Students said yes. They showed up. They were excited.
So why are you still doing everything yourself?
If you've recruited students, pitched your program, and gotten them to commit, but you're still the one setting up gear, explaining roles, and holding everything together, you're not alone.
We hear this from teachers all the time.
That's why Episode 3 of the Broadcast Ops Playbook tackles what happens after buy-in:
Students commit… then stand around waiting for instructions.
The Real Problem Isn't Motivation
Here's the pattern we see over and over:
Students sign up excited. First couple events are thrilling. Admin notices what you're building.
Then reality sets in.
Students need constant reminders. They show up and ask, "What do I do?" You handle all the setup. The broadcast only happens because you made it happen.
But students don't stand around because they're lazy. They stand around because they're lost.
If a student doesn't know where to meet, what to bring, when to arrive, or what "camera operator" actually means, they'll wait for instructions.
That's not a motivation problem. It's a clarity problem.
When the Teacher Is the Operating System
This is the hard truth:
If your program can't run without you texting reminders, explaining roles, and filling gaps, you're not coaching a student-led program.
You're running it with student helpers.
Nathan shared a stat in this episode: at least 50% of teachers he talks to describe their programs this way. You can hear it in how they talk. "I have to do this" instead of "my students handle that."
And here's what happens when life gets in the way:
One teacher had to step away for a month. His students didn't just run the broadcasts. They ran the classroom. They scheduled each other. They held each other accountable. They didn't need him at the center.
That's what's possible when the system is built.
What to Do About It
Here's the four-step framework from the episode:
1. Define what each role actually does.
"Camera operator" isn't a role. It's a title.
A real role definition: Camera operator arrives 30 minutes early. Checks battery and SD card. Sets white balance. Frames shots according to the shot list. Knows the key players. Communicates with the director during the broadcast.
If you can't list every task from arrival to shutdown, neither can your students.
2. Create pre-event checklists for each role.
One teacher printed a simple diagram of how the multi-camera setup should look. Students set it all up correctly without a single verbal instruction.
That's the power of a checklist.
If they can follow it without asking you, they're learning the system. And you're no longer the system.
3. Set standards, not just tasks.
"Be ready for the game" isn't a standard. What does ready mean?
Define it. Arrive 30 minutes early. Equipment tested before tip-off. Audio and comms checked. Streaming credentials confirmed. Internet verified.
James Clear said it: "You don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
When students know the standard, they know where to meet it. When it's vague, they wait for you to tell them if it's good enough.
4. Stop filling the gaps immediately.
This one's the hardest.
If a student forgets something, let them feel the consequence. Not to punish them. To help them understand ownership.
A teacher shared a story about a student who missed an ad spot. The sponsor noticed. Instead of smoothing it over, Jordan brought the students onto a call with the sponsor. They felt the weight of that miss.
That's how ownership grows. Not by rescuing. By letting students carry the real responsibility of their roles.
Structure Creates Ownership
Here's the shift:
When students know their role, have a checklist, understand the standard, and feel real consequences, they stop waiting for you.
They start owning it.
And that's when "student-led" actually means something.
Why We Created the Broadcast Ops Playbook
We created the Broadcast Ops Playbook to help teachers think differently about student-led programs.
Each episode breaks down what works in real schools and why systems and structure beat constant reminders every time.
Listen to Episode 3
If you're tired of being the only one who knows what's happening, Episode 3 will help you give your students the clarity they need.
🎧 Watch or listen to Episode 3:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vte39EBkpRg
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/things-fall-apart-after-students-say-yes/id1866687202?i=1000747692307
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5IfBw8r2LPeKshWG5adG7B
And if this topic resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you.
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