I'm not sure if others work the same way, but I know my coding-brain is much more receptive to learning and improvement when the feedback is on code that I've already (tried to have) thought through.
I could read 100 books on Advanced Ruby Theories and "learn" a lot, but take a block of code I've already written and tell me how I could make it better and my synapses will go wild :)
I couldn't agree more. This is exactly the experience I had being coached with poker. Sometimes you get some insight or way of looking at a problem that you probably would have never worked out on your own no matter how much time you were given. Having an external person who is invested in your success is really powerful as a tool for learning.
I'm not sure if others work the same way, but I know my coding-brain is much more receptive to learning and improvement when the feedback is on code that I've already (tried to have) thought through.
I could read 100 books on Advanced Ruby Theories and "learn" a lot, but take a block of code I've already written and tell me how I could make it better and my synapses will go wild :)