Patriotism has driven Gatsinzi to the top

Great teachers are those that love their job, those that know that their role is not only to give basic knowledge but to also help students to grow up to become responsible adults who understand and practice social virtues. Great teachers like Jean Baptiste Gatsinzi do their job effortlessly and excellently because their passion is drawn from the spirit of patriotism and unprejudiced love for all their students. Gatsinzi teaches French and Kiswahili to lower secondary school students at Groupe Scolaire Mburabuturo. Everyone that speaks of Gatsinzi says that he is a good teacher, the kind that is cooperative, welcoming and always ready to provide solutions to problems that are faced by both students and teachers. This is how his fellow teachers Yvonne Niyitanga and Jane Ntaruhanga see him. And in the eyes of Yves Mulihira, the headteacher, Gatsinzi is a teacher who is always armed with brilliant ideas. “He tells us to study hard and to respect our elders,” Ally Niyonkuru, a senior two student says. This enthusiastic teacher received an award for being the best teacher in Kicuciro district for the year 2014. After thirty years of educating students, this award was long-overdue. Being a teacher of languages As a teacher of French and Kiswahili, he has mustered the subjects. Gatsinzi vividly remembers how it felt to become a laughing stock to his classmates whenever he gave a wrong answer in class. He always felt very embarrassed and belittled whenever it happened. It is for this reason that he explains every concept until all the students understand. “He explains very well,”says Brenda Mugisha, a senior two student. Being a teacher of languages comes with quite a number of setbacks for him. For instance, he says that there aren’t enough teaching materials for the Kiswahili language. “I often have to improvise and try to recall everything I know in order to pass it on to the students,” he says. But for the French language, he says, the text books are in plenty. He also cites receiving a meager salary as another challenge but that this does not in any way deter his efforts. He believes that teaching is the job that God gave him to do and thus, he must and always does it to the best of his ability. His philosophy “Hard work pays,” Gatsinzi articulates before adding, “It feels good to enjoy what you have sweated for.” He looks up to Nelson Mandela because he was a hardworking leader and that he did his best without expecting to be rewarded by anyone. Gatsinzi also admires Paul Kagame because he shares his love for Rwanda as a country and does everything for the good of Rwandan people. In Gatsinzi’s view, there is no use in being a teacher if you’re not passionate about your job and do not love your students. While doing this, you must also love your country and all Rwandans equally. Personal information Gatsinzi was born to two farmers living in Kamonyi district in 1963. His parents disciplined him almost too often because he was always getting in trouble. “I used to break household items and I would get caned for it,” he recalls. Sometimes, he would even get sent to work in his father’s coffee plantation for long hours. He completed his primary level at Remera Primary School in Kamonyi district and then his lower secondary level at Groupe Scolaire Shyongwe in Muhanga district. In the 80’s, he says, the upper secondary level was from senior four to senior seven and this level was the equivalent of a college diploma. It is during the upper secondary level at Groupe Scolaire Zaza in Ngoma district that he chose to study to become a teacher. “We were taught a variety of subjects.” In 2001, twenty-one years after finishing his diploma, he enrolled for an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences at Kigali Independent University and completed it in 2005. And in 2012, he began his post-graduate studies in education at the Kigali Institute of Education. “I always loved studying, even when I was still a child,” he says. Gatsinzi also loves his family immeasurably and says that having a family is the best thing that has ever happened to him. He met his wife in 1986. She was part of a family that he had close ties with. “It took me six years to convince her to marry me. I became her friend and slowly by slowly, earned her love and trust,” he recalls. They got married on 19th July, 1992 and together have two boys and a girl. Future plans After retiring from teaching, Gatsinzi intends to follow in his parents’ footsteps by becoming a farmer. He wants to earn a living from planting crops and cattle-keeping. “I love the idea of looking after cows,” he says with a smile. Gatsinzi is admirable as a person and as a teacher. His fellow teachers and fellow citizens could borrow a leaf from him.