I got another opportunity to teach React.js; the main topic was “State Management with Redux.”

A little snapshot of the lecture..

Let’s dive into the reflections.

What Worked Well

Real-World Redux

Instead of a simple app, I dove into a real-world open-source project (Juno) to show how Redux works in practice. This project was one of my contributions to Hacktoberfest 2022. I think it implemented a lot of important aspects of redux with an adequate amount of complexity. It’s also integrated with many external services, mainly Gmail API.

This approach gave students a glimpse of where their learning could lead! The best thing is that I will get feedback since, in this program, providing feedback to instructors is mandatory. So I can learn the students’ responses. It receives some excited responses.

Calming Delivery

There’s a lot of feedback from students who like how I delivered the lecture in a relaxed and calming way of explaining the complex concepts (I should start an ASMR channel, maybe?) Learning from the previous lecture, I vary my tone and voice slightly to create a more engaging lecture.

Broadening Perspectives

By connecting Redux concepts to their existing modules, I helped students see the bigger picture and sparked new insights. However, I ensured students had a solid understanding of Redux fundamentals first.

Areas for Improvement

Energy and Engagement

While I aimed for clarity, my relaxed pace might have come across as low energy. My hurdle was since there was a lot of tab switching, my hands were tied to the keyboard and mouse most of the time. I’m working on using more hand gestures and varying my expressions to keep things engaging.

Recordings would be a great way to self-assess and improve.

Tailoring the Approach

There are still some students who are confused about certain topics. I tailored my lecture based on the majority of background knowledge students had. Based on their mentors, most of them have gone through the Redux module and are building their first with Redux.

Focusing on the big picture for students with some Redux knowledge might have confused beginners. In the future, I suggest that mentors have students skim through the modules to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Challenges and Solutions

Redux Complexity

Redux has been infamous for having a steep learning curve. Honestly, I sweated a little when I got the slot for teaching Redux since I haven’t touched it in a while.

To conquer this, I did a deep dive, refreshing my understanding and even exploring the codebase! I’m satisfied that now I understand Redux much better.

Time Constraints

I realized there are a lot more things to share about Redux. However, since the time was limited, I prioritized core concepts and basic implementation, which resonated well with students.

Managing Q&A

Live chat questions sometimes got lost when asked during an explanation. I discovered a cool Q&A feature in Meet that allows me to manage questions seamlessly without interrupting the flow. The feature also sends post-meeting reports for questions so I can easily follow up.

Overall

This session was a valuable learning experience about teaching complex topics with limited time. It increased my respect for educators! Thanks to the amazing class’ mentors Taufik Heryunanto, Sukron Sabari, Yohanes Harke Wauran for their support and Robbert Tuerlings (Juno creator)