Why I still love teaching, even in my YouTube videos
Many of you know that I was a school teacher in a former life. While I only spent 11 years in the classroom, I dedicated 32 years to the education system. Every role I held, whether as a teacher, administrator, or Director of Technology, involved some form of teaching.
When I took early retirement, I joined a software company where I developed training materials and taught others how to build utility software on top of our core platform. That teaching experience is something I bring into every YouTube video I create.
I genuinely love teaching. These days, one of the things that brings me the most joy is crafting the perfect lesson plan, if such a thing exists. Whenever I begin researching a new video, I always try to craft a simple and focused Xcode project that can clearly demonstrate the concepts I want to share. Almost all of my videos include starter projects, and I always provide the completed source code as well. I believe the best way to learn is to follow along and build as you go.
You can watch all the videos you want, but if you’re not practicing the concepts, they are not going to stick. I try to make each project meaningful, with a logical flow and enhancements that truly add value to the lesson. Sometimes, everything clicks and I finish a project feeling genuinely proud of how it turned out.
In this current video series, I’ve had that feeling at least twice already. Of the eight videos planned so far, five are complete and the remaining three are in progress. I often wonder if viewers recognize a well-crafted lesson plan or if they are just skipping to the one tip they need. And that is completely fine. I have done the same when watching others.
In the end, I make these videos as much for myself as for you. I learn a lot during the process, and I hope you do too.
