Common pitfalls of junior developers

Rachel Warbelow

Common pitfalls of junior developers

Synopsis

The learning curve to becoming a great developer is incredibly steep, especially when starting with no background knowledge. And it’s not a smooth ride, either - trying to learn tools, concepts, syntax, and best practices simultaneously will inevitably result in hiccups along the way.

As a DevBootcamp alumnus, Rachel knows what it’s like to go from zero to developer in a very short time frame and the challenges that journey can present. Now as an instructor at the Turing School of Software and Design, she draws on her years of experience in the classroom to employ strategies that allow her students just the right balance between hand-holding and struggling.

In this talk, Rachel will share tips to help people who are just getting started with programming overcome common struggles while also sharing proven teaching techniques that will help more experienced developers become effective mentors.

Biography

Rachel is currently an instructor at the Turing School of Software & Design and co-leader of Denver's Girl Develop It chapter. Rachel started her professional career as an elementary and middle school teacher through Teach For America while earning her Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She began dabbling in code when she realized there had to be a better way to record, analyze, and share student data. She attended Chicago's DevBootcamp during the summer of 2013 where her team created the SWOTBot, a student data management system. Rachel teaches coding classes to both K12 students and adults. She's passionate about equipping people with skills to change their lives.