Sue's story

Transcript (4.13)

Interviewer: What is Kumon to you?

Sue: Oh gosh, Kumon is to me, personally, it's the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Generally, I suppose for people it's an after-school maths and English program that designed to develop students' numeracy and literacy skills as well as developing their potential really and helping them build good study skills, good study discipline, and good study habits.

Interviewer: What inspired you to become a Kumon Instructor?

Sue: Well, I read an article actually in the Daily Telegraph. At the time, I was training to be a teacher, and my own children were pre-school then. And I thought, that sounds such a fantastic thing, to be able to work individually with each child. At the time I visited the centre at Macclesfield, and I was really impressed. I thought, gosh, this could be for me. So I took the view that I'd set up my own study centre and just run it while my children were at pre-school, thinking I'd pick up my teaching career when they went into mainstream education. I'm still a Kumon Instructor, and my oldest daughter is doing her A Levels.

Interviewer: Wow, that's exciting. So you were in the process of studying to be a teacher?

Sue: Yes.

Interviewer: What did you do before that?

Sue: Before that, I used to be a hotel manager.

Interviewer: Okay.

Sue: In my previous life.

Interviewer: Right. Fantastic.

Sue: But then of course when my family came along, there aren't many part-time opportunities in that world and not particularly sort of social hours that you're working. So I started to think about changing careers. Obviously, when you've got your own children, you are so much more interested in education.

Interviewer: Yeah. So what was it that made you think, I want to change career from working in a hotel to becoming a teacher?

Sue: I think it was so I could have a better sort of family/work balance. Particularly when my girls were very young and I really wanted to work part-time, and it just gave me that flexibility to be at home with them as much as I could.

Interviewer: How does Kumon work with your family? How does it fit within your family life?

Sue: Well, it's great actually. Both my girls help me now, so great career opportunity for them. But it just, you know, obviously apart from your class days, it gives you flexibility as and when you do your work, and you can fit it in around your home life quite well.

Interviewer: I see. What qualities do you think a Kumon Instructor needs to possess?

Sue: Lots. Well obviously, they've got to be very passionate about education and passionate about working with children and developing children's potential. I think they need to be very good communicators and very good listeners. They need to be really well organised. They have to be able to multi-task. It's probably high on the list of priorities.

Interviewer: Right. What would you say is the best thing about being a Kumon Instructor?

Sue: There are so many.

Interviewer: Just a few. What are the rewards?

Sue: Well, I think the rewards to me really are just seeing the developments of the students when they come in or the parents come in with a big smile on their face, saying, "Oh, this has happened. They've moved up and now are in the top set." Or they had a goal or an achievement for themselves. That's top, really the top thing. But it's just the whole ethos of Kumon, working with Kumon associates, being part of an international programme that you know is thought very well of worldwide. The whole thing really.