This semester marks my 5th semester at Prepa UVM here in Chihuahua.  It's been such an amazing experience seeing these kids grow and mature through the semesters.  They change so quickly and make me proud of their accomplishments.  

After each semester, my friend and art teacher Nora and I put together an art show for the students to show off their work.  Most of the students have been with us for a couple of years and their work has just improved and improved with each day that passes.  I am amazed at the talent that these kids have!  Makes our jobs so much more fun and interesting.  

Last night we inaugurated this semester's art show and had many students and parents come to see the fruit of their labor.  Such an amazing experience.  I'm so proud of all the students!

If you've been following my blog, you know that I teach photography at both the university and high school levels.  During the semester, I try to schedule a few mock shoots so that students can observe first hand how to direct, pose, and carry on a session.  There is no right way of having a session and I make sure to tell the students that everything depends on their style.  However, I believe that having them observe how I shoot, take control, and allow myself to focus on my models/clients, they can learn a little and apply it to their own sessions.  

Enter Jorge.  Jorge is an event planner and one of the best I know here in Chihuahua.  He is incredibly detailed and his candid nature makes it easy to know what you are going to get.  Jorge was kind enough to model for us and help me to teach the university students a little about posing, studio lighting, and how to use a reflector.  Thank you Jorge!

I thought I'd start a new series on my blog: 6 Things.  Bi-weekly I will post 6 Things that I can't live without!  Every post will be of different things, this week is 6 Apps I can't live without.  I am by no means paid to promote these apps.  I simply love to use them and they make my life easier.

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1.  Lazy Swipe
I love this app!  It is a simple launcher app that allows you to have all your favorite apps in one place.  Swipe from either corner and there is everything you need.  The screenshot from above is of this app!  Makes everything so much faster and easier.  Also, a red dot appears when there are new notifications.  

2.  Google Keep
Another amazing Google app.  I love the clean design and it keeps me coming back to add notes, lists, checklists, and voice notes.  Also has a great reminder feature to keep me posted when something is important or when I need to get something done.  

3.  Hootsuite
This is a great social media management app.  I love this app because it keeps me posting at a moments notice to my Twitter and Facebook accounts including my Facebook Page.  Also allows me to schedule the posts for the future.  I love that feature because I think of posts at random times and don't want to forget them, so I like to schedule them so that they aren't flooding the feeds... instead, I space them out.  

4.  WhatsApp
In Mexico, the cell phone plans are expensive and it's common to use apps that work on Wi-Fi.  Given that internet is not unlimited and the cost of regular messages can eat up the money you have prepaid, WhatsApp is a messaging app that works over Wi-Fi and everyone uses it here.  Which makes it indispensible for me and everyone here!

5.  TeacherKit
This one is on my iPad and is such a life saver as a teacher!  Keeps all my classes organized, rosters, helps to take attendance and even input assignments and grades.  When I have 6 classes, things can get really unorganized!  So this keeps me sane with more than 100 students.  

6.  Instagram
This is my favorite social media! I don't share very many personal stuff on FB or even here on my blog, which I'm working on...  Instagram allows me to document and share daily events that happen in my life.  It's simple and very fun to share PHOTOS!  What better app for a photographer!

When I moved to Mexico, my husband helped me to find work.  Honestly, he was the whole reason I even started teaching!  After some time, I was referred to another school by a client for a photography teaching position.

There are moments, many moments actually, when a student shows you that they have learned and applied what you have taught them.  When you sit back in awe and an indescribable amount of pride fills you up!  When they are eager and go beyond what you have asked.  As a teacher, those are the moments that make late night lesson planning, grading projects, creating exams worthwhile.

And getting a coffee mug saying thank you for your hard work and dedication always helps!

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It's common to feel the burn out coming.  Waking up and not feeling inspired to create, to do something new.  Feeling inadequate to your peers.  As if it were high school all over again.  Feeling like you're stuck in the same spot circling the same stuck-ness.  I just made that word up.  

Then, you get the opportunity to teach.  To extend your knowledge, search through all of the files you've locked away, and teach some one something they've never known.  And you get inspired.  You see that you really do know how to use lighting.  That you have dabbed in fashion and can teach it.  Explain and see that in those bright eyed students, they are absorbing.  And just like that, you see their photos.  You see what they are creating, what inspires them.  You see that you are making a difference in their lives.  Photography may not be what my students pursue, however, if I have sparked one ounce of creativity, a pinch of curiosity in photography, then I have done my job.  

Teaching has also taught me a few things.  While we spent some time on street photography, learning about

Henri Cartier-Bresson

,

Diane Arbus

, and

Vivian Maier

, I realized that I was so busy directing and being in control of my subjects/clients that it had been a long time since I had practiced what I teach.

I grabbed my camera, headed downtown and at first, I was nervous and shy.  Nervous that I had to photograph moments that were happening in front of me.  With out taking control of the situation, the light, or the person.  I had to use what was there.  What was being given to me.  I felt the way I did when I first started out, not knowing anything except for the burning desire to be a photographer.  

I relit that fire on Tuesday.  

I don't know which I like better: the color or black and white??