I worked as an assistant at Kumon for roughly 6 months. I would mark the students' work as well as enter their grades onto the computer database. At the end of each shift, the center was cleaned and prepared for the next class.I enjoyed the work itself and getting to know the students each week, however I left due to poor management and unfair treatment of both the students and employees.
All workers are required to work unpaid for 1 month upon being hired. I was told this was for training purposes and seeing if I was 'right for the job'. Many of my coworkers felt this rule was taking advantage of the teenagers that worked there, and during the six months I stayed I saw about seven people come and go. While marking class work, students occasionally ask the assistants for help with math and reading. Numerous times when I was explaining something to a student, my boss would take the student away from me and scold them for asking too many questions. This was extremely frustrating as I was unable to finish answering the question and actually help the student. It happened constantly to me and my coworkers and I was told not to help a student for too long. After a few weeks, I noticed that many of the kids were afraid to ask for help and would wait until my boss was distracted to ask me a question. Both students and coworkers were humiliated if a mistake was made by having attention drawn to them.
The center is extremely understaffed. 200-250 students attend each shift (abo
The typical day was to come in and grade math and english homework for around 6 hours. I was able to choose the days of the week when I was available to work for these shifts. The flexibility was convenient as a student and the pay was a bit above minimum wage. However, what made me leave the job was the lack of quality training and poor management. Every coworker I talked to complained about the insufficient training they were given, so it was a widespread issue. This resulted in many problems and mistakes being made unknowingly by many staff members each shift. Additionally, with mistakes being made due to poor training, the manager would not hesitate to yell at or single out and embarrass anyone who made the smallest error. I recall an experience of being suddenly thrown into a completely new position that I had absolutely no training for and being expected to know everything right off the bat. It was extremely stressful and I never received any form of proper training even after holding the position for more than one month. I even requested to be trained but the information I was given did not cover everything I needed to know. Therefore, I essentially learned as I went, but if I made any small errors due to not being taught specific instructions, I would be yelled at in a condescending manner in the open learning environment. This kind of scolding happened to many other staff members and usually we would get blamed before we could even defend ourselves. Overall, besides
Kumon is a good starting job if you only want to work a very limited number of hours throughout the week: 3-6 hours.
This is because they are usually only open after school: 4pm - 7pm and only a few days in the week eg. Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Saturdays it is (11am-4pm). However, if you are looking for a job where you can have plenty of hours this is not the place.
If you like to talk and socialize, this is also not the place. The work environment is you go inside, and mark hundreds of assignments, while the students work on their assignments at the desk. Occasionally, they can ask you for help. If you are assigned to the younger children, you help them with their reading while marking assignments. It is a generally quiet no-socializing environment.
A BIG PROBLEM with Kumon is when you do get the job, they tell you to come in for "training" so you can observe and do some practise. They DO NOT tell you that it is unpaid which they should before you come in for 2 hours and find out after two weeks that you didn't get paid for it. If you DO go in for training, go in for 30 minutes. It is enough time for you to learn the ropes but also not enough time to feel bad for not getting paid.
The hardest part in the job is the straight focus for three hours - multi tasking grading papers and also helping the students assigned to you (1 - 2 ) with their reading. You are expected to finish a big amount of work in a very short amount of time. Sometimes I would forge
I started working at my local Kumon centre for almost 2 years now since high school, but now that I am in college I am looking for other job opportunities as I need more money to pay for my own bills and such.
Thus, my biggest issue working here is the lack of benefits and the very low, limited work hours. Each shift only ranges from 3-4 hours, and on top of that you are payed on a monthly basis. So if pay/benefits are your top priority, I wouldn't recommend working here. It is good, however, as a side-hustle or if you are starting off on a first job as a high school student.
As a teaching/grading assistant, your responsibilities are simply marking students worksheets, keeping track of their scores and recording them, and occasionally helping around in the classroom. As long as you are confident in your math and reading abilities, helping out isn't too bad. You don't have to have the best math/reading skills, or previous Kumon student experience to help out, but it would definitely be an asset.
Depending on your work style, the job is very routine-based, meaning it could get very tedious, repetitive, or even boring. However, the work environment is very fast paced as we receive a lot of students' work and are expected to mark them quickly, so time flies relatively fast. There isn't really any socializing or collaborating with co-workers, so if you are fine with dealing with mundane tasks and working independently then this job would be suitable for you.
I would also add tha
Easy going work environment balanced with life schedule
Typical day at work includes:
- Assigning math and reading work catered to the needs of individual students.
- Preparation of classwork materials inside students' folders.
- Ensuring all students' needs are met during class hours, walking the floor and adjusting work assignment to reflect current homework progress (incomplete, too easy, too hard, emphasis on a specific topic)
- Delegating and balancing out work distribution to other teaching assistants
- Communicating with parents (interviewing students to enroll them in Kumon, progress reports, alleviating concerns, adjustments to work reflecting parent's wishes)
What I learned:
- Good relationships with co-workers foster an easy going work environment
- Students respond well to positive reinforcement, but are individually motivated by different factors -- connecting with them is important to inspire them to work hard
Management:
- Very organized
Co-workers:
- Often like-minded individuals with a passion for teaching and good temperament with students
- Many high school and university level Teaching Assistants
Hardest part of the job:
- Convincing (some) parents that students progress at an individual pace and individualized needs, and should not be rigorously compared to other students when assigning and adjusting work
Most enjoyable part of the job:
- Seeing the progress of individual students
- The look of understanding when they first learn a new concept, overcome a hard concept, gain c
professional environment tailored to fit the needs of students
A typical day at work consisted of working with the students and ensuring that they were learning and understanding their school work effectively. I would clarify any doubts they had, and tested them when they finished their respected work. After testing them, I inputted their scores into the online database.
I learned to pay extreme close to detail when working with the students and correcting their work. I also learned effective communication and organization skills which made my role as a teaching staff more effective in ensuring value was brought to the students.
My management was very positive and friendly and created an environment where everyone was comfortable and productive.
My coworkers were very friendly and easy to get a long with as we were all in similar stages of our careers.
The most difficult part of the job was finding new ways to structure my teaching methods to ensure that the student gains the most amount of value from their time in class. Each student understands the content differently, so figuring out which way they would most easily understand the work and applying it was the most difficult task.
The most enjoyable part of the job was being able to work alongside like minded coworkers, and seeing the growth my students. Seeing the impact I brought on my students was surely a very enjoyable part of my job.
Prosworking with like minded coworkers, positive environment, lower stress environment
Constedious work with very few breaks, no opportunities for growth through promotions
A typical day at Kumon Learning Centre consists of administrative tasks where I am responsible for entering data on the child's progress. I am also responsible for taking messages, scheduling placement tests, and keeping open communication with parents regarding their child's progress in the program. During class hours I am also responsible for assisting children between the ages of 3-17 in their math and reading worksheets.
During my time at Kumon, I have refined by communication skills, as I have worked with very young children, and have developed a great ability to explain things. The management team and coworkers have been supportive and encouraging, while providing me with enough space to be an independent worker.
The most difficult part about this job can be the patience that it requires to work with young children with short attention spans. However, through my time at Kumon I have developed various strategies to overcome this difficulty, and now have solutions on how to get different types of children to engage in their work so that they enjoy it and are successful.
The most enjoyable part about this job is the reward of seeing children excited to be there as they learn to be sucessful at tasks they previously strugged at.
ProsGreat management, rewarding job working with children, learned a great deal as I was required to complete various tasks
ConsComplete tasks of various job descriptions at low pay, minimal hours as classtimes are limited
A typical day at work consisted of my helping to get the centre ready for the day and closing up after every shift. I would help teach Junior students with their alphabets and counting. I was then moved to work with the children progressing from Junior Kumon up to their grade level and I would watch over them as they did their homework and help them if they needed help, although I was not allowed to help them a lot because they were supposed to learn on their own how to do it. I then would grade their papers and hand it back to them if they had mistakes so that they could re-do it until they reached the right answer. I also worked with the higher-level Kumon students, as high as grade 11, and I would also mark their work. Typically at the end of the day, I would also do data entry and assist with any questions clients might have about their children.
I learned a lot through this job as it was my first. I learned to gain communication skills talking to various different age groups ranging from junior kindergarten students to adults. I also learned how to work independently as my work required me to do all my tasks with little to no supervision.
Management was good, although a bit strict, however it comes with the job I suppose. The co-workers there were super friendly and always there to help.
My job was very enjoyable as the tasks given were quite easy and something I could handle so there was really no problem.
Kumon, a renowned center for academic enrichment, inspired me to reflect on my job with newfound perspective and appreciation. Like the carefully crafted Kumon worksheets, my job presents an opportunity for continuous growth and learning. Just as Kumon emphasizes building a solid foundation in math and reading, my job allows me to develop crucial skills and expertise in my field.
The Kumon approach to mastery through incremental progress mirrors my professional journey, where each small achievement contributes to overall proficiency. Just as Kumon students are encouraged to persevere through challenging exercises, my job teaches me to face obstacles with determination and resilience.
Kumon instills a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence in its students, and similarly, my job empowers me to take pride in my achievements and build upon them. The personalized guidance provided by Kumon instructors mirrors the mentorship and support I receive from my colleagues and superiors, fostering an environment conducive to success.
In conclusion, my job shares similarities with Kumon's educational philosophy, emphasizing continuous improvement, resilience, and personalized growth. The lessons I've learned from Kumon enrich my professional journey, helping me strive for excellence in my career.
Loved working with kids but there was absolutely no room for advancement!
The overall job was super tedious because all you did was mark worksheet after worksheet. It was super high pace at times and the management was very strict about mistakes although you were expected to work at a pace that led to mistakes. Upon being hired I was told that there was room for advancement, this is a complete lie unless you want to become an instructor at your own Kumon! I worked there for 3 years and and when I left my salary was the same as the brand new hires. It is a great job for people who are looking for only a few hours a week. Overall the management at my particular location was awful, and held grudges against small mistakes (I was no longer allowed to do do certain work after making a small, though they never attempted to help me fix my mistakes or talked to me about them). The only reason I stayed at this job for so long was because I love working with kids, it was my first job and I didn't realize how horrible the management was. It is also extremely difficult to make connections with your coworkers because there is no talking allowed during class time, so the only conversations you can have with them is the 5 minutes before and after class you are there.
TLDR; If you're good with kids or look forward to a field with them, this is a good experience. Otherwise, hectic, inflexible (has to operate around 'after school hours', and COVID-19 time slots make it worse), and not being open on weekends makes it inflexible for others with second jobs and school.
Management/Roles: Do your research and possibly work at a well-established center. I'm convinced half of why things felt so hectic and uncompromisable is because the center is new, and so management is finding its footing (otherwise: inexperienced). As a grader I felt underpaid; this is because there are more subjects/students than staff, and I was expected to help with the kids in a sort of hybrid grader-tutor role since the manager had not reached their financial goal to just hire people appropriately for the separate roles. Not ideal for someone like myself who doesn't qualify as a tutor or care to fulfill that role. Not their fault or the employee who recommended me to it, but I was definitely 'sold' the job under the title of a grader with those responsibilities.
Management/Environment: The management was so new with the business aspect, early on, I had to guide them with advice from my second job, as to how our breaks were structured there. They seemed surprised when I first told them our 30min lunch was unpaid. Duh?? The HR position was held by the eldest offspring of management, so this particular center was very much a family-business style environment so if that is n
ProsFree lunch on occasional meeting times
Consat will employee, short breaks, inconsistency, lack of management experience
I've worked at a Kumon center for a couple years. First, the bad:
1) Manager micromanaged and gave orders so often that it slowed down the entire work flow. All decisions that had to be okay-ed by the instructor, which led to significant wait times when you have 15-20 or more kids/families plus staff waiting for something to go through. Manager would often forget about a kid or parent until reminded that they were waiting. I've often had to apologize to parents because the manager forgot about them or they were waiting a long time. This was the hardest part of the job, dealing with this type of management. Not only did they micromanage, they wouldn't do simple tasks themselves, like getting worksheets or stapling something or getting a pencil, instead interrupting someone else who is busy grading or helping a student or otherwise occupied with a task to do it.
2) Sometimes when asked about a student's progress the manager would say "I don't know" and I or another assistant would end up having to do the work looking up a student and deciding what to do about their work. When we do find out what the issue is and inform the manager, the manager make us do the changes to the student's record book anyway.
3) The way the manager talks to people. There are times when they would sarcastically say "Terrible job!" to a student who did really well on a test, or to a staff member, and obviously that isn't always received well. The instructor would often make kids cry because of this agg
A relaxed, yet firm environment that promotes self loathing.
I've worked at Kumon for almost 5 years and i feel as if I have been there too long. This position certainly rewards you with a valuable skill that enables you to develop children and young adults into self-sufficient learners that go on to become successful students at school and beyond.
That's where the glamour of the job stops.
Endless grading with impatient and sometimes very rude parents who don't know why their son/daughter is behind on their work because they don't pay attention to their kid. The students come in three different varieties: lazy, motivated, and "my mom makes me go here". Every day is the same thing, you help students, grade work, talk with parents, and repeat. Our bosses (plural because it's a family business), often make remarks on how a parent notices things wrong with the center and its workers while at the same time, leave very little feedback as what we're doing that's positive. There are often days where we are watched by official kumon representatives, suits who take note on how the center handles itself. There is a strict emphasis on minimal interaction with the student, but i've always felt that there's absolutely very little chance that a student will just pick up on some of the poor examples they offer in the students' packets. Which brings me to my next gripe: the worksheets.
The worksheets for levels G - O are terrible. The examples that are given at the beginning of every few pages are supposed to provide insight on what's coming
ProsGrading is easy
ConsGrading will consume all of your time and energy.
5.0
Administrative Assistant | Nueva Vizcaya | Jul 8, 2016
productive
I work at KUMON/ Nueva Vizcaya Bright Child School, Inc. from 8:00 to 5:00 PM; Mondays to Fridays.
As an administrative assistant I have to be flexible all the time. I do not handle or do just one task. I have to do many things the whole day such as check/ monitor the teachers attendance during the flag ceremony, produce DepEd Memorandum and give this to the school administrator for approval, request school supplies needed in the office, set the deadlines for submission of all the daily or monthly teachers requirements, monitor the most compliant employees, address different concerns of parents, teachers, students and visitors, answer phone calls or text messages, set appointments or meetings, take minutes of meetings, make communication letters, make reports to the Schools Division Office, edit videos, encode forms, attend seminars, and others.
I learn that I must love my work. It must be up in my head, hands, and heart.
I report directly to the School Administrator, School Principal, and to the Assistant School Principal so I can say that they have great potentials to excellent school programs, well manage institution, and care for the own benefits of the employees.
My colleagues are disciplined. They comply with all the requirements because they are motivated to do it. After the pupils/ students graduation in March, they also have "Teachers Recognition Day". They receive certificate of appreciation and monetary incentives. Also, this is subject for
- Productive environment and but lots of demands and expectation need to be met.
- Low hours and low pay - depends on age
- Experience at working different roles (multitask) - marking/recording, study skills, instructor and check in/out reception.
- Good team work but lacks pace and efficiency at working at face past environment
- Some employees lack team cooperation and time management skills, therefore other employees have to do their work and catch up.
- Sometimes Manager and Senior Assistant threaten kids and complains about how employees never get work done on time, but in reality they leave everything to employees and walk out to attend their other business.
- Do not get overpay if we stay back finishing piles of recording.
- Acts really nice and professional to Senior managers and franchise owners but after that they turn crazy mode .
- Also calls parent swear words on phone calls.
- Always show favourites to some employees over others and standing up for them and let others do their work and get in trouble.
ROLES
- Marker/ Recorders - always so sloppy in their work and this leads to instructors and reception doing their work and letting markers go home early.
- Instructor - accountable for kids action/ behaviour/ attitude - if kids don’t read English out loudly , instructor gets consequences
- receptionist - always attend calls, stock and attend parents and respond to request.
- manager - sits there with computer doing some other business and only shou
I enjoy working at Kumon and RTG. A typical day at Kumon would be me marking the children's' classwork. Then I have to guide them with their mistakes and mark their corrections again. A day at RTG is teaching the children and guiding the children with the work set by my manager.
I have learnt how to communicate with the parents and the children and how important it was to vary my tone to suit the child. I have gained good communication skills and good listening skills which allows me to be patient with others.
I only work 2 hours at Kumon where I work with my co-workers. We share a good relationship and in fact, this relationship has allowed me to speak to my colleagues outside of work.I only work 3 hours at RTG and it's usually me and another graduated teacher or my manager. I share a good bond with my senior staff and my manager.
The hardest part of my job especially with RTG is I never know when I have work until they ring me. Due to this, I have to sit and wait for a call. Also, I receive minimum wage for both RTG and Kumon and it requirres us to go back home, revise the topic before teaching the children. Both RTG and Kumon wants me to carry my work back home in order to prepare for the next lesson.
There are many enjoyable moments at work which includes seeing the children, sharing a bond with them which allows me to care about them and their education, allowing them to trust me. Alsongside the children, I am able to keep a relationship with their parents
The Kumon centre is open Monday's and Wednesday's, which is very practical as it is local for me as well as having reasonable and manageable hours. A usual day would consist of students bringing in completed work they have done at home and then we would provide new work for them to complete one in the centre as well as more for them to take home and complete again. Having them complete work in the centre is very beneficial for us to see their progress and also allows us the chance to help them when and if they need it.
Through working in such an environment I have learnt to adapt to busy periods and handling with several people at a time whilst offering the best possible help. Our team has a variety of ages which in fact compliments each other as we can work with specific ages that are suitable for ourselves. We all work well as a team, which has further developed my skills with working with others.
The hardest part of this job is time management as it is very easy to get behind on marking and updating homework. However, through my experience of working here for a while, I have been able to manage my time better which means I can complete work on time as well as to a high standard.
The most enjoyable and rewarding part of this job is seeing how the students develop. I have been able to see the gradual progression of certain students and in particular those with learning difficulties. In addition, the growth in confidence the students have from coming to this centr
Good job for high schoolers wanting some pocket change
Working here can be stressful at times. Some shifts I would have it easy; just helping kids and organizing and stocking stuff here there, while other shifts would be completely different depending on the day. Things like how many kids show up, whether a kid did something major to mess something up, whether a coworker or you made a mistake. All of those things change the atmosphere of the place. My boss was extremely strict. There was clear favoritism. One of the girls always brought Starbucks with her. One other day, however, when a friend of mine brought an enclosed cup with juice in it, she got yelled at and told not to do it again. Some coworkers honestly don't want to be there which is a HUGE disadvantage to the people that are trying to do the work. Prepping and planning the folders is a group effort and when certain people lack, everything falls behind. I and a coworker of mine once even brought this up to our boss. We told her that there were certain people that weren't helping. She did nothing about this. Also, depending on the role you get, you might have a more stressful time than the other employees. I was in charge of many things at once, while some of the others had way less tasks than me and had everything easier. When COVID hit, everything went online. This was fine but I was suddenly asked to go to the center multiple times a month to pick work up. I would waste time and gas to go to the center for 10 minutes to pick up homework that parents had dropped off a
ProsExperience working with kids
ConsNo breaks, minimum wage, very stressful environment
Questions and answers about Kumon
How often do you get a raise at Kumon?
Asked Jan 16, 2023
Rarely
Answered Sep 15, 2023
0
Answered Jul 19, 2023
What questions did they ask during your interview at Kumon?
Asked Jun 24, 2017
School and major
availability
how would you handle kids who struggle to focus
questions about my resume
Answered Aug 30, 2023
Availability, how far do u live, are you in school, have u worked with children before.
Answered Mar 15, 2023
How are the working hours at Kumon?
Asked May 30, 2017
Depends on the test center. Mine is open 2 days a week and I work 4 hours each day. So a total of 8 hours a week.
Answered Mar 21, 2019
Very little
Answered Jul 21, 2018
What tips or advice would you give to someone interviewing at Kumon?
Asked Feb 28, 2019
Listen to everything your instructor tells you
Answered Jul 11, 2023
To be honest I didn’t even know I was hired right away, they just told me to come the next day? So. I guess just have a good availability and some work experience.
Answered Mar 15, 2023
Does Kumon require background check?
Asked May 30, 2017
Yes. You need to get Vulnerable Sector Check from police since you will work with children.
Answered Mar 21, 2019
Yes, a police check as they must provide a safe environment for the children.
