From Kumon student to Instructor, Hennika loves making a difference

Hennika Khatri always knew she wanted to make a difference to the children in her local community and with Kumon, she believed she could achieve that. Having experienced studying Kumon as a student herself, Hennika has now stepped away from her career within Human Resources and circled back to Kumon by training to become a qualified Instructor. She proudly opened the Kumon Osterley Study Centre in west London in Febuary 2021.

As children, Hennika and her brother had both studied Kumon at a local centre. As a teenager she took on a role as a class assistant and enjoyed helping younger students as well as working to support the centre’s adminstration staff. Along with her study skills and academic ability, her experiences of studying and working at the Kumon centre have stayed with her through university and into her career.  

Hennika told us,

“Before I became a Kumon Instructor, I was working within the corporate world of Human Resources. When the global pandemic arrived in 2020, I realised that I was ready for a career change and decided the time was right to pursue a career as a Kumon Instructor.

I think I’d realised that the job satisfaction I was looking for wasn’t something I’d ever be able to experience working in Human Resources. I became an Instructor to make a difference!”

Explaining what she finds most rewarding as a Kumon Instructor, Hennika told us,

“Observing a student develop their ability, whether it is mastering a new topic area or seeing them complete an entire booklet independently within the target time and with 100% accuracy, is when your heart dances and you feel such a sense of achievement.”

She added, “Kumon is different to private tuition because we offer advanced learning; children can complete work that’s above their school year level since there is no limitation when it comes to a child’s ability. As an Instructor, I encourage independent learning and our students complete work daily with a secure study routine that plays a big part in their development.”

In addition to helping students develop into confident learners, Hennika finds the flexibility of her role is a major benefit of running her Kumon centre; “I can plan my day accordingly to my schedule, which gives me time to fulfil personal commitments. No day is the same, but typically I am always thinking of ways to individually develop my students. I look for ways to market my centre locally, to encourage and attract new parents to try Kumon for their children. Other parts of the role include managing parent enquiries, my centre’s social media presence, reporting, setting work and most recently participating in a national project with a number of other Instructors. For this project, I was asked by my Area Manager to participate and felt honoured as only a few were selected. I knew this opportunity would allow me to grow further as an Instructor, strengthen my communication and networking skills, and help me understand the Kumon programmes in further depth.”

Hennika also mentioned the continuous business and instructional support she is provided with as an Instructor; “Before qualifying as an Instructor, I went through vigorous new Instructor training, where I delved into case studies, scenarios, theory, and discussions. This provided the foundations for me to begin instructing. Even now, I’m regularly participating in training sessions, which allows me to deepen my understanding of Kumon, develop myself and refine my instruction to students.”

Hennika’s advice to those looking to become a Kumon Instructor is, “Learn as much as possible about Kumon; this will help you understand the Kumon Method, how students study and how a centre operates. Those who have the passion for developing children would make great Instructors. The empathy you have towards children contributes drastically to understanding the needs of a child and working with their abilities to develop them to their full potential.”

With a strong desire to grow her centre, Hennika aspires to nurture many Kumon maths and English programme completers. She concluded, “I can’t wait to see what my journey ahead as an Instructor brings - I’m very excited to enrol more students at my centre.”