Freedom Writers Essay
Freedom Writers Essay
In the movie, The Freedom Writers Mrs. Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) plays a role of a dedicated teacher who did all she could, to help her students learn to respect themselves and each other. She has little idea of what she's getting into when she volunteers to be an English teacher at a newly integrated high school in Long Beach, California. Her students were divided along racial lines and had few aspirations beyond basic survival. Mrs. Gruwell was faced with a big challenge when a group of freshmen students showed her nothing but disrespect which made it hard for her to communicate, teach and understand them. However, Erin Gruwell was determined that no matter the cost she would teach her students not only the curriculum, but also how to respect themselves and others no matter what the race or ethnicity of each individual.
It became obvious to Mrs. Gruwell that students only talked to students of their same race or ethnicity. The students of each race or ethnic group acted with hatred towards students of other race or ethnic groups. This was because they were all from different gangs that were fighting against each other in the “War of the Streets.” Through all this hate and mistrust of each other, Mrs. Gruwell tries to get the students to think more highly of each other and show them that each one is equal, important and not so different.
As Mrs. “G” taught her integrated street-wise students, she learned different methods to gain their respect. One method she had used to help them express their innermost thoughts was to give them each a journal. In these journals, the students were told to write down anything they wanted, anything on their mind. She told them that she would not read the journals unless they gave her permission. She kept the journals that the students allowed her to read in a locked cabinet. To her surprise, all of the students left their journals in the cabinet for their stories to be heard. As she began
In the movie, The Freedom Writers Mrs. Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) plays a role of a dedicated teacher who did all she could, to help her students learn to respect themselves and each other. She has little idea of what she's getting into when she volunteers to be an English teacher at a newly integrated high school in Long Beach, California. Her students were divided along racial lines and had few aspirations beyond basic survival. Mrs. Gruwell was faced with a big challenge when a group of freshmen students showed her nothing but disrespect which made it hard for her to communicate, teach and understand them. However, Erin Gruwell was determined that no matter the cost she would teach her students not only the curriculum, but also how to respect themselves and others no matter what the race or ethnicity of each individual.
It became obvious to Mrs. Gruwell that students only talked to students of their same race or ethnicity. The students of each race or ethnic group acted with hatred towards students of other race or ethnic groups. This was because they were all from different gangs that were fighting against each other in the “War of the Streets.” Through all this hate and mistrust of each other, Mrs. Gruwell tries to get the students to think more highly of each other and show them that each one is equal, important and not so different.
As Mrs. “G” taught her integrated street-wise students, she learned different methods to gain their respect. One method she had used to help them express their innermost thoughts was to give them each a journal. In these journals, the students were told to write down anything they wanted, anything on their mind. She told them that she would not read the journals unless they gave her permission. She kept the journals that the students allowed her to read in a locked cabinet. To her surprise, all of the students left their journals in the cabinet for their stories to be heard. As she began