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Your team gains a new developer. You are responsible for bringing them up to speed. While not everyone is a natural teacher, everyone can be taught basic teaching fundamentals. We will take a look at principles anyone can use to become a more effective trainer/teacher. Better teaching technique makes the training process more effective and enjoyable. Effective training reduces new developer frustration and increases job satisfaction for everyone.
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In the talk titled "Quit Frustrating Your New Developers - Tips From a Teacher," Miki Rezentes emphasizes the importance of effective teaching and training strategies for onboarding new developers. Drawing from personal experiences as a software engineer and educator, Miki shares valuable insights on reducing frustration for new hires and enhancing job satisfaction. - **Understanding the Teacher's Role**: Miki highlights that teaching is a two-person activity, where both the trainer and new developer must actively engage in the learning process. If a new hire is unwilling to learn, it’s a sign of a poor hiring choice. - **Three Teaching Opportunities**: Miki outlines three key phases in the developer onboarding process: 1) onboarding (6-8 weeks), 2) ongoing education and mentoring, and 3) addressing routine questions. Each phase requires tailored approaches to information transfer. - **Types of Knowledge**: Developers need to learn three categories of knowledge: tools of the trade (programming languages, design patterns), domain-specific knowledge (industry compliance standards), and company processes (policies and development practices). - **Reducing Unknowns**: The discussion stresses that teaching aims to minimize unknowns for new developers. If a new hire feels uncertain, it indicates gaps in the onboarding process. Miki advocates for checking in regularly to clarify their tasks and blockages. - **The Iceberg Analogy**: Miki uses this analogy to explain known and unknown unknowns, illustrating how junior developers may lack awareness of their knowledge gaps, while experienced developers learn to navigate these unknowns over time. - **The Seven Laws of Teaching**: Miki introduces classical teaching principles and relates them to software development. Key laws include: 1. The teacher must know their material (Law of the Teacher); 2. The learner must be engaged (Law of the Learner); and 3. New knowledge should relate to what learners already know (Law of the Lesson). - **Promoting Psychological Safety**: It’s crucial to foster a supportive environment where new developers feel safe to ask questions without fear of judgement, encouraging open communication and relationship building. - **Effective Communication**: The importance of avoiding jargon, establishing common language, and developing a glossary for new hires is highlighted to ensure comprehension and clarity. - **Structured Feedback Cycle**: Miki stresses the necessity of clear expectations and evaluation standards so that developers understand their goals and receive constructive feedback. In conclusion, Miki encapsulates that effective teaching and mentoring in software development not only help newcomers thrive but also enhance the overall team environment. A structured approach to onboarding and continued education can lead to improved satisfaction and productivity for both new developers and the team as a whole.
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