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A Good Programmer is a Good Teacher (and Student)

A Good Programmer is a Good Teacher (and Student)

We've all experienced it: a coder our company just hired comes over to ask questions about the codebase. This coder might be a senior dev new to our codebase or a junior dev new to coding in general. How do we efficiently answer questions and teach in an effective manner.

Most of us haven't gone to school to learn how to teach. Yet, teaching is a part of most programmers' daily lives. With this talk, you'll get some tips and tricks on how to become a better teacher. And by learning how to teach, we'll also learn how to be a better student.

Catherine Meyers

August 28, 2017
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Transcript

  1. A Good Programmer
    is a Good Teacher
    (and Student)

    View Slide

  2. Catherine Meyers
    Software Engineer at
    @ccmeyers324
    [email protected]
    We’re hiring!!!

    View Slide

  3. why?
    Teaching is a part of
    being a programmer
    Most of us didn’t go to
    school to learn how to
    teach
    Programmers are forever
    students & these tips
    can help you be a better
    one
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

    View Slide

  4. Culture of learning
    - We are all students
    - Learning is part of our job
    - Asking questions is encouraged
    - Although we must all do our part before asking our question (hello,
    stack overflow!)
    - Judgment-free environment == better learning/better
    coding
    - Slow down. The temptation to “save time” doesn’t actually
    save time
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

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  5. communication
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

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  6. What is the enemy of communication
    assumption
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

    View Slide

  7. How not to assume things
    - Ask questions
    - Get to know your coworker
    - Check-in often
    - And then check-in again
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

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  8. HOW TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE WORDS COMING OUT
    OF YOUR MOUTH
    - Watch your lingo
    - Acronyms
    - Terms from more advanced concepts and other languages
    - Using the term to define the term
    - Be able to explain 1 thing 5 ways
    - Making sure you can teach a concept ensures that you
    really understand it yourself
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

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  9. “If you can’t explain it simply, you
    don’t understand it well enough.”
    - Albert einstein
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

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  10. Auditory
    Learn by listening
    Visual Kinesthetic
    3 Learning styles
    Explaining with
    words
    Learn by doing
    Learn by seeing
    Building
    Showing examples
    Whiteboarding
    Pry/Debugger
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

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  11. Thank you
    Questions?
    Catherine Meyers @ccmeyers324

    View Slide

  12. Catherine Meyers
    Software Engineer at
    @ccmeyers324
    [email protected]
    We’re hiring!!!

    View Slide