Aigo Learning: Behind the Scenes

Aigo Learning is an ever-growing organization that is committed to teaching the next generation of coders, and their efforts have been largely successful. However, due to the rapid growth of the group, there are talented individuals that are needed to make sure that teachers are trained correctly and ensure that everything is running smoothly. One such person is Shreya Nambiar, who is a teacher herself and helps to run the community’s discord server for new teachers. This interview was conducted over zoom and has been lightly edited for clarity.

Q: Tell me a little about yourself

A: “I’m a rising sophomore in high school, and I joined Aigo Learning back in 6th or 7th grade. I enjoy watching TV, movie, hanging out with friends, and traveling is a big deal to me.”

Q:What made you want to join the program, and how did you join?

A: I was attending one of Aigo Learning classes, when it was actually called Thinkland back then. They asked me to TA for one of their classes since they were teaching at local chinese schools. I’ve been with them since, “and I think it’s been a good decision so far.”

Q: What are your primary responsibilities for the program?

A: I teach two classes, and I taught two full year classes which recently ended. Also, I manage all the training servers which contain over three hundred people, and have to contact everyone regarding teaching and bi-weekly meetings. “I’m really just the main communications person.”

Q: Are there ever any issues within the discord server?

A: “There are issues, sometimes you just have to run with an iron fist.” It can get annoying, but most people are respectful since you help them get paid.

Q: How long do you see yourself working for the program?

A: “I could see myself working for the program for the rest of my high school career.” I’ve put a lot of time and effort into the program and it would be a mistake to leave now. Plus, “I know that we have many opportunities to grow.” Even during college, I could see myself coming back.

Q:What improvements would you like to see implemented for the program?

A: For the most part, I think that we are doing pretty well. One thing I would like to see though is more organization from teachers, as it could make everything run more smoothly.

Q: Are you the only person in charge of the training discords?

A: No, there are four or five other administrators. However, I’m the main person since I’m the most knowledgeable about the program.

Q: Since you work with new teachers, how are they trained?

A: New teachers have to go through teacher evaluations. We sit through training sessions for courses we developed, and we act as students to understand how they conduct their classes. Normally, teachers only have to do one evaluation, unless they want to teach a different class, and then they have to be evaluated for that new class. If there are numerous complaints against a teacher, they may be evaluated again.

Q: What coding languages do you feel most comfortable with?

A: “I would say Python,” and I took an evaluation in order to teach students about it. Personally, I would say that Python is the easiest coding language to learn as well.

Q: What do you see yourself doing in college?

A: I’m interested in many different subjects, such as “law, psychology, math, and computer science”

Q: Do you think being in the program can help you with your goals?

A: Yeah, it definitely can help with college. However, “that can be a bad thing since you should be more focused on the program and helping others than a potential resume.

Q: What age-group do you teach?

A: I currently teach the 6–9 year old range, and sometimes I honestly feel old. I have to sometimes look up things to understand them.

Q: What’s your favorite memory of the program so far?

A: “Working with the people I do, like Christine and Annie.” The program has helped in that respect, making friends and we often hang out. It’s been fun.

People such as Shreya are teaching children the value of coding, and from what I’ve seen they seem to be in good hands.

If you’re interested in becoming a student or teacher for AiGoLearning, head over to https://aigolearning.org/ for more detailed course descriptions and registration for all summer programs, teaching opportunities, and membership positions.