In week 10 of training, my cohort took part in our 'Learn What The Data School Learns' session, where we stepped out of the student role and into the instructor role to teach members of the public some of the tools we have been learning. Going into the session, I felt a mix of nerves and confidence. I knew I had prepared well, but teaching a technical tool to complete beginners was still a step outside my comfort zone.
I chose to teach Tableau Prep deliberately. It is not a tool I have always felt confident with, particularly after my first week of training where I found it challenging and, at times, overwhelming. In many ways, choosing Prep felt like a form of exposure therapy, forcing myself to revisit something I had negative associations with and approach it from a completely different perspective.
My role in the session
My responsibility was to deliver an introduction to Tableau Prep. The aim was to explain what the tool is, how it fits into the wider analytics workflow, and why it is useful for data cleaning and manipulation. I focused on its interface, particularly the drag-and-drop nature of the tool, and positioned it as a practical and accessible option for people who may not come from a technical background. For all of us, this was our first time teaching a technical tool to beginners, which added an extra layer of responsibility to the session.
Preparing to teach beginners
To prepare, I created a full set of slides, a teaching plan, detailed speaker notes, and multiple Tableau Prep workflows. Alongside the workflow we completed during the session, I prepared a fully completed version for attendees to refer back to, as well as an extended workflow that included the additional exercises and challenges from the slides I had hidden during the session due to time constraints.
One of the biggest challenges in preparing was constantly reminding myself that this was a complete beginner session. I had to slow my thinking down and consciously explain every step, even those that now feel obvious to me. Putting myself back in the position I was in a few weeks earlier helped me shape the pacing and level of detail throughout the session.
Teaching the session
During the session itself, I noticed that things started a little slower than I initially expected. However, once people became familiar with the interface and flow of the tool, the pace picked up naturally and we finished right on time, which I was really pleased with. One of the biggest surprises for me was how useful Tableau Prep actually felt when teaching it. Speaking to attendees and hearing how the tool could support their own work made its value much clearer, and it helped me see Prep in a more positive light.
Reflections and feedback
I was genuinely happy with how the session went. Given my earlier struggles with Tableau Prep, it felt rewarding to reach a point where I could confidently explain it to others. The feedback I received was encouraging, not just about the clarity of the session, but also about how people planned to use the tool in their own roles. That felt like a strong indicator that the session had achieved its aim.
If I were to run the session again, there are always small improvements that could be made. I might include additional short exercises to give attendees more time to practise independently. That said, I felt the balance between follow-alongs, explanation, and independent work was effective overall.
What I learned from teaching
Teaching Tableau Prep reinforced how important it is to anchor explanations in a consistent example. Having a real, ongoing use case makes abstract steps much easier to understand. It also highlighted how powerful plain language can be. Once too much technical terminology is introduced, it becomes easy to lose your audience, especially in a beginner setting.
This experience also gave me a glimpse into what an enablement-style placement might look like. I enjoyed the teaching process and found it rewarding, even though I am not yet sure whether it is something I would want to focus on for an entire placement.
Final thoughts
Having previously worked as a tutor during university, many of the principles of teaching felt familiar: breaking concepts down, using clear examples, checking in regularly, and varying interaction throughout a session. What this experience added was the challenge of applying those principles to a technical tool. Overall, the session helped me grow in confidence, not just in Tableau Prep, but in my ability to communicate technical ideas clearly and thoughtfully.