Girls Who Code

Teaching Assistant

June - August 2018 • Austin, TX

What I liked

I liked working with high school girls teaching them fundamentals of Computer Science

What I wish was different

The commute was long

Advice

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Teaching Assistant

May - August 2019 • Irvine, CA

What I liked

It was amazing. I liked working with high school kids who are highly motivated, and I also loved the idea of closing the gender gap in technology. My co-worker was awesome -- she taught me a lot of things, my students were great -- they became my very close friends and the office was wonderful with a lot of facilities to my convenience.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have had more opportunities to enhance my technical skills.

Advice

I don't understand the question. One lesson I learned from this experience? Surrounding yourself with people who genuinely support you and realize the value of your work is one of the key factors in boosting self-confidence, the ability to learn, and eventually, performance.

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Teaching Assistant

June - July 2019 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

I liked that I could really empower and inspire girls and create the same environment I had when I was a participant.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Research Intern

June - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Really relaxed work environment, almost all female office, super supportive and love their mission

What I wish was different

more technical skilled focused for CS majors

Advice

the application is long but worthwhile it was a great summer and i loved my time there. I got a return offer to stay during the semester and i accepted it. definitely a company that feels very tied to the mission, if you arent tied to the mission then it might not be for you.

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Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)

July - August 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I loved getting to meet all these wonderful girls and watch them grow to love programming!

What I wish was different

I wish that I had more freedom to teach how I teach.

Advice

Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." What matters is that you help find the answer, even if you have to find it with the student.

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Teaching Assistant

June - August 2019 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

I really loved teaching the diverse amount of girls in a small classroom setting this summer. Even though they were a little discouraged in the beginning from learning hard, new material, it was so fulfilling to see them get more interested and stay committed to learning. In addition to the girls and teaching, I loved the space that we were provided. It was nice the technology companies are giving back to the community to allow underprivileged girls to have the same chance to get jobs in the tech industry. There were also field trips to other tech companies and a lot of guest speakers to give the girls a wide variety of jobs in the tech industry. I think this is a great summer opportunity to give back to something I am really passionate about.

What I wish was different

Nothing, everything was great.

Advice

One piece of advice I would give to this is just to be positive and proactive because it was a little different always being watched and a role model for teenage girls. There were a lot of different situations that you could end up in, so you need to be flexible and aware to make the best possible decision.

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Teaching Assistant

May - August 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The flexibility of the courses and how passionate the students were!

What I wish was different

How much had been packed into a day... sometimes we had to skip lessons entirely in order to make our schedules work.

Advice

Take mini-breaks throughout the day--it's hard to always be 'on' for 8 hours!

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Teaching Assistant

July 2023 • Eastchester, NY

What I liked

I enjoyed meeting more people with a passion for coding!

What I wish was different

I wish I had more ways to help the introverted girls come out of their shells.

Advice

It is extremely fun and informative for both the students and teachers. I highly recommond!

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Teaching Assistant

May - August 2018 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

Minority representation in teaching staff and the opportunity to work with high school girls is all socioeconomic statuses.

What I wish was different

Wouldn't change a thing!

Advice

Be patient with your coworkers and superiors!

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Teaching Assistant

May - August 2018 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Overall it was a great experience, I liked working with all of the students and it was very fulfilling to help them in the second half of the program use what we had taught them to create their projects about their own passions.

What I wish was different

Advice

It’s definitely a useful job for those not sure of exactly what they want to do with Computer Science and want to get more technical experience.

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Teaching Assistant

June - August 2023 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The work culture was great and seeing the students’ eagerness to learn was great

What I wish was different

I wish a reviewed a little more before teaching the lessons.

Advice

Building community with the students is important and it creates a fun and positive classroom environment.

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Assistant Teacher

June - August 2017 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

My team was very collaborative and supportive. I loved my students and felt like I learned a lot about teaching. While it wasn't an industry internship I feel like the lessons I learned there also made me a better coder.

What I wish was different

Your experience depends heavily on your specific team. I had a great experience but some people have not, I wish that GHC didn't rely so heavily on the hosts/teachers and structured the program more.

Advice

Make sure to pick a location that is easy to commute to/affordable to live near because they don't provide a stipend. Also you make minimum wage so pick a state with a high minimum wage

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Teaching Assistant

May - August 2019 • Brooklyn Heights, NY

What I liked

I got to work with a really amazing group of girls, and our host company (UTC) was very supportive. The teaching plans were already set up for the teaching team and very detailed, but we were also given a pretty large amount of flexibility when it came to modifying them, which was really nice.

What I wish was different

I worked in Brooklyn but live in NJ, so the commute was about 2 hours one-way, and there was no travel stipend.

Advice

Teaching 20 girls who were only a few years younger than me could be very challenging at times, but it was ultimately a very positive experience.

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Teaching Assistant

June - August 2018 • Glendale, CA

What I liked

Being a teaching assistant was a great experience because I felt like I was learning the fundamentals of CS better by teaching it. I also got to build relationships with the students and felt like a mentor to these girls. I didn't only teach the girls CS, but led discussions about the ethics of the advancement of technology and about women in technology.

What I wish was different

Advice

Some students are not going to be working and it's important to check in with them once in a while. They might just be having a bad day. Don't assume anything. Just be transparent and communicate well with everybody.

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High School Teacher Intern

June - August 2018 • Charlotte, NC

What I liked

Teaching was a fun learning experience for me and I loved seeing the girls learn about computer science.

What I wish was different

Nothing!

Advice

Apply for internships early and don’t be afraid to do something that seems a little bit scary.

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Teaching assistant

June - July 2018 • Dallas, TX

What I liked

Really inspiring work. Great to see my personal influence on younger girls

What I wish was different

Advice

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Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)

June - August 2018 • San Bruno, CA

What I liked

I loved working with high-school aged girls. I also liked that I learnt a lot of languages and concepts that I wouldn't have had the chance to learn in college-- I feel so much note confident entering the professional CS world now.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more training on the material.

Advice

Definitely try all the projects the students are assigned yourself! It will help build your portfolio and give you a deeper understanding of the content.

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Teaching Assistant

July - August 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I didn't expect to like teaching the girls in my classroom so much. I was able to hone my skills as a mentor and teacher, as well as fiddle with code more.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to give more feedback and suggestions about content area to improve the curriculum for next summer.

Advice

Be prepared to learn about learning if you want to be an effective instructor.

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Teaching Assistant

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Teaching is a very difficult but rewarding profession. My favorite parts of the summer were watching my students gain more confidence, become more interested in computer science, and grow as independent young women. I also enjoyed working with the partner staff (AT&T) and GWC's site lead.

What I wish was different

Training did not prepare me very well for the job. Many instructors, including myself, have the computer science knowledge, but not necessarily a good teaching background. You'll have an easier time if you have some prior experience in teaching or working with youth.

Advice

Everyone's classroom is going to be different and the training that GWC provides will be helpful, but won't be a clear walk through for the summer program. You're going to be making hundreds of decisions everyday, and sometimes you'll feel overwhelmed. It's challenging, but fun, and you'll learn a lot about yourself and how to work with people from all sorts of backgrounds. Come to work with an open-mind and have fun!

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