I've always enjoyed photography. I have a decent eye for composition, but I was never happy with how my photos came out because I didn't know anything about the technical aspects of the art. When I got a new camera for Christmas, I decided that I wanted to learn how to be a better photographer. I joined a group called Dailyshoot that prompts users with a daily assignment. For the past couple of months, I've been using this as my motivation to improve my skills with my camera and posting my results on Flickr.

What I didn't realize is that this venture would put me in the position that my students face every day. I started my Dailyshoot project the same way our students start school in kindergarten: a bit nervous, very curious, and ready to learn.

It didn't take long before the real learning started. I didn't like an assignment. I was actually quite frustrated to see the task "abstract composition" pop up that morning on the screen. I kept my camera with me all day, but wasn't motivated to shoot anything. I procrastinated. I whined (mostly in my head) about the unfairness of the prompt. I made excuses for why this assignment wasn't right for me. Eventually I realized that it wasn't about the assignment being stupid - it was about my own inexperience as a photographer. I just wasn't ready for that task.

On another day, I just didn't feel like taking photos. I had promised myself I would do this project every single day. And one day, I just didn't want to. I copped out and took the easy shot instead of learning something that day. I cringe every time I look at that photo.

And as time has gone on, I've gotten frustrated with my lack of technical skill with my camera. Shots that seemed perfect but didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted to because I didn't know how to use all the dials and buttons on my camera. I'd love to say that I got out the manual or went online to read a tutorial about how to use whatever feature baffled me, but often I just shrugged my shoulders and shot a different subject. Sometimes, I just posted something that wasn't a great shot. Learning something new is hard. Even though I'm an adult and know better sometimes I take the easy way out.

Then, a couple of things happened that changed me as a photographer. First, a friend of mine who is a really good photographer started commenting on my shots. At first, I balked. I didn't want criticism. I argued his points. Then I remembered that I'm an adult and started to use his advice to make my work better.

The next thing that happened was one of those magical gifts that come from being in the right place at the right time. I was shooting in the downtown area, trying to capture the blur of the traffic going by and failing miserably. A woman with a very nice camera stopped and asked what I was shooting, and then spent about 15 minutes with me teaching me how to get the effect I wanted. I learned more from her lesson than I had taught myself in two months of study.

I still have a long way to go before I'll be a great photographer, but my progress over the past couple of months has been fantastic, and I can see my learning when I look back at older shots. But more importantly, it has taught me a lot about myself as a learner, and about the process of learning a new and difficult skill.

Now, when my students are unmotivated by a task, get frustrated because they don't yet have the skills they need for an assignment, or balk at my feedback, I see myself in their place more than I ever did before. I am able to remind myself that photography is a labour of love for me; I have intrinsic motivation to do it well. I have been ready to give it up because it's hard on many occasions. My students don't get to choose their assignments, their subjects, or whether they will show up to school that day. No wonder they get frustrated! But I am my photographer friend and that woman on the street for these kids. I am the one who can figure out where they need to go next and show them the right buttons and dials to get them there. Now I really understand what they mean when they say that an assignment is "stupid". I get why they throw up their hands at a difficult math problem. And now I keep in mind that sometimes the task I've given them is to create an "abstract composition". I know exactly how they feel.

Do you want to be a better teacher? Get out there and learn something new. Something hard. Make yourself do it every day, even when you don't want to. You'll see your students differently. And if you tell your class about your journey as a learner, they may just see you differently, too.