5 Tips for Teachers Teaching Coding in the Classroom
You don’t have to be a coding expert to teach a coding lesson. At 9 Dots, we intentionally structure our lesson plans to support teachers without a Computer Science background. With that being said, we have picked up a few tricks from our teachers along the way. So, when you are preparing for your next coding lesson try these 5 tips:
Set the mindset: “We are all teacher-learners”
Explore the 9 Dots lesson plan and try the challenges
Let your students be the teachers
Check on student data
Try out our office hours
1) Set the mindset: “We are all teacher-learners”
No one is born a programmer. We wholeheartedly believe there isn’t one group of people who are intrinsically better at coding than others. Everyone, including you, has the skills and capabilities to become a coder!
We know that if you’re new to coding, teaching it can feel intimidating. You may feel nervous that you’ll make a mistake or get something wrong. There is a saying in the programming world that goes something like, “as long as you’re writing code, you’re writing bugs.” We all make mistakes—and bugs, or mistakes in your code, will always be part of the coding experience. Even the 9 Dots Coding Coordinators get mixed up from time to time. We feel that the best thing to do when you find yourself in that situation is to call it out.
Hearing your teacher say “I don’t know, but we will try to figure it out together” can be a really powerful example for students and can go a long way towards instilling a growth mindset around failure.
If you wouldn’t let your students say, “I’m just not good at math”, build that same mindset about coding. We encourage you to use the same messages you tell your students on yourself. We want to empower you to become the fearless problem solver you would want your students to be.
2) Explore the 9 Dots lessons plan and try the challenges
We know your time is valuable and time spent prepping for coding can sometimes mean time spent away from other core subjects. That’s why we designed our lesson plans to be fully scripted. Don’t have time to prep? Print out the lesson plan and keep it on a clipboard as you go through the slides.
Nervous about the challenges? You are not alone. We find that trying out the playlist ahead of time is sometimes the best way to prepare.
3) Let your students be the teachers
Have you ever had a student answer a question that stumped you? It happens to us all the time in coding class. While this can feel strange, we like to lean into these moments. Not only does it help you get the answer you need, but it also empowers students to be leaders in Computer Science. Don’t be afraid to ask one of your students for guidance on a coding problem.
Another effective strategy is pair programming, where you pair up two students to talk about their code and the way they solved their challenges. Pair programming can spark and improve collaboration skills, communication, and build Computer Science community. You can hop down to the section titled “Check on student data” to leverage student progress data to create strategic pairs.
4) Check on student data
We believe all students can and should learn coding. We also acknowledge each student has their own unique learning needs and style. That is why we created the “Progress” tab. There you can see a snapshot of how students are doing week after week in coding class. You will be able to see a high-level overview of which students are completing the lesson’s playlist of challenges, and which students may be falling behind. You can also check your class’ average progress data for each lesson.
You are all the experts in teaching. You know your students best. So you’ll likely already have some ideas on how to best use this information. That said, we like to use this data to form small groups of students based on their progress. Want to learn more about our Student Progress Data? Click here to watch a tutorial video.
5) Try out our office hours
Sometimes you might confront a coding challenge that you can't quite wrap your head around. This can be even more daunting knowing that you will soon be asked to teach it. That is why our Coding Coordinators’ office hours start at 7:30 a.m. and often finish at 3:30 p.m on your school’s coding day. That way you’ll have time before and after school to get that question answered. If those times don’t work, you can even schedule a virtual meeting to accommodate your schedule. For Level 1 and Level 2 teachers, a good rule of thumb is meeting with your Coding Coordinator at least once a month.
If you’re a Level 3 teacher, and you are teaching coding independently, you are welcome to join your school’s Coding Coordinator’s office hours (if your site has one) to ask questions. For more detailed feedback on your goals, challenges, and progress, we encourage you to make a direct appointment with your assigned 9 Dots Impact Manager. Don’t know who that is? Use our Intercom instant message feature to find out who your Impact Manager is, and you can even schedule a Zoom meeting or phone call with them.
6) BONUS TIP: Join our Facebook Get Coding Teacher Group!
Last but not least, remember that you are not alone in your Computer Science journey. As a 9 Dots coding teacher you belong to a network of 310 other coding teachers across LA County who are right there with you—trailblazing elementary school Computer Science education.
We would like to invite you to our Get Coding Facebook Group where you can connect with other teachers, receive biweekly tips, resources, and updates in teaching Computer Science!
If you have taught the 9 Dots coding lessons before, and you have any additional tips, please share them with us in the Facebook group or via one of our social media pages linked below.
Happy coding!