CodeWizardsHQ instructor Yafet Befkadu’s interest in coding started with a boast to his friends.
“I got interested in coding back when I was in fifth grade. I was joking around and told my friends that I was a hacker. They told me to prove it and I told them to give me a few days.”
Learning to Code
While Yafet was investigating how to hack, he started learning a little code. Using YouTube and other online resources, he eventually learned how to make games, apps, and websites. He enjoyed showing off his programming skills to his friends and encouraged them to make games and websites with him.
“I was mostly self-taught. First, it was very frustrating. Teaching yourself takes a really long time if you don’t understand the actual concepts. You follow instructions and things happen, but you don’t understand why those things happen. After a while, it started clicking in my head and it just made sense.”
That early preparation led Yafet to pursue a degree in computer science. He is currently a junior at Montgomery College in Maryland. Yafet found himself tutoring students who needed help in his college programming classes. Teaching coding also branched out to friends and family. He enjoyed sharing his coding knowledge. A YouTube ad for CodeWizardsHQ piqued Yafet’s interest. He found the CodeWizardsHQ program appealing, applied to teach, and has been an instructor for over a year now.
A Passion for Teaching
Yafet loves teaching kids to code and sees that as part of his future career plans along with web or iOS development. He has found that CodeWizardsHQ’s instructor training has taught him the nuances of teaching to different audiences and how to instruct various age groups.
Yafet teaches all levels of students at CodeWizardsHQ. While he is very enthusiastic about his classes and students, he has recently started teaching Capstone Classes. Yafet appreciates the way the classes provide a comprehensive overview of each learning level.
“You get to see the students put all of their experience into huge fourth-lesson-type projects. First, they apply all of the Python they have learned to make a game. Then students use their web development skills to create a website that they can show off to their friends and so on.”
He likes teaching all levels because each age group has its own unique way of understanding programming languages.
“I remember the students in the first class that I taught. Currently, I’m teaching those students Python and we started out in Scratch. It is pretty awesome to see them progress. The same applies to my middle and high school students. You get to see them improving and they’re super excited about it.”
Yafet has a real appreciation for students who work hard especially when coding might not be particularly easy for them. He loves it when they try their best and celebrates their successes. He enjoys their excitement as they progress through the courses.
CodeWizardsHQ students are encouraged to customize their projects whenever possible. This increases interest and motivation and enhances problem-solving skills. Yafet advises his students to be creative.
“The thing I always tell my students is, first of all, don’t feel restricted. If there’s something that’s customizable, go out on your own route and see what you can do to make it unique. Everyone has their own different solution for solving a problem.”
Yafet encourages parents who are interested in coding education for their children to explore CodeWizardsHQ.
“CodeWizardsHQ strives to help students by constantly improving student engagement. They want children to succeed in programming.”