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About the Instructor

Introduction

As an extensively trained and certified professional instructor, I serve as a mentor who guides your children through their work while also providing direction, support and encouragement. I create an at-home study plan in addition to monitoring classroom assignments, and I emphasize the importance of accurately completing each assignment within a designated time frame. This has helped many of my students increase self-confidence, thus becoming more self-reliant. Like all Kumon Instructors, I have a true passion for education and an earnest desire to help children succeed.

Biography and Background

Instructor Headshot

Originally from Singapore, Lydia Chan is no stranger to the education sector. After receiving a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, Lydia served as an employee at the NYC Department of Education. During her time there, she worked on various policy initiatives, including the Special Education Reform, which aimed to integrate students with disabilities into the general education classroom. Her expertise and eagerness to learn propelled her to other roles, first as a Project Manager for the STEM NYC team and later, overseeing compliance in schools under the Legal Implementation Unit. 

Most recently, Lydia spearheaded the Early College & Postgraduate Programs at the New York Military Academy. In partnership with SUNY Orange and as part of the Community College in High School Program, Lydia helped enroll rising juniors and seniors in college classes and provided mentorship to set them up for success upon graduation. 

Training and Certification

In addition to being a Certified Kumon Instructor, Lydia Chan also holds an MA (Education Policy & Law) and BA (Psychology) from Columbia University.

Fun Fact:
Not many people know this but Lydia holds certification in Piano Pedagogy from the UK. Her first job at 18 was as a piano teacher, a profession she stayed in on-and-off for the past twenty years. Lydia is also a Certified Scrum Master, honing her craft as a Project / Product Manager in the tech space. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke scholarship which fully funded her studies at Columbia University.