Baby-sitting myself

[azurelunatic]

How the *hell* do I manage to keep N% supervised while she's programming?

Coding, sure, that's easy. Have her out, and have a trace monitor out so "I" can snap back when we're interrupted.

But when working in a group? And trying to explain our thought-processes to them while we haven't quite got it yet?

Oy.

There's a reason I hit the whiteboard so much: I can draw what they're talking about, and not have to use the words.

Comments

[boojum.livejournal.com]

I don't have a feel for the problems N% causes (pricklish snappy can't-communicate?), but I often have trouble getting language and communication with others to work for me, especially in certain sorts of math and cs situations. "Ack, hold on, I'm having trouble explaining this coherently." has been a good intro for communication in these sorts of contexts. Most tech-types also seem to be very amenable to being dragged to the whiteboard or local sheet of paper for scribbling.

[azurelunatic]

Problems caused? Well, I'm good at communication. She's not. She's apt to panic, like start hyperventilating and perhaps even crying, if there are communication problems and no one is letting her get a word in edgewise, where someone who isn't an effective five years old would sit back and wait for things to blow over. This could cause some big problems.

If I don't have access to an appropriate means of communication that she can use when she's out, she won't be able to communicate. Words are not her thing.

It's not prickly/snappish, it's a general lack of knowing the appropriate words to string together when used with voice. She can write just fine, but can't speak in complete, coherent sentences.

[azurelunatic]

The trouble is this: when I'm not her, I communicate just fine, in complete sentences. I am highly literate, and can bring about communication between parties that never suspected they could communicate.

But when she's out, all bets are off.

And unless we come up with some way to handle this, I may wind up in the unenviable position of having to introduce her to my co-workers...

[azurelunatic]

It's extreme enough so that her version of that phrase would be: "Um." shake head. point to white board. "Here?"