Explain how inheritance allows the Java toString method to work when teaching printing to help students develop an understanding for how everything in Java is an object that has hierarchical relationships with other objects.
Cover the outer-loop of nested loops when tracing through loops to help students see the inner loop runs just like a single loop during execution to help students understand nested loops.
Put debugging tips inside the test cases when you provide students with JUnit test cases to help students improve their own debugging abilities in Java.
Use puzzles, problem solving, and tinkering in assignments and activities to build students’ confidence and interest in pursuing Computer Science and to ensure that students understand and develop necessary skills for success.
Show students explicitly how objects and variables might have other names (i.e., aliasing) to help students understand that variable names don’t have to match parameter names because students often find this confusing.
Having students trace a simple program for drawing a set of squares in Processing to introduce loops and strengthen student understanding for-loops with a body of code through practice.
Show a variety of for loops conditionals (e.g., < vs. <=; different variable names, different start values, different increment operations) to avoid common misconceptions about loops.