13 ways to inspire students to learn more and like you more

I love people. And I love software. To get the best of both worlds I teach people how to build software. As a student and teacher I’ve met people who struggle with programming, and in every class, without fail, some get left behind. And as topics "get harder", more and more get left behind. Students get frustrated. Some drop out. Some stare blankly while one or two excel.

Whether or not teachers know it, most classrooms are managed with a tired, old bureaucratic approach, the same traditional approach which has doomed countless IT projects. Perhaps it was inevitable, given contractual considerations such as contact hours and course outlines. Classes are managed with strict deadlines; it’s difficult to revisit topics until the very end. Teachers are terrific advocates of notes or documentation. In the long run students “waste” a bulk of time conceptualising rather than implementing. Perhaps because of the dreaded word plagiarism, teachers view the class as—just that—a class rather than a team with individuals. In many cases it’s not the content that’s frustrating students, but the way the classroom is managed.

If the primary goal is developing the human resource through education this failing approach has to stop. Teachers and classes need to evolve. Here are 13 ways teachers can get the most out of students.

1. If you do, stop thinking you're a god. You're a teacher, yes, but you’ll get better results if you see yourself as part of the team.
2. The product isn't delivering the course content, that's an activity. A trained team member is the product.
3. Stop saying things are hard. But admit when they are challenging.
4. Stop reading from the bloody textbook. Team members can read. You understand the gibberish and you want them to glow with delight when you simplify and unravel the mysteries inside.
5. Textbooks and notes from ten or twenty years ago aren't the only resource. There's content online that you can seek out and recommend: videos, podcasts, webinars, industry-relevant news. Communicate ideas in fun ways, such as drawings. Often times a different perspective helps.
6. Before every session, interact with your team. In less than five minutes you could capture all problems and weave the solutions into the current session. This way your deadlines aren't compromised and the team has a much better chance of moving forward together.
7. Trust team members. Challenge them. Ask questions. Encourage them to do the same and bring fresh ideas. They learn, you learn.
8. Don’t just preach best practices. Lead from the front: use them.
9. People forget, especially when they're learning a wealth of new ideas. Keep examples simple. Now isn't your time to look super-duper smart.
10. From time to time, pair team members and let them work on mini challenges. They'll learn from each other and you're preparing them for real projects.
11. It irks team members when they ask for feedback and get abstract, convoluted answers that do nothing but present more questions. When a team member asks for feedback on work they've actually done, please don't say "It looks good" or "that could work" or "that wouldn't work" or "why don't you think about it some more and get back to me". For crying out loud tell them exactly why it could work, wouldn't work or the exact direction to head in!
12. If you don't know, say "I'm not sure but I will find out and answer your question after break or in the next class." Or ask someone in the team if they know. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
13. Credit and encourage team members for their contributions. When you meet milestones, have fun, celebrate them with the team. It's as simple as saying "Well done, ladies and gentlemen, well done!"