TEN COMMANDMENTS

TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT APPLY TO MY ROLE AS A KUMON INSTRUCTOR

My job is to awaken the possibility in my students. I know I am successful when they are able to progress steadily, are confident enough to ask for a review or to move on, are actively involved in feedbacks with me and when this independent learning has a trickle effect on other subjects and areas of their lives.

1. Be interested in your subject. (Being an instructor for a number of years now I realise this has to be as much a calling in life as well as a successfully run business)

2. Know your subject. (By attending regular training, going over case studies, completing worksheets, learning from excellent students)

3. Know about the ways of learning: The best way to learn anything is to discover it by yourself. (The same applies to adults as much as it does to children)

4. Try to read the faces of your students, try to see their expectations and difficulties, put yourself in their place. (Please parents do understand that center time is meant for your children strictly, you are free to call or email on non-center days)

5. Give them not only information, but "know-how," attitudes of mind, the habit of methodical work. (by timing your work, daily worksheets, daily marking & corrections, review when required, copy the example given and fully understand it before moving on, ask for help only after you have tried it first, discipline & routine, taking responsibility)

6. Let them learn guessing. (and then correcting!)

7. Let them learn proving. (and proving again and again sometimes!)

8. Look out for such features of the problem at hand as may be useful in solving the problems to come — try to disclose the general pattern that lies behind the present concrete situation. (too easy? too difficult? boring? takes too long? not enough motivation? frustrated? not enough support from home? scared to ask for help? perfectionist?)

9. Do not give away your whole secret at once — let the students work at it before you tell it (let them find out by themselves as much as is feasible, these are skills that are transferable to other subjects and other areas of their lives and that will last a lifetime)

10. Suggest it (do not force it down their throats, let them come up with the solution - learning how to learn, again a transferable skill)