Teaching Programming: Why It‘s Hard to Get Right, But Incredibly Rewarding

As a seasoned full-stack developer, I‘ve had the opportunity to teach programming in many settings, from mentoring junior devs at work to leading workshops for complete beginners. I‘ve learned that teaching this skill is tremendously difficult to get right—but also uniquely rewarding. There‘s nothing quite like seeing the lightbulb come on as a student grasps a new concept, or watching them beam with pride as they show off an app they built from scratch.

The Increasing Demand for Programming Skills

But teaching programming isn‘t just personally fulfilling; it‘s also increasingly important in our tech-driven world. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that software developer jobs will grow 22% between 2020 and 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. And it‘s not just tech companies that need these skills. A 2016 report found that half of all programming openings are in industries outside of tech, like finance, manufacturing, and healthcare.

As digital transformation accelerates across all sectors, the ability to understand and write code is becoming ever more valuable. But at the same time, the tech industry faces a significant skills gap, with hundreds of thousands of programming jobs going unfilled each year. Accessible, effective coding education is needed more now than ever to meet this demand and open up opportunities.

The Unique Challenges of Teaching Programming

But teaching programming is easier said than done. It‘s a complex skill that‘s fundamentally different from most subjects. Unlike a history or literature class, you can‘t acquire programming knowledge just by listening and taking notes. You have to actively practice, experiment, and debug to really understand how code behaves.

Programming also demands a particular way of thinking—a systematic, abstract, problem-solving mindset that feels foreign to many learners. Beginners often struggle to break down large problems into smaller steps, follow the flow of execution, and grapple with unintuitive syntax and cryptic error messages.

What‘s more, programming is a rapidly-evolving field where new frameworks, tools, and even paradigms emerge all the time. The JavaScript ecosystem alone has seen the rise of transformative tools like React, Node.js, and TypeScript in just the past few years. As an instructor, it‘s a tremendous challenge to keep up with these changes while also distilling timeless fundamentals.

Effective Teaching Techniques

Given these challenges, what does effective programming instruction look like? From my experience, it requires a thoughtful mixture of techniques grounded in learning science:

Cognitive Apprenticeship

One powerful approach is cognitive apprenticeship, where the instructor demonstrates their thought process as they code. This involves voicing the strategic decisions, mistakes, and aha moments that usually remain hidden in an expert‘s head. By making this interior monologue visible, learners can follow along and start to absorb the patterns of thinking required.

For example, when I introduce a new concept like fetching data from an API, I don‘t just show the final polished code. I talk through each step of my approach, from examining the API docs to roughing out the HTTP request to handling errors. I highlight the false starts and bugs along the way to normalize struggle. Cognitive apprenticeship is time-consuming, but it pays dividends in helping students recognize and adopt expert strategies.

Parsons Problems

Another effective technique is using Parsons Problems, where learners are given a set of correct but scrambled code lines and have to put them in the right order. This allows students to focus on the logic and flow of a program without getting bogged down in syntax.

I use Parsons Problems to introduce complex topics like recursive functions. Learners have to analyze the purpose of each line and consider cases like the base condition and recursive step. It‘s a great way to confront misconceptions and develop a mental model of how the code works. Research shows that Parsons Problems are effective for learning programming concepts while reducing cognitive load.

Live Coding

For more advanced learners, live coding demos and exercises are another invaluable tool. Watching an expert programmer think through a problem in real-time and rapidly prototype solutions is eye-opening. It builds confidence to see that even seasoned developers make mistakes, google things, and refactor their code multiple times.

Live coding also allows for more realistic, open-ended exercises that mimic real-world programming tasks. Learners have to plan their own approach, devise solutions, and debug without the scaffolding of step-by-step instructions. In my experience, students find live coding sessions highly engaging and motivating. It‘s a powerful way to solidify concepts and gain hands-on experience.

Designing Effective Exercises

Hands-on practice is the heart of learning to program, but not all exercises are created equal. Effective coding exercises have to be carefully crafted to balance challenge and support:

• They should involve authentic, real-world tasks and tools to build applicable skills
• They should be just slightly beyond a learner‘s current abilities to push them to grow
• They should encourage active, exploratory learning rather than just following prescribed steps
• They should include frequent opportunities for feedback, whether from an automated test suite or a human reviewer

In my courses, I aim for a mix of short, targeted exercises to practice specific concepts and longer, more open-ended projects. For example, after introducing a new topic like CSS grid, I‘ll have learners apply it to progressively more complex layouts. Then towards the end of the course, I‘ll have them build a complete website from scratch using a grid-based design of their choice.

Empowering Learners Through Open-Ended Projects

One of the most powerful things programming teachers can do is give learners room to be creative and make projects their own. Having the freedom to put their unique spin on an assignment does wonders for motivation and engagement.

I‘ll never forget one student‘s capstone project in a web development course I taught. She was a photographer, and she used her new HTML and CSS skills to build a stunning online portfolio showcasing her work. She went above and beyond the requirements, adding extra pages and interactive features.

When she presented her project to the class, her pride and excitement were palpable. She realized that she could create something professional and impactful with her new coding abilities. That‘s the kind of empowering experience I strive to create for every learner.

Overcoming Challenges as a Teacher

Of course, teaching isn‘t all triumphant moments. It also comes with its share of challenges and doubts:

Keeping Up with New Technologies

The breakneck pace of change in the programming world can be overwhelming as a teacher. It‘s tempting to try to cover every hot new framework and tool. But learners are better served by a "just-in-time" approach that prioritizes fundamentals and teaches them how to learn on their own.

Fighting Imposter Syndrome

Many programmers, myself included, are all too familiar with imposter syndrome—the nagging feeling that you‘re not qualified or don‘t belong. Teaching can amplify those doubts as you wonder if you know enough to be an authority. But ultimately, striving to be a good teacher makes you a better developer as you deepen your own understanding by explaining concepts to others.

Giving Constructive Feedback

Providing feedback on code is deceptively difficult. It‘s a delicate balance of highlighting areas for improvement while also recognizing the hard work a learner put in. I‘ve found it helpful to use techniques like focusing on behaviors rather than the person, asking questions to understand their thought process, and framing critiques as opportunities for growth.

The Lasting Impact of Teaching Programming

Teaching programming is challenging in countless ways. But the potential for positive impact makes it all worthwhile:

• Equipping learners with valuable, future-proof skills that can transform their careers and lives
• Developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity that benefits learners far beyond the classroom
• Increasing diversity in tech by making coding education more accessible and inclusive
• Inspiring students to become lifelong learners and perhaps even teachers themselves

One of my favorite memories as a teacher is from a free coding workshop I led for high school students from underrepresented groups in tech. Many of them had never been exposed to programming before, and some were initially skeptical that it was for them. But as they dove into building websites about their interests, their enthusiasm grew.

I‘ll always remember the pride on one girl‘s face as she presented the fan site she made for her favorite K-pop group, complete with embedded music videos and a flashy CSS animation. She went from thinking coding wasn‘t for her to realizing her own potential as a creator. Moments like that remind me why this work matters.

Conclusion

Teaching programming is an exhilarating, exhausting, and endlessly rewarding endeavor. There‘s no feeling quite like seeing the light bulb come on in a learner‘s eyes as they grasp a concept. Or witnessing their amazement as they make a computer do something they didn‘t think was possible. Or hearing them excitedly share their first app with friends and family.

Those moments make all the challenges worth it: the late nights spent debugging, the live demos that go sideways, the endless iteration on exercises and explanations. Because ultimately, teaching programming is about so much more than code. It‘s about empowering people to become builders and problem-solvers. It‘s about equipping them with the tools to bring their unique ideas to life and shape our collective future.

That‘s a weighty responsibility—but it‘s also an incredible privilege. And for me, it‘s a calling that I can‘t imagine giving up. No matter how many new languages and frameworks emerge, the fundamentals of programming—and the thrill of sharing them—will always remain.