[CLICK] On the worldwide level, it also has the third-largest number of ... [CLICK]
All of Germany's Centers offer Math and some offer English as a Foreign ... d M h
R di d. [CLICK] …and we strive to achieve more for them as they study Math, ...
Kathy Good morning. My name is Kathy Reiff, and I am an associate from Kumon North America’s headquarters. Over the course of the past year, I have had the joy of working with and learning from two admirable Instructors: •Cathy Plog from Freiburg, Germany and •Phyllis Peyron from a suburb of San Francisco, California. These two Instructors were chosen to participate in an Exchange between KEA and KNA The KNA. Th goall was – mostt simply i l putt – to t learn l ffrom one another. th In a few moments, they will share their experiences before and during the project, and how they will carry what they have learned into the future in order to benefit their students, and how you can do the same. But to give you a better understanding of where they live out the Kumon experiences that they will share, I will now share with you a little about the countries they represent… [CLICK]
1
Kathy The Federal Republic of Germany has been a unified country since 1990 when East and West Germany united to form the Germany we know today. [CLICK] Germany is the 6th largest country on the European continent with the 2nd largest population, about 83 million people. [CLICK] On the worldwide level, it also has the third-largest number of international immigrants. Germany, with its capital Berlin, is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 16 states. [CLICK] Centered in the continent, it is surrounded by 9 neighboring countries. [pause momentarily for smooth transition] [CLICK]
2
Kathy Kumon’s presence has been in Germany since 1981 when Düsseldorf became a service point for Japanese students on the European continent. Over the years an increasing number of German students joined Kumon. And, in 2002 it was decided that Kumon Germany would establish a network of German Kumon Centers for German students. [CLICK] Since then, there has been a slow but constant growth in the number of students and Centers. [CLICK] All of Germany’s Centers offer Math and some offer English as a Foreign Language, or EFL. [CLICK] Here you see Germany’s ASR (or ASHR) figures. •For Math, Germany has around 23% of its students in the Silver and Gold levels (or ASHR Levels-2 and -3). •For EFL, there are nearly 18% on those advanced levels. •[CLICK] On average average, the Math students stay enrolled around 17 months months, •and the EFL students remain enrolled for about 15 months. [pause momentarily for smooth transition to US topic] [CLICK]
3
Kathy The United States of America has more than 3 times the population of Germany. [CLICK] With its capital Washington, D.C., the US consists of 50 States, [CLICK] and shares its borders with Canada and Mexico, as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Oceans. [pause momentarily for smooth transition] [CLICK]
4
Kathy Kumon has been growing in the United States since the first Center opened 34 years ago. [CLICK] From that one Center, we now have more than 26-hundred Centers and nearly 200-thousand students. Those students are doing well, but – like everyone here – we strive for them to achieve even more… [CLICK] …and d we strive i to achieve hi more for f them h as they h study d M Math, h R Reading, di and d (some) Kokugo. [CLICK] As our statistics show, •Around 19% of our Math students are 2- or 3-years advanced, while •Only 8% of our Reading students are on those advanced levels. •[CLICK] On average, our Math students stay enrolled around 17 months, •And our Reading students remain enrolled for a little over a year. [CLICK] One point of pride and accomplishment in the U.S. is the increasing number of Program Completers that our Instructors are producing… Over 1000 in the past year! More and M d more students t d t are achieving hi i such h milestones il t nott only l iin th the US b butt th throughout h t the world because of the strong efforts and commitment of our Instructors to bring the opportunity of Kumon to as many children as possible. [pause momentarily for smooth transition] [CLICK]
5
Kathy The Exchange project brought Instructors from each of these countries together. For the next hour (and then for a bit longer after the break), these 2 Instructors will present what they learned on this shared journey and how they are devoted to helping their students achievesimilar goals despite being in different countries. Please join me in welcoming to the stage: •Cathy Plog representing Germany and KEA, and •Phyllis Peyron representing the United States and KNA. [CLICK]
6
Cathy Before we begin, Phyllis and I would like to thank KUMON for giving us this opportunity to learn from one another and to be able to pass along what we discovered to all of you. We would also like to thank Kathy Reiff from the Kumon North America’s Headquarters and Holger Winnerling from Germany’s Headquarters for all their support and help with this presentation. I must also give special thanks to Mr. Maeda, the current GM of KUMON Germany, and Athanassia Siskou who taught me so much in my 8 years of KUMON. Despite all they have taught me, I wish to say that as a relatively new Kumon Instructor, I feel intimidated and honored to be here in front of so many experienced and great Instructors. Phyllis That makes two of us! I also feel privileged and honored to have been a part of this Instructor Exchange program to learn from Cathy, an excellent Kumon Instructor from another continent. Having met with Cathy, her students, and her Kumon families in Germany; we learned that we face very similar challenges, but we also seem to reap parallel rewards and satisfaction as Kumon Instructors. Working together gave us the opportunity to think about our shared challenges and rewards as we reflected on the past, assessed the current state, and planned for our futures. [CLICK]
7
Phyllis As we are all gathered here on this occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Kumon, it is an opportune time for all of us: [CLICK] •To reflect on Kumon’s accomplishments in the past fifty years, •And to assess the current state of Kumon around the world. •We will also project the role we will play in Kumon’s next 50 years. Reflecting on my Kumon years, I realize that I often – and without hesitation – tell people that I am still in “awe” of Kumon. Don’t you think “Awesome” is the only word one could use to describe how one single Kumon Method can help so many students all over the world to achieve their full potential through their very own effort? What a golden opportunity it is indeed, for all of us Kumon Instructors, to be part of an organization that has been, and will be influencing the development of generations of young people in the global community! [ [CLICK] ]
8
Phyllis Can anyone here think of another corporation anywhere in the world that does what Kumon has been doing in the past 50 years? We are not merely different; [CLICK] we are unique in every sense. No copy-cat programs have achieved the scope that Kumon has, and I think it is credit to the fact that we have been steadfast in staying true to our core principles. We have not bent to follow the trends of the different decades, cultures, or opinions. Kumon is the only program that provides parents, the world over, a systematic structure to prepare their children at home for the challenges of the world outside. Kumon is a program that empowers parents and their children to develop abilities and character that help them to become contributing members of society. Therefore, Kumon is in the business of developing human potential. This is education in its truest sense!
9
Phyllis So, even though Cathy and I are half a world apart, we are a part of a global corporation with a committed approach to education. Our ability to derive similar experiences is quite a testament to the fact that the Kumon Method is universally applicable – and it is universally applicable only because of each Instructor’s skill to individualize according to the ability of the student within the Method.
10
Phyllis In the past 20 years, I have attended numerous local, regional, national, and international Kumon conferences. conferences Thanks to all the opportunities accessible to me as an Instructor, I learned a tremendous amount from listening, discussing, and networking with Kumon Instructors and Associates from around the world. The other day – just for fun – I counted that I have seen & visited Kumon Centers in 13 states in the US and 9 countries around the world. But, regardless of how near or far from home I am, when I travel for pleasure, I seek and arrange to visit local Kumon Centers; I get excited and even a little giddy when I unexpectedly come upon a Center in the street even though it’s not open for class at that hour! How many of you do the same? Let’s see a show of hands. I find that each Kumon Instructor and their Kumon Center is always as unique as each one of our Kumon students.
11
Phyllis So, even though Cathy and I have been able to observe first-hand that there are inherent similarities and differences between her Center in Europe, and mine in North o t America, e ca, we e both bot recognize ecog e the t e need eed to co continue t ue learning ea g from o ot other e Ce Centers te s and other Instructors. The more Instructors observe other Kumon Centers, the more they will understand how individualization allows the application of the Kumon Method, no matter what location, what market, what culture the particular Centers happen to serve. The truth is… Every Kumon Instructor has a wealth of knowledge to draw from because we have colleagues across the globe, even after 50 years, who are still working hard every day to help millions of children achieve their potential using the Kumon Method alone! Being associated with a global corporation that has a 50-year history gives us plenty of opportunities to contribute to and tap from a large pool of knowledge. As we gather to discuss and to share our thoughts, each Instructor can take back ideas to apply to their own Centers for the benefit of their own students. It would create a synergy.
12
Phyllis Synergy is when the result of a combined effort is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
13
Phyllis There is an old Chinese proverb: “cheen chu yu lan, din sung yu lan.” Translated literally, this means “The color blue had emerged from the indigo, but it is definitely more brilliant than the indigo itself.”
14
Phyllis Applied to the world of education, this means that students can often surpass their teachers in their ability to perform. Let’s see a show of hands from those of you who have students who can solve a math problem much quicker than you can. Do you agree that we learn a lot from these students? Have you also noticed that many newer Instructors are now surpassing more veteran Instructors by leaps and bounds these days in the growth of their Centers and in the achievements of their students? Do you agree that Instructors can also learn from excellent Instructors, regardless of their tenure as an Instructor? This is the essence of SYNERGY within Kumon: Instructors learning from each other. Our collective experiences, from veteran Instructors and newer Instructors alike, will benefit all of us and our students all over the world. To prove my point, let me share how this thinking was confirmed by the golden opportunity to work with Cathy.
15
Phyllis Before I met Cathy, I was already impressed by her excellent achievement indices in retention rate and honor roll rate. Look -- they are similar and better than mine. It seems to me that Cathy had achieved in less than eight years what took me twenty years to accomplish. This was intriguing to me, and I was eager to find out the secret to her success and learn from her.
16
Phyllis Here is what I learned. learned Just like you you, Cathy is hard-working and committed to learning. The most prominent thing that I learned from Cathy is that she conducts 100% feedback with her students. This is something that took me 15 long years to realize, understand, and implement. I am still till working ki hard h d on refining fi i my methods th d tto achieve hi 100% feedback f db k with ith every student at every visit in my Pleasant Hill Center. Cathy is applying individualization effectively; Cathy practices bold instruction with her students that have high ability. This explains p her high g retention rate and high g p percentage g of students on honor roll. Cathy’s students study across a wide range of Kumon Levels regardless of their age or grade. To top it all off, I can’t help thinking that Cathy has benefited from the 40 year base of experience that Kumon as a company had when she started... whereas I only had 30 yyears as my y base. Compared to Cathy, history provided me with a “puny” benefit when I started in Kumon. As some of our students might say: That’s not fair! Jealousies aside, undeniably, newer Instructors do start from a higher starting point and d achieve hi IInstructor t t h honor rollll sooner. I believe they are the beneficiaries of the trials and errors that many veteran Instructors had to endure over the years!
17
Phyllis So, I want to offer my congratulations and appreciation to Cathy and all of you Instructors who are from the newer generation. Not only have you learned from the older generation of Instructors, but you have allowed us to learn from you. In this way way, you will always be a shade brighter than those of us that came before you. …but don’t forget: you will also be the ones to light the way for the next generation of Instructors that will follow in your footsteps! Therefore, remember that progress is never a one-way street – the synergy created by our commitment to learning from each other regardless of our tenure in the K mon Family Kumon Famil brings a brighter ffuture t re for all of us! s!
18
Phyllis The brightest blue sky is our limit! [Phyllis pauses as she lifts her hands to the sky]
19
Phyllis Cathy and I discussed at length our current understanding of the Kumon Method, and we are convinced that individualization is both an art and a science. The following quote from “Learning from Children” summarizes what we agreed upon: “There is not and will never be perfect education, however, it is the intention of the Kumon Method to constantly seek out better instruction skills, even if it is a little at a time, so that Instructors set their sights on developing the ability of every child fully, without giving up halfway and confining a child’s potential by thinking that is all they may be capable of.” Therefore, the Kumon Method must incorporate the art of individualization to be successful. Cathy and I are both striving to master the art of individualization as we learn from each other and our students. Students are individuals with unique ability levels, character traits, as well as life circumstances. The bottom line is: As Instructors we must recognize individualization in our assignment of those logically designed worksheets to our students. So remember: Individualizing to each student’s ability is the paramount responsibility of each Instructor. Cathy will now share her take on the art and science of individualization… and how she ties it all together.
20
Cathy As Phyllis stated, Individualization is both an art and a science. The science is the straightforward part. We have the worksheets; we know their content and the intentional structure of them. We know the importance of sticking to the KUMON Basics and Principles It is the effective implementation of this understanding that requires artful Principles. individualization by the Instructor. This is why the art of individualization is the hard part! It is the Instructor’s job to find the right combination of repetitions and forward progress, so that the student’s self-learning skills are developed and the whole child’s development is best enhanced. Some of what I am about to share may be “old hat” to some of you, but we think it bears repeating given its significance. An important part of the art of individualization is listening to the students, trusting what they tell you, and then acting on those words. We must ourselves believe that the child can become the best they can be, and we must encourage the child so that they believe it and their parents believe it! We have all learned that individualizing throughout a student’s study can be difficult. It requires constant evaluation to know if the student is at the `just right levelv or not. My experience has taught me: •I need always to be proactive, and not reactive, especially with parents. •I have to avoid being led too much by my preconceptions, and allow the student to progress at their pace, rather than my pace. As Phyllis puts it, in the past, I had been using too much common sense and not enough Kumon sense. •Individualization means I have to accept the feedback I get from the students and their work. This might lead to a change in workload, but with any change it is always necessary to evaluate if the workload continues to be at their “just right” level.
21
Cathy Phyllis shared one ancient Chinese proverb with you. I want to share with you another one, but don’t expect me to do it in Chinese: “There are many horses with the potential to run 1,000 miles, however, it is very rare to find a master trainer who can rear them to be such great horses.” Individualized instruction makes you the master trainer. Individualization is difficult – but it is the key. I’d like to tell you how this Instructor Exchange has helped me to move towards becoming a “master master trainer” trainer … One of the main focuses of the Exchange between Phyllis and myself was how we individualize our instruction for each and every student and for each and every family in order to positively influence the child’s growth as a person. I believe that to some extent the way that I individualize is a reason why I have done well in my Kumon Center. Although I have done well, at the same time, I have not been without a crisis.
22
Cathy A year ago July, I lost more students than I wanted. I know, I know: we all have this complaint, we as Instructors are never happy…. But you know what it’s like, right? These were students I wanted to see on the honor roll some day. And, I wanted them to stick around and reap the benefits of Kumon. I took a closer look at these troubling student cases, and after analyzing them, it was clear to me that I had not individualized enough for these students. I had allowed the lower ability students to move forward just as fast as the higher ability students. I realized that this was a mistake, and that allowed me to learn a lot from that minor crisis, and my instruction has improved because of it.
23
Cathy There is no formula for individualization. But I have learned that in order to individualize my instruction, I must first take a look at the whole child. With that bigger picture in mind, I now analyze the progression of each student much more closely and individualize my instruction even more than before. •I try to handle every child and family at their right pace, not mine •I try to assign workload based on Feedback I receive from the student, the student’s current ability, and the content of the worksheets. •I try to recognize different challenges at different levels •I strive to know the students well so that I know what is happening outside of their Kumon development. For example: Are they changing schools? Are the parents splitting up? Is there a new baby in the family? Perhaps they are entering a new phase of their p p physical y g growth like p puberty... y eeeeyha! y Basically, y, I tryy to be aware of anything that might affect their studies in some way. •I try to evaluate every child at every point as they continue in their Kumon journey. I look to see what part of the journey they are in:
24
Cathy It is easy in the beginning phase, (or as I call it the Honeymoon phase); this usually includes the first one or two Levels. Students enjoy Kumon because it is still novel to them, and the low starting point allows them to work on topics they already understand pretty well. The next stage is the training phase and is where the student has to persevere; it is the most difficult phase for the students and also for me, with the difficulty lying in maintaining that balance between forward progress or repetition. This phase usually begins just before reaching grade level and is finished just after the student has reached grade level. The novelty wears off and hard work combined with hurt egos will make them want to quit. This stage is a vulnerable point when I need to be proactive. Once they are between ASHR 1 and 2, they realize that they can learn new things quite easily on their own own, even when things get a little tough tough. The best phase is the flying phase which usually begins when the student is 2 years or more over school level and it is great for everyone – because this is when the students really begin to spread their wings and apply their self-learning skills when the worksheets expose them to more advanced concepts. They are able to fly freely in their gliders as they finally realize that speed is not the most important thing. They can enjoy the landscape of school work and life while the plane continues to move forward. In general, individualization by the Kumon Instructor can be put into practice in many, many different ways based on a good understanding of the student’s current ability together with the bigger picture (in mind) mind).
25
Cathy Just as the students are empowered to try new Levels by working through the worksheets, the Kumon Instructor is empowered with each attempt at individualization. Individualization can be as simple as assigning different workloads. workloads Many students start with an optimal amount of worksheets per day, but you will likely adjust the workload at different points in their study as you and the student determine what is best for the individual needs and situation. Sometimes, to keep them at the just right level, this may even mean assigning only one worksheet per day. …We W mustt strive t i to t maximize i i motivation ti ti and d concentration t ti ability…and bilit d to t minimize i i i frustration. Similarly, as long as they maintain their daily Kumon routine, the frequency of class attendance can be individualized. As a standard, students may come multiple times a week, but others can attend with less frequency – again, if this is what is best for the individual child hild and d ffamily. il Individualization may be nuanced, like lowering a starting point upon seeing a student’s reaction to the first day’s assignment. Later in a student’s study, you might allow a student to advance to the next Level even if they have a Group 3 or 4 on an Achievement Test. (Of course, this means analyzing the “Achievement Test” closely to see what mistakes were actually t ll made d and d tto what h t extent t t th they need d tto b be addressed dd d and dh how th they will ill affect ff t th the student’s performance in the next Level.) The bottom line is… In order to individualize, we must know the student’s individual needs and situation from numerous perspectives. Let me share some student cases that will highlight how important it is to both the student and the Instructor to have a committed focus on individualization.
26
Cathy In preparing for Phyllis’s visit to my Center, Holger, Phyllis, Kathy and I compiled a list of possible students that we wanted to observe when they arrived in Freiburg. In order to give a better overview of these students to the group, I wanted to be able to show the traffic light progression and to explain the study projection to Completion for each of these students. For those of you that may not be familiar with the traffic light progression, it is a colorized analysis y of each completed p set. •The green means the set was completed in x-times with reasonable accuracy, •yellow for between x & y times with reasonable accuracy , •and red for over y time (and possibly with poor accuracy). Although g this type yp of analysis y for so many y worksheets and so many y students was a considerable amount of work, it was incredibly eye opening. It totally highlighted the mistakes I had made in my Instruction and it drew my attention to commonalities that existed with my students. It also can point out a student’s potential and/or an Instructor’s preconceptions.
27
Cathy While doing these projections, it was suddenly clear to me that I had a group of 5 students •who all began at approximately the same time, •who were all about the same age at the time, •all started at nearly the same level, •and and are all currently 3 years above grade level level. Here they are: [CLICK to see video on next slide]
28
[video: CP-names-intro] [Emilia: Emilia Sophia Matthis Jasmin: Jasmin Seebacher Elias: Elias Moncado Jens: Jens Clarissa: Clarissa]
29
Cathy Cute, aren’t they? I bet you have some students just like them. When I examined their individual development more closely, I was so surprised to find that despite their varied progress, according to my planned study progression they could all be completers within 6 months of each other. Of course I was very excited! Yes, 2012 here I come! This group totally demonstrates the point that even with individualized instruction, the destination – Program Completion – can be the same! Let’ss take a closer look at them… Let •They are all currently in the 4th grade except Elias, who is in the 3rd grade.
30
Cathy •As you can see, they all began in the Fall of 2004, with the exception of Jens who began over a year later. •And, I anticipate that they will all complete the Program before the start of the 2012 school year year. •Even with these similarities, you can see a great deal of disparity in the amount of work assigned and the time to complete each Level – because I have individualized their projections according to what each one needs. •For instance, in Level 2A Jasmin completed 1000 worksheets while Jens completed 480 – a difference of 5 repetitions versus about 2 1/2 repetitions. •When you consider the time taken to complete a Level, the Level that showed the greatest difference was Level A – where Jens needed just a month-and-a-half and Clarissa needed almost 7 months. That That’ss a difference of more than 5 months! Even with these differences (and others), if my projections remain as they are, [CLICK]
31
Cathy …all 5 students will finish within about 6 months of one another. Everyone will be in the 7th grade except Elias, who, still one grade younger than the others, will be in the 6th grade. Another interesting comparison is how little time each student took to achieve ASHR status. status
32
Cathy Looking at the students who started in the Fall of 2004, you can see that with each advance in the Honor Roll, diversity grew. •To reach ASHR level 1, all of these students took 6 months or less. •To reach ASHR-2, most took 18-19 months. •But to reach ASHR-3, the time was very diverse – from 7 months to 32 months. Jens, who enrolled one year after the others was the exception – he basically flew through all the Honor Levels Levels.
33
Cathy Phyllis asked me to analyze why I had quite a few excellent students like these 5 stars. When I did this analysis, it supported Kumon’s Vision which I share: that we should work toward enrolling more younger children – even if it is just one more student this year that is younger than the youngest student you enrolled last year. These 5 students of mine are evidence of how beneficial such early enrollment is: all of them began in 7A or 6A while they were in Kindergarten. As Toru Kumon said, “The purpose of pre-school education is not only to nurture children to become successful when theyy g grow up. p More importantly, p y, it is to nurture them to overcome setbacks and to work diligently to lay the foundation for a gratifying life.” When I look at all of the 3-year advanced students in my Center, 70% began as Preschool or Kindergarten children, and the other 30% were just in 1st or 2nd grade. When a child begins KUMON in their preschool or Kindergarten years, their logical thinking becomes so wonderfully developed and they have a giant overview of the numbers. For instance, when Elias started fractions in the first grade, he recognized what the common denominator was quickly because of his number sense. He has that giant picture in his head. Another A th interesting i t ti point i t about b t “Th “The Dream D Team” T ” is i that th t allll fi five off the th students t d t are either ith bilingual or are enrolled in “English as a Foreign Language,” which is similar to KNA’s Reading Program. The three that are in the EFL program are also 3-year advanced students for English. Being enrolled in dual subjects in KUMON allows the student to develop their logical thinking hi ki even ffurther h and, d through h h exposing i the h student d to a bi bigger world, ld iit d develops l the h whole child even more.
34
Cathy But don’t take my word for it. Here is what the students have to say as to why they have done so well: [CLICK to see video on next slide]
35
[video: CP-WhySoWell] [Text lead-in: Why are you doing so well? Jasmin: Well, I like to learn and I learn every day. Elias: Because I do my pages every day. Jens: It is fun and I am interested in it. Emilia: Because Cathy says I am doing very good. Cathy [off camera]: And that’s why you think you are doing good – because I say so? Emilia: No… Also because my teacher says I am very good in math and in English. Clarissa: Umm… Because I am good at it.]
36
Cathy These 5 students began as Preschoolers and developed into excellent students not only because the basic skills were in place and because they did the worksheets regularly, but because their abilities improved and they learned the many stages of how to begin self-learning in small steps. In the following video clip the students were asked how they solved a problem that was difficult for them or that they didn’t understand when they first started KUMON. They were then asked to answer what they do now when they encounter a problem they can’t solve or understand. [CLICK to see video on next slide]
37
[video: CP-WhatBeforeWhatNow] [Text lead-in: What did you do to solve a problem before Kumon? What do you do to solve a problem now? Jasmin: I ask my teacher or my parents parents. Cathy [off camera]: And now when you think it’s too hard or you don’t understand, what do you do? Jasmin: I ask myself or I ask my teacher. Elias: I ask Cathyy or my y mother. Cathy [off camera]: And now, do you do something different? Elias: Yes, I try by my own. Jens: I asked my mother how it worked. Cathyy [[off camera]: ] And now, when yyou have a p problem or don’t understand what is happening, what do you do? Jens: Hmmm… I often simply leave it blank until later. Emilia: I ask my mom and she helps me. Cathy [off camera]: And what do you do now? Emilia: In English, I hear the CD that I can repeat, and in Math I ask my mother or father. Clarissa: I ask. Cathy [off camera]: Who? Clarissa Cathy. Clarissa: Cath Cathy [off camera]: And now when you have a problem or don’t understand how to solve the problem, what do you do? Clarissa: I look at the example.]
38
Phyllis My students have some wise things to say, too… [CLICK to see video on next slide]
39
[video: PP-BestComments] [Mayher: My name is Mayher Patel. Ummm… I’ve been to Asia, umm… I’ve been to Africa; I’ve been all over North America. I’ve been in Kumon since Kindergarten. I like how it challenges me because usually in school, stuff isn’t really challenging because I know it all because of Kumon. JJordan: d Hi I’m Hi, I’ JJordan, d and d I’ I’ve b been iin K Kumon ffor ttwo years. U Umm… K Kumon h has really ll helped me improve in school. Umm… Math used to be pretty hard for me, but now it comes pretty easy. Ummm… When you start our sometimes it’s pretty frustrating having to do it every single day, but once you get used to it you’ll find out that it really helps you once you get older because even though you start out with the easy stuff, the easy stuff really helps you with the harder stuff. Brandon: My name is Brandon, and I’ve been doing Kumon since third or fourth grade… and I like it but every once in a while I get frustrated when I (like) miss (like) 15 or 10 problems and I can’t figure them out. Ummm… I just keep trying and hopefully I get them right. Interviewer [off camera]: Do you have any advice for Kumon kids? Brandon: Umm… Just believe in yyourself and believe that yyou can do it. And,, that’s all I have to say. Monica: I’m Monica and I’m 12 years old and I’ve been taking Kumon for about three or four years. I like to read. You can rarely find me without a book. Interviewer [off camera]: Do you have any advice for other Kumon kids, whether they’re here or in some other part of the world? Monica: Well, just do your best and keep on trying. If you don’t understand, just ask for help and keep trying. Whatever you do, don’t stop. …because it will help you in the end. Eric: My name is Eric Robert Vignalats and I live in fifth grade. I think Kumon’s great and I think it’s fun. Children help themselves to it. Interviewer [off camera]: What do you want to be when you grow up? Eric: Well, I probably dream of being a beautiful person.]
40
Phyllis I began my journey much like a new Kumon student who starts from a low starting point and strives to reach grade level. Instructor training in the early days was “primitive” at best compared to today’s structured, centralized training. Do you know what a “latch-key kid” is? It is an elementary-aged child who comes home after school, h l and d llets t hi himselflf iinto t th the h house tto spend d th the afternoon ft alone l b because b both th parents t are still at work. Well, twenty years ago, Instructors and Corporate Associates in North America were like “latch-key kids.” Please pause and try to imagine this picture in your mind… In those days, we, Instructors and Kumon staff were trying our best to raise ourselves as Kumon Instructors in North America America. The parent company headquarters was far, far away here in Japan. We had a lot of materials that were translated – none very well, though – from Japanese. We newer Instructors were mentored by several of the “then veteran” Japanese Instructors: •Hikaru Matsunaga, now a 25-year veteran Instructor from Sacramento, California •and Yuriko Kishibe, a 28-year veteran from Toronto, Canada. These mentors were pioneer Kumon Instructors in North America; they were running Kumon Centers even before any KNA corporate staff existed. We were trying to be self-learners, but we were learning from a pretty flimsy foundation. By flimsy flimsy, I mean that our knowledge of the Kumon Philosophy and Method was not solid at all. Trying to implement the advanced Kumon Method without a solid foundation in knowledge was just extremely difficult. You could almost compare us to those high school students whose parents expect them to start in Level G when they only place into 2A. Y can see th You the di disaster t coming, i can’t’t you? ?
43
Phyllis Not only was my knowledge limited and flimsy, my instruction skills were also wanting from i d inadequate t experience i and d practice. ti A Again, i I was lik like th thatt same hi high h school h l student t d t who h iis weak in basic calculation skills due to the lack of practice. I was far from being efficient in the way that I was guiding students to progress through the Program. A lot of my earlier students quit the program within a year because I was repeating them so much to pursue that x-time in every set of work before I was willing to move them ahead to the next set. Remember R b h how C Cathy th mentioned ti d th thatt she h llostt some students t d t b because she h was overly l b bold ld with her instruction? Well, I had students who left early in their study because I was too timid with mine. Neither of us was individualizing, and we were both losing students. I am embarrassed to admit that I was not even able to get many students past the mastery of addition and subtraction in those “rookie” years as an Instructor. In fact, I can vividly remember b th the comments t off a couple l off parents t saying i that th t the th llatter tt h half lf off L Levell B was lik like torture for their children. Needless to say, they didn’t stay beyond that. I have to confess again, as a new Instructor, I wanted desperately for Kumon to be an exact science. It is much easier if everything were black and white. I embraced every tool for quantifying and measuring a student’s ability and applied them indiscriminately. I used to think that the achievement goal for each student should be based entirely on their ability, as indicated by their starting Kumon Level, their completion time, and their accuracy – and nothing else… This way, I figured I wouldn’t risk making any wrong subjective decisions. By over-utilizing the many predetermined standards standards, I realize realize, in retrospect retrospect, that I was actually placing a cap on the student’s potential. My tools for judging their level of ability actually limited how far they could go. I had put myself totally in charge of their learning mainly because I was too afraid that if I let the students take charge by asking their opinions, I would lose control of their destiny! How preposterous of me!!! What an errant way of thinking! In my early days as an Instructor, I think the reason I had been much less successful with high ability students was mostly because of this errant way of thinking.
44
Phyllis Consequently, after 8 years as an Instructor, I had zero Completers. [ [PAUSE] ]
45
Phyllis Because of my initial fears and limitations, I muddled through the first 10 years without nurturing a single program completer. Backtracking to previous experiences in the days when I didn’t trust students’ opinions, I thought th ht th thatt adults d lt were the th only l ones th thatt knew k what’s h t’ b bestt ffor them. th I know: it’s appalling now that I think about it!!!! There had been some cases that I thought, “If I had known then what I do know today,” I could have done so much better for certain students. Fortunately I redeem myself by being a firm believer in learning from my failures – just Fortunately, like Cathy. I know that Mrs. Matsunaga – one of those mentors I mentioned earlier – feels the same way because I remember her telling me once that when she thinks back to her instruction in the first few years, she thinks she should refund the tuition to all those families. Have you ever felt that way? Can you think of a student or two with whom you wish you had been more flexible when it came time to accommodate their individuality and ability? I can think of a couple students who quit Kumon without reaching their potential because I did not individualize my instruction for them. Let me tell you about them…
46
Phyllis In February 1998, Seanan enrolled in Kumon at the end of his 2nd grade year and discontinued when he began 5th grade. In those 2½ years he went from Level 2A1 to E160. In retrospect retrospect, if I had individualized for Seanan by soliciting his feedback, he would certainly have been a G-by-5 student. He was a cute, happy-go-lucky child who always had a big grin, and never complained. He was always agreeable, and even though I would ask him to “Please, please remember to do your work every day.” when he came to class, most of it would not be done. I would sit him down and he would crank out a couple of sets t easily. il I am so sorry th thatt it did nott occur to t me, 10 years ago to t involve i l him hi in i setting tti hi his goals at Kumon. I was trying to restrict him to my rigidity. Before I share with you what Seanan has to say now, I would like you to take a moment to hear an impressive excerpt of what he wrote about today’s youth when he founded “The Young Thinkers’ Society” 2 years ago as a 10th grader: [played in ppt] [The Young Thinkers' Society is founded on the observation that young individuals today do not have adequate opportunities for intellectual growth. The questions that have resounded among youth for millennia have become eerily quiet among our generation. There is little genuine conversation about the immortal soul; about the existence of God; about the nature of government and the nature of humanity. It seems that others have already answered those questions for us. We have become another "fun" generation, where as long as our material needs are met, and as long as we are sufficiently entertained, we neither see a need nor have the will to grow intellectually. The previous generation fought against the perils of mass mentality and propaganda; we fight the dangers of intellectual apathy, where we cripple our very selves through the atrophy of our minds. We stunt our growth as human beings, as creatures of reason. Soc e y at Society a large a ge has as reinforced e o ced this s decay decay. We ea are eb brought oug up in a cu culture u e where e e adu adults sp place ace too oo much uc value on academic achievement, and where youth place too much value on fun. Admittedly, both are necessary, but their overemphasis has killed our minds. We are but mindless drones for which genuine intellectual growth has been substituted with adult-orchestrated "debate" and stilted classroom discussion. Both only reinforce the apathy that feeds our atrophy.]
Isn’t that breath-taking? There’s a 15 year old who is seeking “wholeness” and growth in intellect! Today, Seanan is a freshman at Stanford University. Recently, he replied to an e-mail I sent him. Here is what he has to say: [played in ppt] [According to my mom, I never wanted to do my Kumon because it was "boring." To tell the truth, I remember never wanting to do Kumon, Kumon as if it was a huge chore chore. That said, though, I do feel that as a kid I did [need] some form of discipline that I needed to learn. I feel like Kumon would have been a great opportunity to learn that sort of discipline – to just do what must be done. If only I had embraced it rather than giving up! So, I think as well as letting the child go at their own pace, an equal amount of discipline-learning should also be in the mix.]
47
Phyllis In February 1998, Seanan enrolled in Kumon at the end of his 2nd grade year and discontinued when he began 5th grade. In those 2½ years he went from Level 2A1 to E160. In retrospect retrospect, if I had individualized for Seanan by soliciting his feedback, he would certainly have been a G-by-5 student. He was a cute, happy-go-lucky child who always had a big grin, and never complained. He was always agreeable, and even though I would ask him to “Please, please remember to do your work every day.” when he came to class, most of it would not be done. I would sit him down and he would crank out a couple of sets t easily. il I am so sorry th thatt it did nott occur to t me, 10 years ago to t involve i l him hi in i setting tti hi his goals at Kumon. I was trying to restrict him to my rigidity. Before I share with you what Seanan has to say now, I would like you to take a moment to hear an impressive excerpt of what he wrote about today’s youth when he founded “The Young Thinkers’ Society” 2 years ago as a 10th grader: [played in ppt] [The Young Thinkers' Society is founded on the observation that young individuals today do not have adequate opportunities for intellectual growth. The questions that have resounded among youth for millennia have become eerily quiet among our generation. There is little genuine conversation about the immortal soul; about the existence of God; about the nature of government and the nature of humanity. It seems that others have already answered those questions for us. We have become another "fun" generation, where as long as our material needs are met, and as long as we are sufficiently entertained, we neither see a need nor have the will to grow intellectually. The previous generation fought against the perils of mass mentality and propaganda; we fight the dangers of intellectual apathy, where we cripple our very selves through the atrophy of our minds. We stunt our growth as human beings, as creatures of reason. Soc e y at Society a large a ge has as reinforced e o ced this s decay decay. We ea are eb brought oug up in a cu culture u e where e e adu adults sp place ace too oo much uc value on academic achievement, and where youth place too much value on fun. Admittedly, both are necessary, but their overemphasis has killed our minds. We are but mindless drones for which genuine intellectual growth has been substituted with adult-orchestrated "debate" and stilted classroom discussion. Both only reinforce the apathy that feeds our atrophy.]
Isn’t that breath-taking? There’s a 15 year old who is seeking “wholeness” and growth in intellect! Today, Seanan is a freshman at Stanford University. Recently, he replied to an e-mail I sent him. Here is what he has to say: [played in ppt] [According to my mom, I never wanted to do my Kumon because it was "boring." To tell the truth, I remember never wanting to do Kumon, Kumon as if it was a huge chore chore. That said, though, I do feel that as a kid I did [need] some form of discipline that I needed to learn. I feel like Kumon would have been a great opportunity to learn that sort of discipline – to just do what must be done. If only I had embraced it rather than giving up! So, I think as well as letting the child go at their own pace, an equal amount of discipline-learning should also be in the mix.]
48
Phyllis Connie started the Math Program just before high school. She started in Level B and made it all the wayy to L50 before q quitting g at th the end of the 11 grade. After that, she started in Level EI of the Reading Program and set a goal to study 10 sheets of work per day. In a short 6 months, she completed the remaining 9 Levels of the Reading Program! If only I had been more confident back then: I would have put her in the driver’s seat to take charge of her learning in the Math Program as well, and I’m sure she would have been a Math Completer also. In spite of everything, just this fall, Connie enrolled in a Master’s Degree program in Mathematics at the Universityy of Minnesota. Here is what Connie had to say y in a recent email to me: [played in ppt] [I regret not finishing Math in Kumon. I had gotten started in Kumon because I was failing math just as I was entering high school. I didn't know what I was really thinking when I started, but I knew that b th by the ti time I gott to t Level L l H th thatt I wanted t d to t continue ti even though th h my parents t thought th ht it wasn't't helping me and had wanted me to quit. Towards the end of the Reading Program, I found myself reading literature that I normally would not have known to choose for myself. They were witty, informative, and – best of all – they broadened my horizons both academically and culturally. For me me, the Kumon Reading Program didn't didn t stop at helping me understand English literature literature. In college, I was trying to figure out the language of chemistry, of physics, of mathematics. I found myself applying the same techniques of dissecting the sentences, finding the key words, the main objective. I remained calm and didn't allow simple words – simple English words – to scare me away. While I did struggle sometimes, I remember that I had struggled through Shakespeare, through Twain… and if I could master those, I could master anything! In college, I found that I garnered valuable study habits from Kumon. Since I was used to doing Kumon before all else, I applied that same habit to homework. It is also due to Kumon that I gained confidence not only in my abilities in school, but also socially. I pushed for [the college to create a Bachelor of Science program] in math when I learned there was none offered. I knew what I wanted and I went after it, whereas before, I wouldn't have tried. To conclude, I have hopes of becoming a Kumon Instructor – because I see a huge change in my personality from the first day I started Kumon, and I hope to encourage kids at a younger age to persevere and continue with Kumon even iff they find f that it's too difficult. ff Because that's life: f Take something difficult and turn it into something trivial through patience, constant practice and perseverance.]
I am so glad she was not shortsighted like her parents who wanted her to quit!
49
Phyllis Connie started the Math Program just before high school. She started in Level B and made it all the wayy to L50 before q quitting g at th the end of the 11 grade. After that, she started in Level EI of the Reading Program and set a goal to study 10 sheets of work per day. In a short 6 months, she completed the remaining 9 Levels of the Reading Program! If only I had been more confident back then: I would have put her in the driver’s seat to take charge of her learning in the Math Program as well, and I’m sure she would have been a Math Completer also. In spite of everything, just this fall, Connie enrolled in a Master’s Degree program in Mathematics at the Universityy of Minnesota. Here is what Connie had to say y in a recent email to me: [played in ppt] [I regret not finishing Math in Kumon. I had gotten started in Kumon because I was failing math just as I was entering high school. I didn't know what I was really thinking when I started, but I knew that b th by the ti time I gott to t Level L l H th thatt I wanted t d to t continue ti even though th h my parents t thought th ht it wasn't't helping me and had wanted me to quit. Towards the end of the Reading Program, I found myself reading literature that I normally would not have known to choose for myself. They were witty, informative, and – best of all – they broadened my horizons both academically and culturally. For me me, the Kumon Reading Program didn't didn t stop at helping me understand English literature literature. In college, I was trying to figure out the language of chemistry, of physics, of mathematics. I found myself applying the same techniques of dissecting the sentences, finding the key words, the main objective. I remained calm and didn't allow simple words – simple English words – to scare me away. While I did struggle sometimes, I remember that I had struggled through Shakespeare, through Twain… and if I could master those, I could master anything! In college, I found that I garnered valuable study habits from Kumon. Since I was used to doing Kumon before all else, I applied that same habit to homework. It is also due to Kumon that I gained confidence not only in my abilities in school, but also socially. I pushed for [the college to create a Bachelor of Science program] in math when I learned there was none offered. I knew what I wanted and I went after it, whereas before, I wouldn't have tried. To conclude, I have hopes of becoming a Kumon Instructor – because I see a huge change in my personality from the first day I started Kumon, and I hope to encourage kids at a younger age to persevere and continue with Kumon even iff they find f that it's too difficult. ff Because that's life: f Take something difficult and turn it into something trivial through patience, constant practice and perseverance.]
I am so glad she was not shortsighted like her parents who wanted her to quit!
50
Phyllis Well, thankfully, these two students are immensely successful today. I only regret that I was not able to maximize their potential in Kumon and make their Kumon experience more enjoyable. But their comments helped me be certain that the learning habits they acquired from Kumon have contributed to their success. Can you imagine what more they might have accomplished if they had completed those programs? I am very grateful that they have forgiven me and are still talking to me! So, that’s how my Kumon career began – with little guidance and many opportunities for failure. …but things were changing…
51
Phyllis In 1994, about midway through my first decade in the Kumon Family, Kumon USA had become Kumon North America, and the company was establishing many branch offices to better serve the Instructors. We began to have Regional Conferences where Instructors from the same region would share information to improve instruction skills. These opportunities to learn from each other through study groups and conferences propelled us into higher levels in instruction skills. It began a snowball effect for me: The more I learned, learned the more I thirsted for further learning. learning Don’t you think this is why we are here today?
52
Phyllis Sadly, S dl I never h had d a chance h tto meett M Mr. K Kumon b before f h he passed d away iin JJuly l 1995 1995. B Butt a year later, a book called “Seeking the Boundless Potential” was published in his remembrance. It is a collection of lectures given by Mr. Kumon between 1993 and 1994. It was this collection of his lectures that distilled for me the idea that the Kumon Method of education is much more than teaching the academic subjects of Math and Reading! Rather, as he said, “[It is] the pursuit of potential that leads to the happiness of everyone.” This is why I never forget to explain in a parent orientation that, in Kumon, the learning of Math and Reading is not an end in itself. It is the self-learning of these academic subjects through systematic worksheet study that provides the vehicle for students to achieve the greater goal of becoming life-long learners! My understanding of the philosophy of Kumon and implementation of the Method has been further enhanced by the improved communication between the Company and Instructors. This has become prominent only since the appointments of professional CEOs in North America. We owe a “Thank yyou” to Mr. Yoshida,, Mr. Kodama,, Mr. Kashima,, and Mr. Shibata. In the past fifteen years, they have worked hard to turn Kumon Centers in North America from an image of “mom and pop” operations into professionally run learning Centers! My understanding of Kumon grew even greater in 1998 (10 years ago) when I journeyed to Japan, here in Tokyo, to attend the 40th anniversary celebration. It was my first trip to Japan Japan, and it left me with indelible memories memories. The pride that I felt in being part of the Kumon Family was confirmed by seeing all the dedicated Instructors, staff and associates working to bring the Kumon ideal to all children of the world.
53
Phyllis The Toru Kumon Museum was just opened. Christine Chang – who currently has the third highest enrollment in the world – and I were the two first Kumon Instructors from outside Japan to visit and sign the guest book at the museum. We made history, Christine! The visit to Mr. Kumon’s former residence and paying our respects at his graveside were defining d fi i moments t that th t brought b ht me very close l tto th the roots t off the th Kumon K Philosophy and Method. Meeting Mrs. Toru Kumon, was inspiring to me too because she was the very first Kumon Instructor to open a Center using the Kumon Method. Participation p in this earlier landmark event had p propelled p me into the next stage g of development as an Instructor. I found a new level of confidence similar to our Kumon students achieving Grade Level studies and getting ready to take on self-learning of advanced level work. I was on my way to becoming an honor roll Instructor, just as our students would set their goals to become Honor Roll students . I have continued to encounter other landmark events since. One of them was this year’s opportunity to visit Cathy’s Center in Germany because it allowed me to see how successful Kumon can be not just in Asia where it originated 50 years ago, or in North America where I have practiced it myself for two decades, but also in Europe where Kumon’s presence has not been so entrenched.
54
Phyllis Now, I would like everyone to pause… and think back to see if you could identify an event or events that serve as turning points or defining moments in your Kumon career. Could this 50th Anniversary celebration be one? During the half-time break that is coming up, please talk to other Instructors about their landmark moments in their Kumon careers. [Phyllis and Cathy step back (and off stage) while Adam Shapiro shares additional detail about break.]
55
