Give a man a fish

Day 193 / 366

I love teaching. Over the past 3 months, working from an office and mentoring my interns is something that has given me so much joy. I don’t like coding as much as I used to 10 years ago, but teaching how to code is something that I think I can continue doing all my life.

My way of teaching is slightly unconventional. I learned coding by myself. I did not have any real training, which is why I strongly believe that people can learn it on their own as well. It took me 2–3 years to get good enough in coding to get paid. My job as a teacher is to get my students at the same level faster.

A saying that comes to mind that would describe my coaching style —

“Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime”

You would very rarely see me hold long lectures or explain any concepts in detail to people. Instead, I try to guide them into discovering them on their own. This is why I ask my interns to not spend too much time on theory at the start, and jump into building something as soon as possible.

When I see them making a mistake, I don’t correct them right away. I let them fail and then give them just enough help to figure out the solution on their own. Not only does it build their confidence, it helps them retain what they have learned much better.

This type of coaching is not for everyone though. A lot of people don’t deal well with the uncertainty of it all. For this to work, the person needs to trust the process as well.