The company I work for encourage its staff to play an active part in the community. I used to think it was all just a bit of PR but my experience over the last few years has changed my mind on that. It is easy to be cynical I admit but in addition to matching any charitable fundraising we do (to a limit of £500 a year) they also, to a degree, support us with a certain amount of time off work to pursue these causes that matter to us most.
Using some of this time, this week I will be embarking on something of an adventure as I
start to volunteer teaching code in one of the small schools one town across. As part of
Code Club I will be teaching 9-12 year olds how to code in scratch for an hour a week on a Thursday afternoon.
There aren’t enough coders around and I believe it is a skill that breeds creativity and develops problem solving abilities that will be critical later in life and I just figured if no one else is going to do it I will.
Code Club is itself critical in this though and a wonderful endeavour and it provides a wonderful framework within which to work. You don’t even have to be able to code to be able to teach it. I can though so hopefully it will help immensely.
Initially I was rather enthusiastic and following a visit to the school though it was a great
idea but as Thursday looms it has dawned on me that will be teaching up to thirty eager
coders never having taught children before. I have taught adults plenty at work but they are different and wholly more docile.
I may well have bitten off more than I can chew, and I am uncertain if I am the type to be shaping young minds and I am concerned that they will make me cry. But, it is now too late to back out and by all accounts they are rather excited and if I do run away I
imagine they will hunt me down and go all lord of the flies on me because that’s what children do.
Oh well…
Afterwards 
You may even learn more than you expect to teach …
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A lot information in short time. So, are you happy with it all going on for you?
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That’s great Michael! Proud of you!!
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Good luck and never turn your back on them!☺️
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Cheers, Michael! I wish American schools would start including coding in the standard curriculum starting in middle school and continuing ’til high school graduation.
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haha indeed !
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it’ll be all good im.sure
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Good for you…and for the company you work for for being so supportive.
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That’s awesome, building into the next generation. They may still go Lord of the Flies on you, just cause. Pre-teens are a special brand of crazy.
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It is out in the sticks too. Curious types with pointy hair and curly teeth!
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I found it’s a lot easier to teach children in a way they can relate to… You have children, so this should be easy 🙂
Good luck, and this is awesome
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Ha mine think im a freak 🙂
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As a teacher myself, I know this can appear daunting. However, as you are a guest, you should have the regular teacher in there with you to lend support. Go for it!
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Thanks man yeah there’s one with me
..should be a laugh
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Good for you…. I wish you luck!
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