About Your Instructor
Rico Au
Jason Au and Rico Au, instructors of Kumon South Centre and Kumon Castleridge, have been involved with Kumon for nearly 25 years—first as students, then as centre assistants, and now as instructors. Despite exploring other careers, the brothers eagerly seized the opportunity to own the Kumon centre they attended as children, eventually purchasing a second centre when their former instructors retired.
Jason, a.k.a. Mr. Jason, previously a communications and marketing professional, and Rico, a.k.a. Mr. Au, a former elementary schoolteacher, both deeply enjoy working with children. Their decades of experience at Kumon have shown them that students don't always arrive enthusiastic to learn. They understand the importance of patience, empathy, and creativity in motivating students. Whether it means providing additional algebra examples or listening to a kindergartner's concerns to develop practical solutions, Mr. Jason and Mr. Au consistently support their students' learning journeys.
In the summer of 2018, their commitment to student motivation led to a unique contest: each student who completed weekly assignments earned votes to choose a hair color for their instructors. The students voted blue hair for Mr. Jason and pink for Mr. Au. Later in early 2020s, the students voted red then later green for Mr. Jason, and blue and purple for Mr. Au! Despite humorous reactions to their vibrant appearances, the brothers found the experience worthwhile, helping to make learning enjoyable.
Mr. Jason believes in keeping an open mind, allowing students to demonstrate their true capabilities. Mr. Au emphasizes never judging a book by its cover, as each student has unique potential. Both take immense pride in fostering strong relationships within their team and with students, creating a positive learning environment.
In their spare time, Mr. Au enjoys traveling and building Legos. He has visited England, Paris, USA, Canada’s east coast, and Japan. Our students love it when Mr. Au shares his collection in our Kumon classroom! Mr. Jason cherishes family time, grateful for a supportive wife and the moments spent with her and their two children.
Click here to check out the above article on the Kumon Canada blog.
Click here to check out Mr. Au (Rico)'s video about what motivates him as a Kumon Instructor!