Our memories fade over time, trying to remember what was on my 1st-grade lunch box is basically impossible at this point (I’m pushing 40). Given the countless changes we are all still in for this year, let’s make it fun for our students future selves. Create a timeline of just how many changes happen throughout the year. Memorializing these details for our students will help them remember and understand what this year was like when they share it with their children.
Markers to Include in Your Timeline:
- What day was your school’s original start date, when was the actual start date?
- When were you in-class learning, and when did you distance learn?
- How many people in your city had the virus each month? Do those numbers go up or down each month?
- When were certain sports and activities canceled? How many times did the Halloween party get canceled, then reinstated, then canceled again?
So much of this school year is uncertain, but one thing that’s guaranteed is change and lots of it. In order to make sure your timeline conjures up memories, be sure to personalize it with some photos and other stories.
Changes to Include Your Timeline Spread:
- A glossary of new terms that you didn’t know before this year. (ie. flattening the curve, bitmoji classroom)
- A report of anyone in your community whose family was impacted by the virus.
- A report of local businesses that changed their operations due to the pandemic. (ie. restaurants that only served outside, coaches who started virtually training)
Before you get started, if your yearbook provider doesn’t give you a few different timeline designs to work with (shameless plug, I know) there are many sites that can help you create one for free such as Canva, Adobe Spark, and Visme. Whichever software you use, we want to make sure you can create something that you and your community will love for years to come.
Referencing these small details years from now can add up to some powerful memories. My mother just found my 1st-grade lunchbox not too long ago… New Kids On The Block (facepalm). When she handed it to me I could remember dancing in my best friend’s back yard, sitting atop my dads shoulders at a concert, and trading NKOTB stickers with my friends at lunch. If one lunch box can conjure all those memories, imagine what a full timeline could do.
If you’re looking for more ideas on how to cover the 20-21 school year, check out our ever-growing list of ideas for yearbooking during a pandemic.
