Students from TCS classes all over have heard it: the resonant tones of the gong, struck with a mallet by a deserving young coder. What is the gong? What does it mean? And why are students everywhere making such a wonderful racket? NYC Program Director John Bujalski gives us all the details on this unique TCS celebration.
John, what do gongs have to do with coding?
Nothing really! But the gong is a fun tool our teachers use to recognize and commemorate student achievements. It’s simple really: in classes, there’s a big metal gong, and when a student completes a project, masters an important skill, or reaches another milestone, they ring the gong! It makes a lovely sound and marks the occasion. For our online classes, we have a virtual gong which serves the same function.
So is ringing the gong a reward of sorts?
In fact, the gong is not a reward - it is more of a ceremony or celebration. The projects students make and the skills they learn are always the reward in TCS classes. While rewards can be effective at driving student behavior in the short term, we find that enhancing student pride and ownership over their accomplishments and learning is a more effective way to help with both retention of material as well as self-motivation to tackle new challenges.
John, what do gongs have to do with coding?
Nothing really! But the gong is a fun tool our teachers use to recognize and commemorate student achievements. It’s simple really: in classes, there’s a big metal gong, and when a student completes a project, masters an important skill, or reaches another milestone, they ring the gong! It makes a lovely sound and marks the occasion. For our online classes, we have a virtual gong which serves the same function.
So is ringing the gong a reward of sorts?
In fact, the gong is not a reward - it is more of a ceremony or celebration. The projects students make and the skills they learn are always the reward in TCS classes. While rewards can be effective at driving student behavior in the short term, we find that enhancing student pride and ownership over their accomplishments and learning is a more effective way to help with both retention of material as well as self-motivation to tackle new challenges.
A TCS student gets ready to celebrate his hard work.
That makes sense. But what makes an achievement gong-worthy?
While finishing a project, mastering a tricky skill, or squashing a particularly difficult bug are all good examples, ultimately it’s up to each student to decide whether they think a particular achievement is worthy of a gong ring. That said, even our youngest students quickly understand that if they ring the gong for something that really wasn’t a major achievement, it won’t feel as awesome. This is one way we teach students to take agency over their own learning and celebrate self-motivated accomplishment.
But why a gong? How did it all start?
Legend has it that it was hidden deep in a crater on a mountain top, guarded by grizzled coders of old, and gifted to the very first TCS student…
Wait, really?
...No. In all honesty, the gong predates me, so I honestly have no idea where it came from or how it started! I guess you could say that the origins of the gong are lost to time.
Any last words on the importance of the TCS gong?
The Coding Space gong is just one of the many small ways that we create a positive, fun, and self-motivated learning environment for our students. While not all students will engage with gong ringing for motivation and commemoration of achievement, for students that do, it’s a great way to celebrate and acknowledge the skills we value most: grit, determination, creativity, and a growth mindset. And it sure is fun to ring!
To learn more about the TCS teaching philosophy, click here. And for information on our gong-friendly Fall classes, be sure to check out our full semester lineup.
While finishing a project, mastering a tricky skill, or squashing a particularly difficult bug are all good examples, ultimately it’s up to each student to decide whether they think a particular achievement is worthy of a gong ring. That said, even our youngest students quickly understand that if they ring the gong for something that really wasn’t a major achievement, it won’t feel as awesome. This is one way we teach students to take agency over their own learning and celebrate self-motivated accomplishment.
But why a gong? How did it all start?
Legend has it that it was hidden deep in a crater on a mountain top, guarded by grizzled coders of old, and gifted to the very first TCS student…
Wait, really?
...No. In all honesty, the gong predates me, so I honestly have no idea where it came from or how it started! I guess you could say that the origins of the gong are lost to time.
Any last words on the importance of the TCS gong?
The Coding Space gong is just one of the many small ways that we create a positive, fun, and self-motivated learning environment for our students. While not all students will engage with gong ringing for motivation and commemoration of achievement, for students that do, it’s a great way to celebrate and acknowledge the skills we value most: grit, determination, creativity, and a growth mindset. And it sure is fun to ring!
To learn more about the TCS teaching philosophy, click here. And for information on our gong-friendly Fall classes, be sure to check out our full semester lineup.