee is a great activity for students to get involved with, but not all students know the benefits that it can bring them. Plan ahead for next year by planting the seeds in students'heads now about why they should seriously consider joining in on the yearbook fun next year.

Drive home to them that some of the benefits of joining the school’s yearbook committee include:

Getting involved

Not every student is into sports or possesses musical talent. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t get involved with their school. Joining the yearbook committeegets students involvedon all levels – from mingling with students, to attending school events, and actively participating in something that benefits the entire school body. Students benefit from yearbooks just as much as the schools do in creating a positive school spirit. And when kids have school spirit, they perform better as students.

Teaches crucial life skills

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. A yearbook staff is never short on deadlines. But even though they sound stressful, deadlines can be very beneficial in helping students learn skills that they will use through school, college, and the rest of their lives. Time management, prioritizing, reliability, and the responsibility of following through on tasks when others are depending on you are just the tip of the iceberg of skills that students learn when working on a yearbook.

Provides writing and journalism experience

Writing copy for yearbooks is a lot harder than it might originally appear. When students are forced to use rules of proper attribution, go through an in-depth interviewing process including follow ups, or are crafting a creative piece, they build upon the fundamentals that they learned in English class. Practice makes perfect and the more you write, the better you get at it.

Provides creative experiences

Photography, Photoshopping, page layouts, yearbook themes, design ideas – putting together a yearbook from start to finish is full of tasks that get the creative juices flowing. It’s very rewarding for students to have the physical proof to show for all of that hard work they put in over the course of the year. When anyone first starts a project, it’s easy to get lost in all of the details. But being able to look back at the end and see your creation is a great feeling that gives students a strong sense of pride.

Great addition to a portfolio

Whether they are trying to get into AP English classes in high school or they’re sending out applications for college, being able to have yearbook committee included in your portfolio gives you that much needed edge. Schools can be a very competitive business and often good grades alone aren’t enough to get into the school that students are hoping for. When a student is able to show that they were an active member of a hard working team, it helps showcase their overall skills in multitasking, socializing, developing ideas from concept to execution, and everything in between. A well-rounded portfolio is very important in whichever direction students choose to move forward in their academic careers.

For students who are looking for a creative outlet, looking to learn the pressures of deadlines, or looking to learn the basics of reporting, your school's yearbook club or committee is the place for them to be. They might need to be recruited, but what they need to know most is how much joining a yearbook committee will benefit them.

Sell them on that, and your yearbook will be better because of it.