Direct students struggling with loops to write on paper what should happen, then have them determine the start, end, and update values.
Encourage students to write the inside of the loop before the loop syntax to help students recognize the conditions necessary for iteration.
Use a diagram with variable-value pairs for each call of a recursive function to help students see the change of control flow as calls are made and completed.
Go beyond prescribed course content to teach students about additional tools and skills they need to be successful.
Make sure students have the necessary information on how to set up their computing environment to work comfortably and effectively.
Prioritize straightforward, understandable code over unclear, shortcut-filled code to avoid confusion.
Emphasize to your students that in languages like Java a semicolon ends a complete thought, rather than just a line of code.
Avoid using x and y as variable names to prevent students from confusing variable assignments with mathematical expressions.
When students consider a function that produces incorrect outputs to be working, assign problems that provide clear on-screen feedback when a function is incorrect.