When learning to code, having an enthusiastic, understanding instructor can make all the difference. This is exactly the kind of experience students get with Nathan West, one of CodeWizardsHQ’s standout instructors. Whether teaching Scratch to elementary students or guiding high schoolers through Python, Nathan’s path to programming and his passion for teaching shine through.
Discovering the World of Coding
Nathan’s journey with coding started a bit later than you might expect. “I was always interested in computers when I was younger,” he recalls. He was drawn to exploring the hardware of his family’s “old beat-up desktop,” but it wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he dabbled in programming. His first taste? An AP Computer Science course that introduced him to the basics. “That’s what got me interested in it,” he says. Nathan wanted to move beyond that and was soon captivated by text coding.
Once in college, however, Nathan took an unexpected detour into aerospace engineering. “By my sophomore year; that’s when I really started taking an interest in programming,” he shares. “I decided, you know what, I’m just going to switch to computer science.” It’s a decision he doesn’t regret, explaining that “four years later, here I am, and I can’t really see myself doing anything else.”
Finding CodeWizardsHQ
Like many college students, Nathan took on various jobs to support himself during his studies, but by last summer, he felt it was time to find a position more aligned with his future career in tech. That’s when he discovered CodeWizardsHQ. “I saw their part-time coding instructor position and thought, ‘Okay, why not?’” Little did he know it would be the perfect fit, allowing him to combine his passion for coding with his growing interest in teaching.
Six months later, Nathan teaches a variety of courses at CodeWizardsHQ. “I teach Scratch, web design, Python, Java— pretty much everything at the first level,” he says. With students ranging from elementary to high school, he’s found a niche in engaging and inspiring young coders.
A Love for Teaching and Connecting with Students
Nathan’s teaching style is rooted in making coding fun and accessible. While he enjoys all age groups, he notes that the younger students bring a unique energy to his classes. “The younger students are definitely more interactive, more excited,” he says. “They have all these dreams, and you can see that spark.” But his high school students also hold a special place in his heart, even if they’re a bit more reserved. “High schoolers are stressed with other things, so they might not seem as interested, but they still are.”
For Nathan, the ideal classroom is one where students are engaging with each other as well as with him. Recently, he noticed his HTML class students cheering for one of their peers who was featured in a weekly challenge spotlight. “They were like, ‘Oh, congratulations! Good job!’” he recalls. These moments of camaraderie are what Nathan hopes to foster in his virtual classrooms.
A Teacher Who Learns Alongside His Students
Teaching, as Nathan has found, has its own learning curve. Patience and communication, he admits, are two skills he’s honed since joining CodeWizardsHQ. “Patience is very, very important,” he emphasizes. He reflects on how he has to remind himself to slow down and think back to when he first learned programming. “Teaching has helped me be more careful with my words and how I explain things.” These skills, he believes, will not only make him a better instructor but also a more effective communicator in any field he enters.
Building Critical Skills Through Coding
When asked what he’d say to parents considering enrolling their kids in a coding program, Nathan is thoughtful and passionate. “Coding should be a normal part of middle school and high school curriculum, just like math and science,” he insists. Coding, he believes, teaches invaluable critical thinking skills. “It’s not necessarily the actual coding skill that’s most valuable—it’s the critical thinking that you develop,” he explains. This skill, he notes, “trains your brain to think in a way that can help in a lot of other areas.”
What impresses Nathan most about CodeWizardsHQ is the variety and depth of the courses offered. Reflecting on his high school AP Computer Science class that focused only on Scratch, he notes how CodeWizardsHQ’s curriculum includes Java, Python, web development, databases, and more. “There’s a lot of topics that are covered, and I think that’s pretty much what impressed me the most,” he says, adding that the courses are designed to engage students and build real-world skills.
Life Beyond Coding
When he’s not teaching or studying, Nathan is quite the adventurer! Just this past summer, he traveled to South Korea. “It was amazing to see a blend of modernism with skyscrapers like New York City and the old architecture of the palaces,” he recalls. His travels didn’t stop there; he also spent a week in Japan, soaking in the food, culture, and incredibly clean cityscapes.
Though life’s busy with college and work, Nathan still finds time for a few favorite pastimes. Recently, he’s been playing tennis with friends, enjoying the chance to be active and outdoors. And, he mentions, there’s Oscar, the “really naughty orange tabby” at his family home who keeps things lively.
As Nathan prepares for graduation next spring, his focus remains on teaching and expanding his skills. For now, he’s content where he is, making a difference in his students’ lives and helping them discover the joy and challenge of coding. With his ability to connect, inspire, and create a supportive learning environment, Nathan isn’t just teaching them to code—he’s fostering their confidence, curiosity, and critical thinking skills, helping shape the next generation of tech innovators.
