How to teach?

[Pekka]

I don't know how. I've taught some, but it's not like I can teach or anything. I mean, I can go over the area I'm supposed to teach, but the problem is I have very little patience for stupidity.

In this situation, my good friend is applying to this school and he has some tasks he needs to do for the selection process and it just happened that I have some basic knowledge on the subject. So he asked me for help, the mission was to design a user interface for navigation tool.

So I asked him what his basic idea is, what he basically has thought should be added into the thingie. What can I say? he had 1(!!!!) idea, which is pretty freaking basic (add a map into it so you can search addresses). I was like OK, and then what? It was lost on him. I noticed that this will be painful so I asked how he was thinking of designing it, just explain with your own words. No explanation except 'well tehre's the map and there's like dots for the streets you search for'. That's freaking it.

It also became apparent he does not know what an interface really is. So I explained to him what it means, and he started debating me. Listen dude, this is so basic, that ****ing look it up on the internet before you start saying I'm wrong about what an interface is.

I explained the basics of user centered design and basically what they're looking for. He is nto taking me seriously, it's like he has 0 critical thinking for his own work, which by the way is just a map and that's it, where's the interface in it, where's the.. what is the value of this, I mean come on!!!!!!!!!!! So it resulted into 'well I'm only applying, it's not like they expect me to knwo everything already'. That's true, but dude, take this **** seriously, ok? They can see if you made an effort, it means that you can do things wrong, but if you had an idea, it was fairly interesting, you know, it flies even though it's not doable or actually real life. But to .. NOT do an interface bvecause you don't know what one is, that's not excusable.

I said well, ok imagine there's 1000 people doing this same task which prolly is true. Do you think they don't have this already? Do you think they don't have a map in navigation tool? OK? You need to be on top of that group to make it in, so you need to put out. I got pretty frustrated because he wouldn't listen to me what an interface is and take the basics in at all, so I told him to google stuff up, check out images, do some prelim pics and show them to me and we'll work it from there on.

Needless to say these pics won't be any better when I'll get them. THe problem is, he won't make it, not even close and I find it difficult to help him. I know he wants in, but he has a bad attitude, he is not lazy but he is kind of not very smart. But he is a good friend and I hate to see him getting depressed once again for flunking this one and that's exactly what's going to happen. I recommended him a good book since I had a book about -- designing interfaces for navigation tools. Kind of ironic, but I had the book that had the perfect fit for this task. Did he want it? No. It's not like they expect him to know everything. JEesh!!!!

How can I help my friend? He won't listen to me at all. He does not accept simple facts. He does not have the mindset for this kind of work so I tried to help him to think the way he needs to think to ask the right questions and go on from there on but he just refuses. The only way for me to go on is to shout at him, punch him in the face and force this stuff on him or do the whole task myself. So any tips? He is sensitive so I don't want to ... like I can be so, that he will only get depressed, and I don't want that. I want him to pass, I want him to take this **** seriously enough. I know he can, he just needs to realize things. How can I help him realize these basic things?

[Ecthy]

The only thing he needs taught at the moment is responsibility for himself. Your decision if you make that your job.

[Pekka]

I don't think he is.. I mean I know he isn't lazy. But he is not the sharpest knife in the kitchen. I know he will realize all this stuff when the results come in and I say 'told you to make an effort'. Imagine the task, and imagien you're the one who is going to rank them and do the selection process.

You get an image of a map with some dots in it. Are you going to just throw it away right that second or even faster than that?

It's the same thing every year. Last year he did pretty good work on one assignment, but the follow up task was to write an essay. I congratuled him and said focus on the essay and you'll score! He was like, damn, I'm not good at writing essays but the first task went really well.

Ok, but the point is, this is the second round, and they'll look at these essays, if you're not on top, you're not getting in, it's a selection process. So... yeah, you can guess what happened. This is very basic human thinking, get with the program.

[Ecthy]

Maybe you should move on socially? Are people who are so lacking in attitude normally your friends?

But then if he's an old friend, things don't change that easily on that front...

[Combat Ingrid]

Perhaps you're trying to teach him the way you would like to be taught? If he's a good old friend of yours, you probably have an idea what makes him tick, so try to give him the kind of advice that would help him, not the kind of advice that would help you. That may be easier said than done of course.

When it comes to giving someone a book to study, instead of saying something like "Hey, you will learn a lot from reading this book", tell them "I learned a lot from reading this book. Take a look at it, maybe there's something in it for you too".

Instead of telling people what to do, give them hints that help them figure it out for themselves, it will make them feel better about themselves.

[DaShi]

Teaching requires a lot of patience. Something I had to learn the hard way. But I will say, when you develop that patience, you will be so grateful for it.

[Perfection]

Do it for him and demand payment.