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We had a great discussion about how tools help us learn on the .NET Community Tooling stand-up today @gotheap asked a wonderful question about how the approach to learning has changed, and the welcome people get in the coding community. A few thoughts! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3542&v=sGkW9AkuJag&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=dotNET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3542&v=sGkW9AkuJag&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=dotNET
The first thing that came to mind is the progress we've made as a community in coming together to be supportive of new developers. @JennyGreene and I have tried to do that in @HeadFirstCSharp ( @OReillyMedia) – give support and encouragement along the way. https://twitter.com/HeadFirstCSharp/status/1358537319096139783
Because learning new things—especially a new programming language!—always has little hiccups and setbacks along the way. A little support and encouragement (hearing "You CAN do this!") can make the difference between a learner giving up and that same learner sticking with it.
Giving learners encouragement isn't just about keeping their spirits up. Our brains don't learn as well when we're frustrated. We tell our @HeadFirstCSharp readers this from the very beginning—we set up an environment that's free from learning barriers. https://twitter.com/HeadFirstCSharp/status/1362516948093927425
Everyone learns in different ways—and sometimes it's easy for us, as teachers or role models, to forget how much learning is intertwined with emotion. (We take advantage of that in @HeadFirstCSharp by using emotions—even scary ones!—to help ideas stick.) https://twitter.com/AndrewStellman/status/1330988954800283649
So whether you're a new learner just starting out on your learning journey or you're an experienced teacher helping others through theirs, remember that the path up the mountain is rarely straight. We all need encouragement, community, and positive experiences along the way.
