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Ole Kristiansen
Ole Kristiansen

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I Tried Explaining Python to My Grandma (And Accidentally Got Better at It)

Last weekend, my grandma asked me what I’ve been working on lately.
I said, “Teaching people Python.”

She squinted. “Like snakes?”

And that’s when I realized, if I can’t explain what I do to someone who still calls every tech thing “the Google,” maybe I don’t understand it as well as I think I do.

So I tried.

“Python is like giving instructions to a very patient robot who follows your words exactly, even when your words make no sense.”

She nodded slowly. “So… it’s like baking. If you forget the sugar, the cake turns out awful.”

Exactly.

And that’s how I stumbled into a truth I wish more learners knew:
Teaching (or explaining) what you’re learning is the fastest way to actually learn it.

So if you’re new to coding:

Write blog posts explaining tiny things (even print()!).

Teach your future self in a notebook.

Explain loops to your cat.

Or yes, try explaining Python to your grandma.

It’ll expose the gaps in your understanding faster than any course can, and once you can explain it simply, you’ve got it.

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