Middle School Math Teacher to Data Analyst Consultant

So you're a teacher, and you want to transition careers to, let’s say, a Data Analyst Consultant? First, let me start off by saying that

                   YOU ARE READY! & YOU CAN DO THIS!

Secondly, I will also add that I absolutely loved teaching middle school and sharing my joy for mathematics with my students. However, after almost a decade in the classroom, I was just starting to feel like I was not growing my own professional skills as much anymore. Now of course, there will always be something new to learn and yes, I 100% learned daily from my students. In my opinion, children are the best educators on how to work and communicate with a diverse group of people. And yes, I could have sought out additional professional development opportunities, but most would take place after working hours, and that was the catch for me. I reached a point where I preferred to spend the best part of my waking hours on myself.

As I continue to learn more and more about this industry, I am able to still revel in my love for mathematics and teaching (although it will be to adults now) while also obtaining a number of in-demand technology skills!

Now, let’s get to the reason you’re here in the first place. How has the teaching industry prepared you for a career as a Data Analytics Consultant?

SOFT SKILLS

Organization

Not only did you need to be organized for yourself, you also needed to be organized for your students (and probably your administrators and content teams too!). We have become professionals at folders and their sub-folders, naming conventions, and the use of calendars and/or planners. I bet you take pretty good notes too (even if they don’t look organized, you and I both know that you generally knew where to find that one detail you needed from last week’s morning meeting).

In just the first week of training at the Data School, I found myself quickly creating a number of files and desperately wanting to get organized. I will even admit, for a moment I was getting overwhelmed about how to keep up with the various files. Once I remembered how I used to organize all of my teaching documents, I plugged right into that system and immediately felt a wave of ease wash over me. (I’ll blame this one on summer brain.)

Efficiency

With only 24 hours in the day, 8 (salaried) hours in the school building, and between about 45 to 90 minutes of classroom time, teachers MUST be efficient. I would also like to think that most of us can agree that downtime DOES NOT exist. On a daily basis, my lunch “break” consisted of eating with one hand, grading or creating with the other hand, and a student or two seated around my desk for extra help. Did I mention that this was almost daily? As previously mentioned, YOU GOT THIS!

With client deadlines (as far as I have heard… #StillTraining), time management and efficiency are key skills that will make a difference. All of those lessons that were designed and delivered from start to finish within the allotted time frame of a class period will also come in handy for client presentations. Just like today’s class lesson or activity: Prepare all materials, Communicate the objective, and Deliver the content.

Effectiveness

Along those same lines, not only are you efficient in your delivery, but you are also effective. A presentation is a presentation and you have been leading them daily. Your audience will be different, but your ability to deliver the necessary information in a concise and clear way does not change, and in fact, it is highly valued.

People Skills & Communication

Common misconception: Data Analysts sit behind a computer all day staring at spreadsheets, working in a super bright or maybe even a dimly lit room…

…Not quite. Yes, you will absolutely be working on a computer. Yes, definitely expect the spreadsheets. We are talking about becoming a Data Analyst after all… so it’s inevitable! The lighting? That’s up to you and if you have the ability to adjust it.

Otherwise, (as you now know) you will also be giving presentations and working with clients to meet their needs (within scope!). The role of a Data Analyst is client-facing and this means that people skills are an absolutely must. Expect to need to be empathetic and relational. Think of the variety of students you have worked with. Now, let’s add to that - Think about their families that you have communicated with. Already you have probably dealt with way more personalities than the average working person. As usual, we show respect. We provide feedback. We ask and answer questions to ensure complete understanding. We confidently lead and guide. We are creative and we have fun.

Presentation Skills

Yet again, presentations. You have experience designing and delivering with flow. You likely understand the value of displaying the main points and verbally elaborating on them. You know which visuals are relevant and when to use them. You know when to stop and ask for any questions. You know when to check for understanding. You understand the value of color and the appeal of designing within a theme. These are all valuable and transferable skills. YOU ARE READY!

TECHNICAL SKILLS

If you taught over the quarantine period of COVID-19, I feel very strongly that you will be just fine. You are a tech pro (in my opinion, if it means anything to you).

Video calls, expert, check.

Google Drive, expert, check.

Some of you may have even used Slack before. If that is you, fantastic.

What will be of great use here is the ability to learn, adjust, and implement new technologies into your workflow, whether it be a new tool or just another platform upgrade. The tech industry is constantly evolving and the best way to keep up is to, well, keep up. Besides, I know you love efficiency. Staying on top of your tech tools will help you do just that!

TIMING

It’s true when they say timing is everything. I am sure that there is value in transitioning into your next career as a Data Analyst at any time of the year. While some teachers may transition between the months of September and July, I would like to believe that most will make their switch during the summer break before the start of the coming school year.

Now, I want to present a few points… and then you can decide the rest for yourself. I will be specifically referencing the application timeline of The Data School as well. So, if you are taking another route, the following may not apply to you (but of course, you are more than welcome to continue reading anyway!)

Schools around the US tend to end their school year around the end of May or early June. In NYC, we end late June. The Data School currently accepts a new cohort of 8 members every 2 months (for now). On that note, there is an opportunity to apply for the August cohort or to apply for the October cohort, or even later if you can cover yourself financially after receiving that final teaching paycheck.

As a teacher who loved her summers, hear me out:

If you apply and are accepted into the August cohort, you have about 1-2 months of summer, depending on your “Last Day of School'' date. For some of us, this is standard, for us NYC folk, 1 month may not be enough (yes, we are spoiled, but it's deserved!)

If you apply and are accepted into the October cohort, you have at least 3 months of summer. Did you hear me? 3 MONTHS OF SUMMER!! I rest my case.

Having started in the October cohort, I could not have been happier with my 3 month summer break. It allowed me to mentally part with my teaching career and further process my transition in a much smoother fashion than if I started in the August cohort. Not only was the extended break time extremely valued and utilized, but watching the start of the new school year begin from a distance and not from inside of a classroom, really solidified the fact that I was actually moving on.

Note, I am still transitioning. My work days are longer but my evening time is all mine. Literally. While it has only been a little over one week, I have been so much happier and excited to embark on this new journey and I feel confident that you will too!

Join us! We would love to have you!

                   YOU ARE READY! & YOU CAN DO THIS!

                                  -Randee

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Questions or Comments? Connect with me on LinkedIn!

Author:
Randee Johnson
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