No matter how long you've been programming solo, you can't expect to sit down with a pair and have it "just work". Sure, it happens sometimes, but if it doesn't, you should practice it a bit before discounting the idea.
There are a few things the navigator can do to help out the driver while the driver is typing, but I hesitate to focus on them. In general, both programmers should be engaged. Learn to talk out ideas with your pair in short segments.
TDD helps. Test driving code naturally gives your pair many opportunities to inject their ideas without ruining your train of thought (ie: stop and discuss things at least after every test, preferably much more, but that comes with practice).
Absolutely. It took me four years of misstarts and agony (2000-2004) to really understand and get good at pair programming. During that time I mostly kept the faith about it since I was a zealous XP advocate, but had a large measure of doubt about its true effectiveness.
It took working with talented pair-programmers at ThoughtWorks to really make it click.
"During that time I mostly kept the faith about it since I was a zealous XP advocate, but had a large measure of doubt about its true effectiveness."
Revealing sentence.
You "had a large measure of doubt about its effectiveness" but since you were a "zealous advocate" (of something you were doubtful about!) you mostly "kept the faith".
Sounds pretty hypocritical and manipulative. How are we to believe your "zealous" declarations now?
No wonder agilists are often dismissed as "One True Way" religious fanatics.
No matter how long you've been programming solo, you can't expect to sit down with a pair and have it "just work". Sure, it happens sometimes, but if it doesn't, you should practice it a bit before discounting the idea.
There are a few things the navigator can do to help out the driver while the driver is typing, but I hesitate to focus on them. In general, both programmers should be engaged. Learn to talk out ideas with your pair in short segments.
TDD helps. Test driving code naturally gives your pair many opportunities to inject their ideas without ruining your train of thought (ie: stop and discuss things at least after every test, preferably much more, but that comes with practice).