Experiences/guidance on teaching Python as a first programming language

[rusi]

On Monday, December 9, 2013 5:53:41 PM UTC+5:30, Oscar Benjamin wrote:
> 5) Learning to program "should be painful" and we should expect the
> students to complain about it (someone actually said that!) but the
> pain makes them better programmers in the end.

Yeah this will get some people's back up -- Atrocious! Preposterous! etc

Change the word 'pain' to 'taxing' 'hard' 'challenge' etc and there is much
truth in it.  Here is Joel Spolsky on why Java is a poor language for
this reason: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/ThePerilsofJavaSchools.html