Who Are The Instructors and TAs?
Tags: codingdojo, selftaught, programming, beginners
Published: 2023-03-21 16:59:54

Oh boy, where do I start? There are so many different instructors and TAs that you meet just as students and alumni (as long as you do your work and network as much as you can!) _And let's be honest, networking is the one biggest advantage of being in a bootcamp like this. Being able to learn next to upcoming developers, build relationships with valuable connections, and make lifelong friendships._

My knowledge of the staff, of course, comes from my experience, which also depends on my networking skills. I've made strong connections with not only students from other cohorts but also multiple alumni. Therefore, not only do I know of my experience with my own instructors and TAs but I am able to compare and hear about other's experiences with their staff members.

----------------------------------------------------

Ok, let's be honest. Some staff members have just started. Their skill of teaching and explaining concepts to a distinct level of comprehension the students need simply do not match. This can be understood because, though it is one thing to grasp the concepts yourself and be able to explain it to someone who has never had to same knowledge level as you. But then again that brings up the question, if you can't explain it to someone else, do you actually understand the concept fully?

Some staff members are really strict on staying on topic according to the platform as well. If questions are asked about concepts that aren't covered on the day you are currently learning, they'll be shot down saying either, "We'll go over that on x day" or "You'll learn that when you learn x language" or simply telling you you'd have to learn about that after the bootcamp on your own. The purpose of this is to not overload the students with information. But if the students are curious about a concept, shouldn't they be able to learn about it at least a little from their mentors, especially since they're probably going to look it up anyway?

Then there are the instructors who clearly do not want to be there. Maybe it is simply how long they've been teaching the same concept. Months and months of regurgitating the same information from the platform would become mind-numbing. But there is always the option of requesting to teach other languages, actually caring about what you teach and adding more valuable information for your students to use in the workforce instead of regurgitating information, or simply quitting and get a job as a developer like many of them claim to have left before becoming a instructor. These are the instructors who play favorites. They adore the advanced students who pick up the concepts easily since they rarely need help and, when they do, it doesn't take long to explain concepts to them. But when it comes to helping the other students, these instructors will sigh, roll their eyes, and show attitude (or even snap and be rude), which means many of the students end up not going for help and struggling even more. Let's be honest, where's your moral as an instructor? Why be an instructor when you don't enjoy teaching? When your students can clearly see that you don't want to be there? When you leave hours early before the end of the day every single day? What are your students paying for? 

Next there are the staff members who are simply "not there". Whether these are the TAs that are getting their Master's on the side or something else and doing coursework during lecture time or the staff members who leave office hours early, the staff members are not there when the students need help. These are also the staff members who are constantly telling you things to do that don't correlate to what you asked help for (might even go on a tangent about something they randomly thought about too).

Ok, ok, I'll get to the better instructors/TAs. There are the instructors who really go into detail when explaining concepts. They'll even go further and give you information on what's being used and being done in the industry in present day so you're already practicing good programming methods. They'll add in little "spices" to the lectures that make being in online classes more engaging. They have character and really make the class come alive. They are the ones who will always be willing to help any student. Students are basically able to learn anything from these instructors, whether it's in depth or a quick slip of information.

Then there are the SUPER patient staff members. Even when there are students who do not have a filter, they will still answer questions and not ignore the random comments in class with the same enthusiasm as the next student. These are the staff members who will walk a struggling student through a long assignment despite it taking multiple hours outside of class. These are the staff members who will study with a student on the weekend just to make sure they pass the exam. These are the staff members the company are lucky to have because they are the ones who probably get most the students through the program.

Finally, there are the staff members who always remember. They remember that you struggled with a, b, and c during week 1 and when it comes back during week 3 they'll pay special attention to how you're doing to see if you need help. They remember that you had interest in x, y and z and send you links about it after class, even if it had nothing to do with lecture but it came up in conversation. They remember that you're working really hard and check in on you every once in a while to see how you're excelling through the program. They're the ones who make you feel seen. They're the ones who cheer you on and make the rough days seem not that bad. They're your cheerleaders and motivators and the ones who make you believe that there are still good ones out there even though you keep getting stuck with the staff members on the polar opposite side of the spectrum as them.

----------------------------------------------

Would I recommend CodingDojo?

For the friendships? Yes!
For the instructors? NOPE
For the concepts/platform? It's probably the same elsewhere for a lot cheaper