Freedom Writers tells the story of a woman named Erin Gruwell who takes on a teaching job at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Wilson High is an inner city school with a student demographic comprised of mostly low income, ethnic minority students. Ms. Gruwell stands out from the students as she is Caucasian and comes from an upper-middle class background. This creates an immediate perceived barrier between her and the students she teaches. Despite their cultural and background differences, however, Ms. Gruwell enters her position with enthusiasm and a positive outlook. She ignores the negative attitude of staff and administrators, choosing instead to offer her students opportunities in the face of defeat.
Much like the setting of Freedom Writers, my CIS campus, Burnet Middle School, is also located in a low-income area; similarly, most of the students are ethnic minority students. Before beginning my position, I was told about Burnet being the most challenging middle school to work in. People told me that Burnet led the district during the previous school year for student suspensions. Despite hearing of my campus being especially challenging, I have entered into the position enthusiastically. I am making an active effort to "meet my students where they are at" by asking them about their own experiences at Burnet and at home rather than drawing conclusions based on rumors. So far my experience has been great students here are a joy to work with every day.
[...] Movie review: Freedom Writers Freedom Writers tells the story of a woman named Erin Gruwell who takes on a teaching job at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Wilson High is an inner city school with a student demographic comprised of mostly low income, ethnic minority students. Ms. Gruwell stands out from the students as she is Caucasian and comes from an upper-middle class background. This creates an immediate perceived barrier between her and the students she teaches. [...]
[...] Similar to Ms. Gruwell, each of the students I have worked with has immense untapped potential. I see in my students the desire to achieve in the face of adversity. Responding to this has been very rewarding. Whereas others may see my students as troublemakers and underachievers, I see them seeking positive acceptance and guidance. For instance, I had one 7th grade student who had decided she could not attend college. When I asked her why, she said that her family was unable to afford college expenses. [...]
[...] In Freedom Writers, Ms. Gruwell makes an active effort to expose her students to new opportunities and ways of life. She teaches them about other individuals who also struggled but were able to succeed. Learning about others in similar circumstances who have overcome barriers inspires the students. By the end of the movie, they begin to take it upon themselves to help others, overcome obstacles, and to make healthy decisions in order to better their own futures. Eventually many of them succeed and attend college. [...]
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