Assignments & checkpoints
You leave most sessions with one small, specific thing to build before the next — and we open the next session by checking it together, so progress compounds instead of resetting.
// how_a_session_works
Anatomy of a session.
No mystery, no fluff. Here is exactly what one honest hour of 1-on-1 online tutoring looks like — minute by minute, tool by tool — so you know what you’re booking before you book it.
Your first session is free. No card.
// the_60_minute_hour
What a real hour looks like.
Every session is shaped around your goal, but the rhythm is deliberate. This is the instrument panel for one focused hour.
0:00
Goal check-in
We open by naming the one thing this hour is for — a failing assignment, a concept that won’t stick, an interview on Friday. The session is built backwards from that, not from a fixed syllabus.
shared agenda, set in 2 min0:05
Warm-up & diagnosis
A quick problem or a look at your existing code shows me exactly where the gap is. We don’t re-teach what you already know — we find the precise step where it breaks down.
find the real gap0:15
Live build
The core of the hour: we work in one shared editor or on the whiteboard, with you driving. You write code, derive the maths, or train the model while I steer in real time.
you drive, I steer0:40
Checkpoint
You attempt a piece on your own while I watch quietly, so we both see whether it actually landed. If it didn’t, we loop back before the hour ends — not next week.
proof it stuck0:52
Recap & next steps
We close by restating what changed, I note one or two things to practise, and your written summary plus the saved repo and whiteboard are yours to keep.
written summary follows
// two_cursors_one_editor
Live co-op coding.
For Python, ML and data work we share a single editor with VS Code Live Share and a private repo. We’re typing in the same file at the same time — you write, I guide, and nothing happens on a screen you can’t touch.
- You keep the keyboard; I never just take over and demo.
- Everything we write lands in a private GitHub repo that stays yours after the session.
- No setup tax — we can start in the browser and add tooling only when you need it.
model.py
// the_saved_canvas
A whiteboard you keep.
When something is better drawn than typed — a derivation, a neural-net diagram, a data pipeline — we move to a shared Excalidraw-style canvas. It autosaves per session, so your revision notes are the actual working we did together, not a tidy version you didn’t write.
- Both of us draw on the same canvas, live.
- Autosaved per session and tied to your session record.
- Perfect for maths derivations and ML architecture sketches.
session-notes.excalidraw
Autosaved · all changes kept
// between_the_sessions
The hour ends. The progress doesn’t.
Real learning happens in the gaps between sessions. Three things carry it forward.
Membership
Off-class help
Hit a wall mid-week? Send the question or the stuck snippet and get an asynchronous reply, so you’re not blocked for days waiting on the next slot.
Written summaries
Every session ends with a short written recap — what we covered, the takeaways, what to practise — sent to you and saved with your session, so nothing evaporates when the call ends.
// by_subject
The same care, a different feel.
A Python session and a maths session don’t look alike — and they shouldn’t. Here’s how the hour actually changes by subject.
Python
code-along · shared repo
- You write the code, not me. We open one private repo in VS Code Live Share and you drive the keyboard while I steer — refactoring functions, fixing the traceback line you actually hit, and committing as we go.
- Real errors, read together. When something breaks we read the stack trace top-to-bottom out loud, so you learn to debug independently instead of memorising fixes.
- You keep the repo. Every snippet, helper, and comment we write stays in your GitHub afterwards — a growing reference you own, not slides you forget.
// honest_answers
Questions, answered straight.
The things people actually ask before a first session.
What do I need to join a session?
A laptop or desktop with a stable internet connection, a microphone, and a modern browser. That’s it — we run Python live in the browser, so there is nothing to install before your first session. If you want to use the shared editor, you’ll create a free GitHub account, and I’ll walk you through it.
Is the first session really free?
Yes. Your first session is genuinely free and no card is required to book it. It’s a full working session, not a sales call — we tackle a real problem so you can judge whether this is right for you before paying for anything.
What if I need to reschedule or cancel?
You can reschedule from your booking confirmation up to 24 hours before the session at no cost. Inside 24 hours, message me and I’ll do my best to find another slot — life happens, and I’d rather move a session than waste it.
How are the written summaries delivered?
After each session I send a short written summary — what we covered, the key takeaways, and one or two things to practise — to your email, and it’s also kept with your session record. The shared repo and the autosaved whiteboard stay accessible to you as well.
Do you record sessions?
Sessions are not recorded by default. The lasting record you keep is the code in your repo, the saved whiteboard, and the written summary. If you specifically want a recording for revision, ask at the start and we can arrange it for that session.
Can I get help between sessions?
Off-class help — sending a question or a stuck snippet between sessions and getting an asynchronous reply — is part of the founding-cohort membership, which is currently by application. Outside of that, your written summary is designed to keep you unblocked until we next meet.
Who am I actually learning from?
Every session is taught by Ali Jabbary directly — a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng., Ontario) with an M.Sc. in Engineering and 10+ years of teaching experience, with 500+ students helped. There are no teaching assistants or hand-offs; you work with one accountable person throughout.
// start_here
See the anatomy for yourself.
The fastest way to understand a session is to have one. Pick a real problem and we’ll work it together — no slides, no script.
Your first session is free. No card. Cancel any time.