ISDI Coders

I joined ISDI Coders as the Main Teacher between July 2024 and January 2025, leading a fully remote web development course. The program ran for six months, with 2-hour daily sessions, and I was also responsible for coordinating the work of a technical teacher who supported the practical side of the course.

The academic structure was centered on the MERN stack and the development of applications around a CRUD API, while also placing strong emphasis on broader software engineering concepts such as layered architecture, separation of responsibilities, error handling, and state management. In addition to the core stack, the course incorporated Tailwind, DaisyUI, Next.js, MariaDB, and Prisma ORM as fixed parts of the syllabus.

This program followed a structured and guided learning path. The first application was built together with the students during the sessions, providing a foundation for understanding both the technical tools and the architectural decisions behind the project. Afterward, each student developed an individual application, applying the same tools, patterns, and concepts more independently.

Teaching Approach

The course combined guided instruction with practical project work. My role focused on leading the sessions, ensuring the program stayed aligned with the syllabus, and helping students internalize both the technical tools and the architectural principles introduced throughout the course.

Because the program had a clearly defined structure, a significant part of my work involved ensuring that students progressed through the material at the expected pace while fully understanding the reasoning behind the implementation choices. Daily sessions included concept explanations, review of student pull requests, discussion of design decisions, and practical exercises to reinforce both the core stack and supporting tools.

I also worked closely with the technical teacher to coordinate exercises, propose challenges, and adapt the practical work to the needs of the group. This coordination helped maintain consistency while providing students with sufficient support as they moved from guided implementation to more independent project work.

Throughout the course, students were encouraged to ask questions, discuss solutions, and justify their technical decisions. In addition to helping them write working code, I placed strong emphasis on helping them understand why certain architectural patterns, workflows, and tools were being used, so they could apply these principles beyond the classroom.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivered daily sessions and ensured adherence to the course syllabus
• Coordinated and supervised the work of the technical teacher
• Reviewed student pull requests and provided structured technical feedback
• Designed exercises and technical challenges for practical sessions
• Guided students in applying layered architecture, separation of responsibilities, error handling, and state management practices
• Led the transition from guided implementation to individual project development

Reflection

One of the most valuable aspects of this experience was working within a format that combined a clearly defined syllabus with progressive, hands-on application. Building the first project together provided students with a strong reference point, while the individual project phase encouraged them to demonstrate a solid understanding of the architecture, tools, and workflows covered during the course.

Because the program was fully remote and designed for professionals balancing other responsibilities, clarity and structure were especially important. This experience reinforced the importance of teaching not only the technologies themselves but also the reasoning, discipline, and development habits required to continue making progress independently after the course.