Empowering Every Teacher to Be a Computer Science Teacher

By Brianne Caplan, Founder & Executive Director, Code Your Dreams

A few years ago, I walked into an elementary classroom on the South Side of Chicago where a group of fourth and fifth graders were learning to code for the very first time. The teacher had been nervous for weeks. She told me again and again, “Bri, I’m an English teacher. I don’t know anything about coding. What if I mess up?”

The funny part is that the students never saw her fear. What they saw was a teacher who asked questions out loud, tried new things on the projector, laughed when something broke, and celebrated every “aha” moment, no matter how small.

Halfway through the unit, one student proudly announced, “We’re all computer scientists now!” She looked at me with wide eyes, both terrified and delighted. In that moment, I realized something important: students don’t need their teachers to be experts in computer science. They need their teachers to be brave enough to try.

And when teachers try, students follow.

Stories like this play out every day in our work at Code Your Dreams. Some of our most impactful instructors have never worked in tech. They are parents, librarians, after-school leaders, and teachers who simply care deeply about their communities. They bring compassion, creativity, and structure. We provide coaching, curriculum, and support. Together, students get access to a world that has long felt closed to them.

Why this matters

We live in a computing-driven world. Technology shapes how we communicate, learn, work, and participate in our communities. Yet despite its reach, the people who create technology represent only a small fraction of society. When the builders do not represent the communities they serve, outcomes too often include bias, exclusion, and unintentional harm.

The people best positioned to solve problems in a community are the people who live there. When students, teachers, and families learn computer science (CS), they gain the ability to identify a need in their school, neighborhood, or local environment and create meaningful solutions. They no longer have to wait for a company far removed from their lives to decide their experiences matter. Computer science is more than a discipline; it is a toolkit for equity, creativity, and agency.

Across the country, movements often described as “computer science for all” are working to ensure that every student—not just a select few—has access to high-quality CS learning that feels relevant to their lives. At the heart of this work is an asset-based approach: instead of focusing on what students lack, educators intentionally draw on students’ cultures, languages, ideas, and lived experiences as strengths in designing solutions. When CS is taught this way, students see that who they are and where they come from are powerful resources in the problem-solving process.

The good news: computer science can be remarkably accessible for educators. The biggest barrier to expanding CS education isn’t student interest—students are eager for these opportunities—but teacher preparedness. Many teachers have never been offered CS training or professional development. Yet when teachers receive support, even brief PD, they often report dramatic increases in confidence and student engagement.

Below are five practical ways to make computer science a natural part of any classroom

1. Start with the content you already teach

Computer science can integrate seamlessly across subjects.

• In English, students can explore storytelling through animation or character-based chatbots.
• In biology, they can simulate ecosystems or model population changes.
• In social studies, they can visualize migration patterns or create interactive timelines.

CS is not an extra project; it’s a lens that enriches the content you already love to teach and gives students new ways to express what they know.

2. Focus on problem-solving before coding

Teachers already foster the core skills behind computer science: sequencing, patterns, logic, and communication. These appear in reading comprehension, lab design, and artistic composition. Students do not need to memorize code on day one; they can engage through puzzles, design thinking, and unplugged activities that highlight the process of problem-solving. Code becomes a tool once the idea takes shape.

Framing CS around problem-solving also opens the door to deeper motivation. When students first learn to break down a problem, test ideas, and revise their thinking, they begin to build the kind of persistence that research links to long-term success in STEM fields.

3. Let students be the explorers

Teachers do not need all the answers. In fact, learning alongside students can make the classroom more engaging. Thinking aloud, experimenting, and reflecting on mistakes show students that CS is about curiosity and persistence, not perfection. The teacher’s role is to create an environment where exploration and failure feels safe and encouraged.

Simple structures like pair programming, small-group debugging, or “ask three before me” give students social support and normalize collaboration. These practices not only help with problem-solving, they also strengthen students’ sense that they belong in CS spaces and that their ideas matter.

4. Choose tools with low barriers to entry

Several classroom-ready resources support teachers new to CS, including Scratch, ScratchJr, MIT App Inventor, Code.org, and Micro:bit. Start with one tool and one short activity. Celebrate what goes well and build from there. Growth happens when both teachers and students feel supported to take creative risks.

When tools are accessible and playful, students are more willing to experiment, and teachers can focus on facilitating thinking rather than troubleshooting complex setups. This lowers the intimidation factor and opens the door for more teachers to say yes to CS.

5. Anchor computer science in community

When CS connects to real-world issues, student motivation soars. Invite students to identify challenges in their school or neighborhood. Ask who is affected, why it matters, and how technology might help. Framing CS around human experiences helps students see that technology isn’t just code. It’s a way to contribute to something larger than themselves.

This is where an asset-based lens becomes especially powerful. When students are encouraged to use their own languages, histories, and community knowledge as starting points for CS projects, they begin to see themselves as problem-solvers and leaders. Over time, this kind of work can build a strong computing identity and a deep sense of belonging—two factors that research has linked to students’ decisions to persist in technology pathways.

Every teacher belongs in computer science

One of the strongest myths in education is that computer science is only for specialists. It’s not. Teachers already have the instincts, empathy, and ingenuity to lead CS learning. What students need most is someone who believes they can use technology to make an impact.

Our communities don’t just need more tech workers. We need more creators, critical thinkers, and builders who understand their world and care about improving it. When every teacher sees themselves as a computer science teacher, and when classrooms intentionally cultivate a sense of belonging and draw on students’ strengths, we move closer to a future where every student feels they belong in technology—and sees themselves reflected in its creation.

For me, the path into computer science started in the humanities. I grew up being told I was “the arts and humanities kid,” and that I didn’t need to worry about math or science. I also wasn’t exposed to the idea that failure could be a step in the right direction. So it surprised everyone, including me, when one of my first CS projects — the one that helped me land my first data scientist role — wove together web development, data science, music, and Chicago’s CTA train lines. It showed me that computer science was not a separate world from my interests; it was a way to connect them and bring new ideas to life.

Before you move on to the next thing on your to-do list, pause and choose one small risk you can take to bring CS into your practice this year: a single unplugged activity, a short project using a new tool, or one moment where you say to your students, “Let’s explore this together.” The future of technology is not something that just happens to us; it is something we build, one brave classroom at a time.

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