Miss Anne's Adventures as a Kumon Instructor

Happy Birthday, Dad. I miss you every day.

Just to let you know... I created a Kumon scholarship fund in your and Mom's names. I wanted to honor you and your commitment to childhood education. This fund will allow children whose families are not financially able to participate in the Kumon program, the opportunity to enroll in and benefit from our services. We already have three worthy (and grateful) participants!

I know this makes you happy. I also know that you and mom are smiling upon me in my successes and (and supporting me in my challenges) in regard to my Japanese-based (thanks Mom) self-owned, educational business (thanks Dad)!

I would not be the woman I am without you.

Quietly, tearfully, lovingly, and respectfully~

~~~Anne

From the Get Rich Slowly Blog:
"Without goals, you are living reactively, letting life push you around. With goals, you can live a proactive life, steering toward a destination. When you have an end in mind, it’s easier to see when you’ve made a wrong turn. You know where your path is supposed to lead."
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Who is helping you and supporting you down that path? With a support system (be it family, friends, or employees), it is much easier to get on and stay on your path to success.
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You are the sum total of the five people with whom you spend the most time. Do the people you associate with lift you up and support you? Do they inspire you to reach your highest potential? Do they encourage you star in your own show?
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Food for thought, people.
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Do something amazing today~
~~~Miss Anne

So... I decided that the best form of self-motivation for me is to publish my goals.

Much of what I love about owning my own business is seeing how much untapped opportunity there is to grow. I have high hopes for making a difference in the lives of my students as well as generating a comfortable income for my family. I truly enjoy dreaming up ideas as to what might grow my business, motivate my students to remain in the Kumon program, and make a difference in the community. I look forward to having the freedom to implement these ideas, see the results, and then tweak them for future use.

I can do every job at my Center and don’t hesitate to do them, when needed. (My staff, though, is much better at many of these jobs than I am!) Seriously, the reality is that if I am not happy with my Kumon Center (in any way), I need to change something. I need to assess my marketing/recruiting plan, review my budget, come up with new retention incentives, or hire new employees.

I am empowered with the right motivation to make my business successful, because I want to make a difference in somebody’s life… be it a student, a parent, an employee, or ME!

I need to remember that I am not only the star of MY show, but I am also a stage hand, director, and producer. Keeping this in mind, I know I will make my Kumon Center an blockbuster success!

Be truly amazing!
~~~Miss Anne

I recieved an interesting phone call today from a home-school parent who will (should be) be enrolling her son in Kumon on Wednesday. She expressed concerns about the money she is investing in her son's supplemental Kumon education and whether or not we offered a "guarantee" on his success.

I told her that I GUARANTEE I will always provide my students with the work that is just right for them. I GUARANTEE that each of my students achieve mastery of materials before moving on to more challenging concepts. I GUARANTEE that I will communicate with families about goals and what work is required to meet these goals.

I cautioned her about false promises from tutoring centers that "guarantee" a child will advance a grade level in a set amount of time (In my research, I've found these businesses set their own standard for "grade level." YIKES!) The reality is that individual progress and advancement depends upon the child. Kumon uses International Grade Level (there is no subjective criteria), and has firm standards in regard to measuring speed and accuracy to assess mastery.

Will this family enroll their son at my Kumon Center after listening to my very honest comments? Maybe. Hopefully. I'll let you know on Thursday.

Until next time, make every effort to show someone that you are amazing!

~~~Miss Anne

Introduction:

This blog will provide a snapshot of my amazing life as a Kumon Instructor. My Kumon journey began about five years ago (2004), and I have never looked back. I hope that other Kumon Instructors, as well as other small business owners, will learn, laugh, and cry while I share my very honest thoughts and experiences in growing my business while also having a life as a wife and mother.

Let's see where this amazing journey takes us. Buckle up, my friends!

~Miss Anne