Here’s something slightly uncomfortable to admit.
Some of the best learning in a Computer Science lesson happens when you’re not talking.
Not explaining.
Not pointing.
Not repeating yourself for the fourth time.
Just… standing there.
Watching students argue over what the code does.
And if someone walked past your room at that moment, it would absolutely look like you’d lost control of the lesson.
Or worse.
Like you weren’t doing very much.
The bit that feels professionally suspicious
You say:
“You’re the teacher. Explain this.”
And then you step back.
You’re not performing teacher mode.
You’re observing.
Which feels wrong.
You might even think:
“This looks lazy.”
You’ll feel the urge to pick up a pen and look busy if another teacher walks by.
Because from the outside, it looks like you’ve stopped teaching.
From the inside, thinking in the room has just gone up a level.
Why this works (and why it feels like cheating)
Students learn more from explaining to each other than they do from listening to you.
Because explaining forces them to:
- read properly
- slow down
- organise their thoughts
- notice the steps
- use the right words
All the things we keep asking them to do… happen automatically.
Without reminders.
Without nagging.
Without you saying, “Read it carefully” for the 14th time.
Why this is perfect for Computer Science
CS is built on:
- sequence
- structure
- logic
- tiny details students usually skip
When they’re “doing the task,” they rush.
When they’re “teaching the task,” they can’t.
They have to understand what happens first, then next, then why.
They’re forced to see the logic instead of just surviving it.
What this looks like in a real lesson
Instead of:
“Trace this code.”
Say:
“You’re teaching this to Year 7. Explain what this code does.”
Instead of:
“Write the algorithm.”
Say:
“You’re making a slide to teach this algorithm. What would you put on it?”
Instead of:
“Answer the questions.”
Say:
“You’re marking this. What answer are you looking for?”
Same work.
Different role.
Very different thinking.
Here’s what this might look like when you run it as a full lesson.
What changes in the room
Students sit differently.
They reread things they would normally skim.
They stop guessing.
Because explaining something badly in front of others is socially uncomfortable.
So they make sure they understand it first.
The hidden confidence shift
When a student finishes a worksheet, they feel like they’ve got through Computer Science.
When a student explains something clearly, they feel like they understand Computer Science.
That’s a very different identity.
It also exposes understanding instantly
If they can explain it, they get it.
If they can’t, they don’t.
No marking marathon required.
Why this sticks far better than your explanation
Students forget what they’re told.
They remember what they’ve had to explain.
Because explaining forces the brain to organise the knowledge properly, not just recognise it.
The real shift
It might look like you’re doing less.
It might feel like you’re doing less.
But the thinking in the room is doing far more.
Because the moment students become the teacher…
They start learning for real.
