Off the beaten path — how teaching guided me back

Have you ever felt lost on your coding journey?

My story may merely be a drop in an ocean of destinies. I was in a bad place, emotionally, on the verge of drowning. Little did I know teaching would grab me by the neck and pull me out.

It’s an incredible thing, being a mentor. Some may view it as a burden, a responsibility. Many crumble beneath the weight. Few are able to cope and rise to the challenge. But when you do, there is no better feeling in the world. At least for me.

What got the ball rolling?

This part may be familiar. As any ordinary developer, I came to a stalemate at my job. I was waking up every morning at the same time, eating the same food, taking the same route to work. Everything was the same. The work I was doing, however truly interesting, was not creating the same awe as it was when I started. It made me feel awful. There I was, doing this amazing thing, coding an inspiring online learning platform, the first of it’s kind in my country, region even. But still, the spring in my step was gone, it had faded away. I was pissed, to say the least.

Little did I know then, what the true problem was. It was not my job, nor my daily routines. Neither my coworkers, all of which I had great relationships with. We regularly went out for drinks. I felt like I had it all, but was still feeling dissatisfied. I don’t know if this makes any sense. If there is someone out there who has been in a similar situation, I urge you to reach out. At this point, I even got pissed at myself for having such feelings. Then it dawned on me. One day I was browsing the web and stumbled upon something amazing. This revelation opened my eyes, freeCodeCamp made me rethink the whole concept of education. However, most important of all was that it gave me back my passion for learning. As a programmer, learning new things is a must, it’s in your job description. You don’t know how to do something? Suck it up, dig down, and find out how to make it work. This mentality is a must, and in time it becomes a drug. The challenge of solving a problem you have no clue how to solve is what drives me. The emotional high I get when I finally solve what was seemingly unsolvable the day before, cannot be compared to anything else.

Eureka!

It dawned on me. I missed learning, the feel of a book in my hands, exploring the unknown. Really digging down, I must have gone through half a dozen Pluralsight courses, the majority of freeCodeCamp’s front end certification and Eloquent JavaScript. I spent a lot of time reading, mainly technical articles and tutorials, trying my best to soak up as much knowledge as I possibly could. Oh, and I felt great. Not only did this have a positive impact on the spring in my step while commuting to work, but just as much on the quality of my code.

During this period I found myself spending more and more time speaking with my co-workers about the various techniques and practices I was learning. Often helping them solve problems, giving constructive feedback or even criticism. This, in turn, was directed back at me when I myself got stuck with some problem. Slowly, I started realizing the problems I was facing were becoming rare. The ones I ultimately faced, were rarely problems I had issue solving. This small step, helping my colleagues with random problems was the start of something awesome. I had found a calling. Or, rather, it had found me.

Teaching.

It’s rare, to find a calling, especially when as young as me. Seldom does one find it until deep into adulthood, if ever? I consider myself lucky. Or am I just compassionate A question I am still to answer.

Diving headfirst into the deep sea of education, I could not help myself from feeling afraid. As do all educators who care for the students they teach. I sure as hell do. Trying my best to give them the mentor they deserve, the one I never had. Teaching them the skills they needed to create, and explore. For what is a true teacher than he who tries to correct his flaws in his students?

Why does any of this matter?

Because of fear. Fear will always pull you down. Helping others and being a mentor does not mean you are all-knowing. It does not mean you will have the answer to every problem. Nor is this the goal. Inspiration is what you strive for. Strive to inspire. Be the foundation of hope, a helping hand. Programmers are people too. Especially, beginners. A simple conversation can often be the turning point in a coding issue. Now that’s a fact many programmers will deem accurate.

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Hope you guys and girls had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. My advice is blunt and simple, take it if you wish. Do not be afraid of being an inspiration. It may be a small thing for you to do, but as large as a mountain for someone on the receiving end. It’s the seemingly small things in life which make it beautiful.

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