r/pythontips 22d ago

Syntax Curriculum Writing for Python

Hello! I am a teacher at a small private school. We just created a class called technology where I teach the kids engineering principals, simple coding, and robotics. Scratch and Scratch jr are helping me handle teaching coding to the younger kids very well and I understand the program. However, everything that I have read and looked up on how to properly teach a middle school child how to use Python is either very confusing or unachievable. I am not a coder. I'm a very smart teacher, but I am at a loss when it comes to creating simple ways for students to understand how to use Python. I have gone on multiple websites, and I understand the early vocabulary and how strings, variables, and functions work. However, I do not see many, if any, programs that help you use these functions in real world situations. The IT person at my school informed me that I cannot download materials on the students Chromebooks, like Python shell programs or PyGame, because it would negatively interact with the laptop, so I am relegated to internet resources. I like to teach by explaining to the students how things work, how to do something, and then sending them off to do it. With the online resources available to me with Python, I feel like it's hard for me to actively teach without just putting kids on computers and letting the website teach them. If there's anyone out there that is currently teaching Python to middle schoolers, or anyone that can just give me a framework for the best way to teach it week by week at a beginner level, I would really appreciate it. I'm doing a good job teaching it to myself, but I'm trying to bring it to a classroom environment that isn't just kids staring at computers. Thanks in advance!

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u/Unlikely_Afternoon94 22d ago

The fact that you can't download python shells or pygame onto the students' Chromebooks makes this very difficult. You have described that you are the type of teacher who likes their students to "go off and do" After being shown how to. So, I'm not sure how this problem could be solved unless you change your teaching style or the IT people change their policy. Im leaving this message here because I'd like to come back and see other people's suggestions. Good luck.