Suggest modification to this talk

Title

Description

By, Eric Hodel
Code schools are bringing new developers into the workforce, but regardless of the quality or length of the program there is only so much that can be absorbed by a student. It takes years of practice to move from a junior developer fresh out of school to a senior developer. Mentoring helps new developers improve faster, but years of experience as does not make you a good mentor by default. Successful mentoring can speed up this process. Being a successful mentor is more than pointing out mistakes in your junior's program. There are several basic strategies to successful mentorship including truly listening to your junior when they ask questions, giving just enough of a clue to allow self-discovery, managing frustration to keep on track, and focusing only on what you wish to teach right now while leaving other issues to handle later. By practicing these skills you can bring your junior developers skills forward faster to increase the productivity of your team.

Help us caption & translate this video!

http://amara.org/v/GUQH/

Date

Summarized using AI?

If this talk's summary was generated by AI, please check this box. A "Summarized using AI" badge will be displayed in the summary tab to indicate that the summary was generated using AI.

Show "Summarized using AI" badge on summary page

Summary

Markdown supported

The video "Lessons in Mentorship" by Eric Hodel, featured at Ruby on Ales 2015, focuses on best practices for technical mentorship in software development. Hodel emphasizes that, while many new developers emerge from coding schools, the transitional journey from a junior to a senior developer necessitates effective mentorship for faster growth. The talk outlines essential strategies that go beyond merely identifying mistakes, highlighting the importance of how lessons are imparted. The significant points discussed throughout the presentation include:

- **Effective Communication**: Mentors must actively listen to understand problems fully before offering assistance, ensuring mutual understanding.  
- **Empower Learning**: Instead of taking control (e.g., touching the mentee's computer), mentors should allow mentees to engage actively in the problem-solving process to build their muscle memory and confidence.  
- **Guidance through Questions**: Rather than providing direct answers, asking guided questions can help new developers surfacing potential solutions independently, reinforcing their learning.  
- **Focus on Immediate Issues**: Mentors should prioritize helping the mentee resolve their current problem before introducing additional topics which could distract from the main goal.  
- **Recognize Individual Knowledge Gaps**: Constantly acknowledge your mentee's understanding and encourage them to share their thoughts, reinforcing the learning environment.  
- **Flexibility in Teaching**: Adapt the level of complexity based on the mentee's understanding, helping them take in manageable information instead of overwhelming them with too much at once.  
- **Emotional Awareness**: Understanding the emotional states of learners can help maintain a positive mentorship atmosphere, suggesting breaks when needed to reduce frustration. 
- **Cultivating Independence**: Mentors should guide mentees toward finding solutions and understanding their development process rather than becoming overly reliant on the mentor.  
- **Documentation and Good Practices**: Sharing best practices regarding code structure, testing, and commit messages aids new programmers in cultivating effective habits.  
- **Collaboration and Learning Together**: Mutual learning is key; mentors should not hesitate to show vulnerability in their knowledge and seek answers together with their mentees.

In conclusion, the video stresses the significance of fostering a growth-oriented mentorship environment while encouraging mentees to develop confidence, independence, and technical skills necessary for their careers. Hodel highlights that the relationship between mentor and mentee is collaborative, ultimately aimed at creating effective developers who contribute to their teams and projects.

Overall, the insights shared by Hodel can transform how technical mentorship is approached, aiming to prioritize and enhance the learning journey for new developers.

Cancel