Got the Coding Skill? Here’s How You Can Teach Others

Programming is one of the most valuable skills you can learn today. No matter what industry your coding skills take you to, there’s no denying that we will never quite run out of the need for technical skills, and tech positions are among the highest paying nationally. Back in 2018, the term “learn to code” was searched in Google 74,000 every month—nearly double the search term “learn to play guitar.” There are many reasons people have this goal; perhaps they want to score a software development job, learn to build an app of their own, or create their own website.

Whatever the case, if you’ve already got the gift of code, teaching others who want to learn is a great way to earn extra income and/or give back to this large community of eager students.
And believe it or not, you can actually learn to code by teaching others. It might seem outlandish at first, but when you’re answering upwards of hundreds of questions from your programming students, you’re able to gain a high-level overview of the languages you teach and the perception of coding in general. You’ll also become more familiar with errors and mistakes in your code. Here’s how you can get started:

Start Answering Forum Questions

There are a myriad of coding and programming forums out there, and you can start easy by taking the time to answer some of those questions. Stack Overflow is a great place to start, as it’s proven to be a haven for beginners seeking answers as they teach themselves to code. You can also search for different programming languages on Quora and Reddit, as many people turn to those forums for support and answers.

Volunteer at a Coding School

Today, coding schools have spawned across the nation. From General Assembly (which has 20 coding campuses around the world) to Girls Who Code (which offers free intensive coding classes across the country), the majority of the schools are happy to take on volunteers who have verifiable programming prowess. This not only allows you to get up front and center with students, but also offers plenty of networking opportunities for you. General Assembly alone has an alumni of 40,000.

Start Your Own Classes

If you have the resources, you might consider starting your own classes and hosting them in a local community center or coworking space. In the beginning, you might want to start off by offering simple workshops to gauge interest in your local area, and see how it fits with your schedule and teaching style. After you’ve hosted regular meetings and are gaining traction, you can go on to start some classes of your own—and maybe get some grants or local financial support in the process.

This is exactly what Michael Kaiser-Nyman did when he started the Epicodus school. In a blog post, he stated: “I volunteered at local meetups and events for beginner programmers to see how other people were teaching beginners. I also went through many books, videos, and tutorials myself. At the in-person events, I watched the students learn to see which lessons and approaches were effective, and which didn't work as well.

Create a Coding Website

Like many others who have embarked on a mission to teach others to code, you can go as far as creating your own coding website to teach others. Whether this is a standalone project, startup, or a supplement to the classes you’ve started, there’s no denying it’s a great way to pass on a skill and reach the masses at the same time.

Already, there are some amazing websites that teach you how to code, including Treehouse, KHAN, Codecademy, and Codeschool. Take a look at how each of these websites handle the education process and start taking notes on ways you can improve. Once you launch a website of your own, be sure to have the best hosting plan in place to handle your storage and data needs, and work with a web designer to help you achieve your branding goals.

Develop Niche Projects

Like most schools, you’ll want to give your students homework. By focusing on niche goals or programming languages, you can better match the desires of the people you’re trying to help. For example, you might want to focus on building a computer game or a mobile app. Because coding encompasses such a vast landscape of components, honing in on specific areas allows every to stay on the same page, and for homework to be aligned with the main goal. In a gaming class, you might guide your students towards building a final game by the end of the course.