Programming Teacher: the Positives and Negatives

Computer programming is not an easy thing to learn. Coding, as well as all those coding languages, may impress those who would like to start programming. However, programming can be a hard field for complete beginners.

In the digital field, web programmer or developer jobs have become some of the most popular among young people. So, if you're already a skilled professional, why not teach this subject to the younger generation?

After a few years of experience, programmers may decide to become trainers and tutors. It is even possible to start teaching coding and principle courses early in one's career to help students with their programming studies or to teach code and different programming languages to young computer enthusiasts. There are many advantages to teaching computer science courses in the programming field.

Are you passionate about computers? Why not make it your profession?

Making a Living from Your Passion

Teaching programming is often a passion. It is very rare that people embark on such a career without loving computer programming. While some people enjoy applying programming in a company or as a freelancer, others prefer to pass their passion for code and coding languages to others.

Indeed, one of the biggest benefits of giving programming courses is that it allows you to live from your passion on a daily basis. If you can't find a full-time position, it is then possible to offer private programming courses and thus launch your own teaching and learning business.

Becoming a Better Programmer

Teaching programming courses pushes programmers to ask questions and, above all, to answer the students' questions. Like any human being, it is normal to not to know how to answer all the questions and problems. These moments can only help the teacher progress in their own learning. The main thing is to be honest and to know how to tell your student when you don't know. You can then look into it on your own before giving your student an answer.

Another one of the benefits then is that you learn and discover new knowledge and skills from your students.

Passing on Knowledge

What could be more enjoyable than passing on your knowledge and skills to the younger generation or to people older than you? When programming is a passion, it is a real pleasure to share this passion but also to see that this passion will continue via other computer enthusiasts and their learning.

As a teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than to see your students coding and in turn sharing their knowledge with friends, or putting it into practice.

See the Progress of Their Students

Another one of the benefits of teaching a student a new language or framework is you get to see them improve through their learning. The aim of a teacher is of course that the student surpasses the teacher.

You can really feel useful in helping a person in their personal and professional projects. For example, you can help a student prepare for a competitive examination at a computer science school or help someone develop an application or website.

Seeing projects come to fruition and feeling that you have taken part in them gives you self-confidence and a sense of purpose to your job.

The Freedom of the Independent Teacher

Becoming a programmer trainer does not necessarily mean working full time in an IT company. It is also possible to become a freelance teacher and to arrange your schedule as you see fit - freedom that appeals to many IT professionals.

Indeed, the advantage is that the IT environment is a field that can adapt to different locations. Working remotely while being on the other side of the world won't be a problem. The same is true of computer science teachers. Why not move to another country and continue to train students in computer coding via online courses?

Create Your own Programming Courses

The freedom of the freelance computer teacher is not only geographical but also affects the substance of the courses. In computer schools you sometimes have to follow the curriculum imposed by others, which can become a problem for many. If you choose to become a freelance programmer trainer, it is up to you to decide how to conduct your courses.

Of course, it is ideal to discuss this with the students to find out what they want, what they want to learn and what they need. However, as a freelance teacher, you have some freedom of choice in setting up and running the course.

The Disadvantages of Becoming a Programmer Trainer

Becoming a computer science teacher does not only have its advantages. There are of course some disadvantages that you should be aware of before you start, but which generally do not put off those who are passionate about programming and teaching.

Programmer Teacher: Having to Repeat Yourself

One of the first disadvantages of becoming a teacher for programming is that a teacher, like any good teacher, often has to repeat themselves. Not only because they have several courses and therefore have to teach the same things sometimes in several courses, but also because the students do not always understand a program or concept from the beginning or need to be reminded of a specific point. Repetition is therefore the teacher's burden.

But be careful, because repeating yourself over and over again, without changing your approach, is not always effective. It is not because you repeat the same formula ten times that it will be remembered by the student.

Sometimes you have to be able to rephrase the same thing but in a different way. Explaining the same program or concept in a different way is one of the great qualities of teachers and even if it is sometimes difficult, it is essential to succeed in this exercise in order to help your students.

Preparing for Programming Courses

There are many prejudices about teachers and one of them is that teachers only work the number of hours they teach. Of course, teachers work much harder than the number of hours they teach. Teachers have to prepare their lessons in advance and this is not done in ten minutes. Whether you teach maths, french, art or computer programming, preparing lessons takes a lot of time.

The first step is to structure the whole programme in order to give it coherence and to ensure that pupils are not lost from the very first hours of computer lessons. Once the framework has been drawn up, each chapter must be detailed, application exercises must be found or created, etc. All these steps take at least as much, if not more, time than the course itself.

Manage Administrative Tasks

As well as preparing a lesson, the teacher must also manage all the administrative tasks that arise from the lessons. After the lesson, the teacher must also correct the students' exercises and homework, but also answer the students' emails or other questions.

Teachers in computer science schools also have to attend class councils and other meetings that are essential for the smooth running of the students' education and for the organisation of the teaching staff. All these hours should not be underestimated.

These are among the disadvantages that need to be considered before embarking on a career as a trainer, although they are obviously not insurmountable. Answering emails, preparing lessons, there are many tasks to be done alongside the lessons.

Courses at Irregular Hours

The computer programming teacher does not always teach in the usual time slot of a "traditional" employee. It may happen that computer courses are scheduled in the evening or even over the weekend. This may be the case with evening courses for adults or children, or if you choose to be a freelance teacher. In this case, you will often have to fit in with the schedules of your students, who may have professional or personal commitments.

You must therefore be able to adapt to the rhythm of teaching work. You can of course choose a job with regular working hours if this is available to you.

Knowing How to Manage Students

When you start teaching, you often think of the pleasure of passing on and sharing with your pupils. But the exchange with the students is not always there and it is essential for a teacher to learn to manage the students and the different personalities present, especially during group lessons.

With a group of students, it can sometimes be difficult to manage the pace of each student. Some students may move very quickly, others may be more scattered, or take time to understand. You have to be able to adapt to the pace of each student and be patient.

So teaching is not for everyone. But if you are motivated and passionate, then you should not be discouraged. You will overcome all the challenges and enjoy teaching!