Lessons from teaching coding and maths in private tutoring and AIE
Fair enough question, I've been blessed with the chance to teach programming classes at AIE, and I've spent my past 7 years since graduating from highschool as a maths tutor for ages prep and beyond, I can say with assured confidence there is nothing kids hate more than learning maths, it comes just after doing maths., I also know this because I used to hate maths, my ability to do maths, and my ability to program, and through learning myself and teaching here is somethings I try to keep in mind.
1. You Can Do It!
Its not always easy, and learning these things can be filled with challenges we don't even know can exist, but also through persistence, and more importantly patience, take your time, take care of yourself, let the process of learning take time.
2. It kind of is a new language:
I think that there is an initial "Oh wait its not actually a "different language" when people first pick up programming, but something that I see misunderstood a lot is there is programming in the way we process life already, we find problems, break them down into steps, and execute them as actions or as thoughts. So when approaching a problem in code or even maths, it can as simple as, just approach it in a language you do understand such as english, write the simulated problem as a practical one, and see what steps you come up with, then take your time and translate them.
You'll probably have heard the term Pseudo Code, its just that but why do we care about the rules for it (I know why but I mean in doing it for yourself sense)
3. Grab Some Paper and a Pen or Pencil:
I don't know why we were ever expected to do maths in our heads, because its something we are quickly told to stop doing. Writing things out, planning even if its done in a way only you can read, is still helpful, taking steps to break a problem down can sometimes be impossible if we let them fester in our heads, so just take that right to the parchment and start doodling.
This was a truly little Little Article, I think for myself it was important to say these aloud, to express them in my own way, as these are lessons I sometimes forget. Hopefully if anything they are also useful to you.