Dear Kumon Families:
Happy New Year! Welcome back. Hope you all had a wonderful winter holiday. The classes resume as of today, January 3rd.
We, instructors and assistants at the Kumon Vancouver South, are looking forward to the year ahead with you to help your child(ren) become capable and independent learners.
Sometimes people get bogged down by the endless details in busy lives and could all use some inspiration to remind them of the purposes of journeys taken. Here we would like to share a message with you from a Kumon assistant. Here is what she said while looking back at her experience with Kumon:
I started Kumon not knowing if I was adequate enough to help students reach their academic and personal goals but after gaining some confidence and learning different strategies from everyone, I was able to do so many things other than just review math and reading with each student.
After working here for x years, I've learned that not only were we able to guide each child in their learning and helping them overcome difficulties, we were also their cheerleaders. Being passionate about what you do and what you believe in comes a long way and I've learned that the kids can sense that from us right away--if we truly and genuinely believed that they could do it, they'll believe in themselves too. I always try to remind myself to be kind to others as well as to myself--we've seen kids struggle with their classwork/homework to the point where they would either burst into tears at their desk or cry silently and it broke my heart every time. They have all this pressure from their parents and themselves to be the best and perfect. I try my best to smile despite feeling sad whenever I witness these incidents and I remind them that it is okay to not understand something initially and making mistakes is an essential part of learning, in hopes that they will realize that as long as they're willing to try again, they'll get it eventually--and when they do, my god, it is so satisfying to witness them beaming and dancing in their little seats.
I feel like I've developed this attitude and mindset after working with kids for so many years as well as receiving amazing support from my colleagues. Most importantly, I will forever be grateful for all the kids I've met at Kumon who have made me laugh uncontrollably with their ridiculous comments/answers and constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone.Your children's journey will be filled with challenges and some will struggle. We would recommend parents remain patient and encouraging and celebrate the small victories along the way.
We hope all of you can find joy, purpose and meaning in 2017.