For the last two years, Michael Morsches, dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness at Moraine Valley Community College, has been working with three reading coaches in urban Pretoria, South Africa, who teach fourth grade English.
Morsches, who has volunteered with the Peace Corps for 40 years and served in countries including Jamaica, Yemen, Tanzania and virtually in Morocco, now works alongside reading coaches Lesego Mofomme, Sibusiso Luther and Nelly Kuyana in Pretoria who help learners read and write in English. Each week, he meets with the team virtually to share ideas, discuss challenges, talk about learner profiles and gain insights to support their efforts.
Morsches shared on the Peace Corps website, “We also explore educational theory in regard to the reading coaches’ interests and concerns. Our conversations are fun, open and honest. Nelly, Lesego, and Sibusiso are very bright coaches who will make excellent classroom teachers one day, and it is a privilege to engage online with them.”
Each reading coach explained they are passionate about the power of education to open doors for their learners. “Education changes everything,” Kuyana explained. “It has the ability to shape their lives, and they can overcome everything they come across.” South Africa has an official unemployment rate of 32.9%, and encouraging students to learn English has a long term, positive impact on learners.
Not unlike challenges educators face in classrooms across the United States, one of the greatest barriers to education in South Africa is learners who are reluctant. Luther said he finds it fulfilling to see his learners improve and the impact he has on those who begin to participate in class, “It’s hard to try to teach a child to read. Before you write it, you must think it. We must start from scratch.”
To boost engagement, reading coaches introduced journaling to the learners. “Journaling can be time-consuming, but it is also very revealing. The journals have shed light on their lives outside of school, allowing the reading coaches to make authentic connections and identify areas of motivation,” Morsches explained.
Mofomme shared, “I think one of the biggest things is that learning is universal. Kids everywhere want to learn. But not every community has the same access to resources or support. What we might take for granted – books, technology, structured classrooms – are luxuries in many places. My role isn’t about ‘helping’ from a place of superiority; it’s about standing beside passionate local educators and supporting their goals. We learn just as much from them as they might learn from us.”
Serving with the Peace Corps’ Virtual Service Pilot requires between five and 15 volunteer hours per week for three to six months. Learn more at peacecorps.gov.
