Teaching
Ever since I started down my programming path, people have noted that I seem to have the right stuff to be a teacher. Patience, empathy, and a real concern for everyone I'm working with. In the last few years I've been working with students much more, and feel like I have come into my own as a Teacher/Tutor/Mentor. Although not through traditional (college curriculum) routes, at this point I have many thousands of hours working with students and in classrooms (albeit online).
Bootcamp TA - 2018
Rutgers Coding Bootcamp was the same program that I entered Web Development with. Right after I finished the course I was invited to become a TA, as I had shown a lot of the qualities they look for in their teaching staff. Patience, passion, focused on helping others. This was my first foray into teaching, and a really memorable experience.
Mentor - 2019
Mentoring is one of the most fulfilling things I've done. As a co-worker, teacher, tutor, I've made few dozen contacts who are trying to get ahead in the programming world. I keep in touch with them, checking in and providing support and direction as needed. Most have outgrown me, a sign of success, but I'll still get the occasional email or message, letting me know their latest achievements.
Wyzant Tutor - 2020
Wyzant is an online platform that connects students and teachers across numerous topics, for in person and remote lessons. Back in 2020 I learned about these kinds of sites and services, and spent quite a lot of time helping students (and professionals!) learn more about coding. This really solidified a lot of my skills as a teacher and tutor, giving me thousands of hours of practice working with individuals of all skill levels. From high school students learning their first lines of coding, to seasoned professionals who just need a little help figuring out the latest tech.
DevX Instructor - 2021
Following my time on Wyzant, word got around and an online bootcamp reached out to me to teach a class. Primarily they focused on Java development, but were branching out into other topics such as Web Design and Web Development. I was one of their early teachers of a Fundamental Web class. I worked with 20 students for 8 weeks (16 classes) to teach completely green students core HTML/CSS, and build up some portfolio pieces.Later on, DevX reached out to me again to teach another remote class, this time broadcasting to colleges in Kyrgystan. This was an awesome opportunity (and a lot of work), but I managed to put together some great course materials and deliver the best classes I knew how to.
