Learn What the Data School Learns

Hello reader,

This is my thoughts on how my Learn What the Data School Learns experience went.

My topic was the following: "Intro to Tableau Desktop", so I was the first to present on the day and I was excited for it (unlike some of my colleagues). However, I also studied Theatre at University (if it wasn't painfully apparent from my blog posts) - so I've had a lot of experience with crowds and presenting in front of strangers.

My tips; as delightfully deduced from our coaches - figure out if you're a dog or a cat.

Dog - you will interact with the audience, are quite loud and are eagerly anticipating that interaction.

Cat - the opposite, the session will be more of a teach & follow along - you do not need to interact with them.

How you choose to hold your session is entirely down to you reader - and if you try to force yourself to do something that feels inherently wrong then it likely won't work - play to your strengths - I enjoy interacting with the audience - but you do not have to, you are there to teach the public.

The greatest and the most consistent tip would be; slow down and breathe. The next practical tip you can apply is; make sure the examples that you will have the public replicate are clear. Crystal clear. Have a family member that is completely unknown to these topics go over your exercises. Think about the easiest way for a stranger to digest this information & not the easiest way for you to teach it.

Following on from this; if you are having the audience create; calculated fields, groups, sets, parameters etc - NAME THEM CLEARLY. This can become chaos, and the helpers around the room will be sprinting around to patch this up.

Speaking of your helpers, remember that they are there - the likelihood that you teach something and everyone in the room understands is very low. The data literacy of the room is going to vary largely, so do not stress or worry particularly if somebody doesn't understand, as you'll have support.

The final tip is to try to enjoy it. After your initial opener to the public, the nerves will all fade, once they're actively doing your exercises the dynamic shifts and you'll likely feel significantly calmer - so try to keep your opener snappy and fitting to your lesson.

Good luck teaching Reader.

Author:
Tobias Colmer
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