The Real Python Podcast Evolving Teaching Python in the Classroom
45 snips
Oct 17, 2025 
Kelly Schuster-Paredes, an experienced K–12 Python teacher and creator of the Teaching Python podcast, dives into the evolving landscape of teaching Python with the rise of AI tools. She discusses balancing the fundamentals for younger students while gradually introducing AI concepts. Kelly also shares how exploratory robotics captivates students and highlights the importance of code reading and debugging skills in today’s classrooms. With a keen eye on keeping learning engaging yet thorough, she reimagines the teacher's role amidst an abundance of information.
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Early Classroom NLP Experiments
- Kelly started experimenting with natural language tools and NLTK years before GenAI and ran classroom projects with eighth graders.
- She traces her AI interest back to Python project books and early NLP exercises like summarizing speeches.
APIs And Passion Projects In Eighth Grade
- Kelly taught APIs to eighth graders and mentions API-to-LLM access as an idea she introduces.
- Prior to GenAI some students built ML-like projects as passion projects, though not consistently across the class.
Automation Creates Hidden Technical Debt
- Kelly worries that vibe-coding and automated scripts create unmaintainable school systems when authors leave.
- She highlights undocumented automations that break and nobody knows how to fix them.
