A True Story

              Recently, we had our first snow days of the year (surprising, considering we had a 3 foot blizzard last year), only two days, and on the second day, Mr. A invited us over to watch the movie that didn't fit in our schedule at our big meeting a couple weeks earlier. I was slightly frustrated, as I had already made plans for my unexpected day off, but I was also intrigued. Mr. A had told me I would tremendously enjoy this movie since it speaks to my ideals. So I walked to his house in the freezing cold, every body part that was exposed, feeling like it was going to freeze. When I arrived, we immediately started what would come to be my favorite movie, and teach me a number of elements about the classroom that I had never seen before.
              Erin Gruwell was a wide eyed first year teacher who had no idea what she was in for when she decided to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA. She taught at a school which had recently undergone and integration program to make the school more diverse. The teachers in the school had objections to the program, thinking that it was bringing down their school which was recently prestigious. She disagreed with their objections and was scrutinized for it. But her goal was not to impress her colleagues, it was to educate her students and improve their lives. Her entire approach to teaching changed when she discovered a racist drawing of one of her students. She compared the drawing to racist images drawn by the nazis in holocaust times. One student spoke up after her rant about the drawing, and asked what the holocaust was. She was puzzled, and then asked the class how many of them knew what the holocaust was. Only one student raised their hand. She decided to teach her class about these tragic events, to inform them of the importance of tolerance, since it applied to their lives directly, due to all of the racial tension in their environment. She grew closer to her students as the days went on, and she formed a real bond with them. They all became one family, despite any racial differences. Erin Gruwell had a bigger impact on all of their lives than anyone they had ever met. All 150 freedom writers, despite it being said they would drop out before junior year, graduated high school.
                 I was shocked and inspired by this movie to an extent that I didn't know to be possible. So much so, that I decided to do some more extensive research into the movie and its background. After ordering the book, I was too excited about all of it to just sit around and wait for the book to be delivered, so I went and just started trolling the internet for what others had to say about the movie. I went on Rotten Tomatoes, and saw that it had some harsh critic reviews. One review that stuck out in my head, was a critic stating that the movie was too cliché, and "fact-based or not", just seemed too Hollywood to be true. This came as a blow to my confidence about the impact the movie could have. I wondered if I had been unaware of how much the movie had been over-dramatized. A few days later, when I received my copy of the book in the mail, I began to submerge myself into the book to discover how much of the movie was actually truth. To my delight, it was all a true story.
                Freedom Writers is yet another prime example of the impact a teacher can make on a students life. Teachers around the country need to know that they can shape their students path, even if it already seems predetermined. I can't stress the importance of movies like this and what they teach us. Teachers can apply the same skills that Erin Gruwell applied in her classroom. She demonstrates the importance of a relationship with her students, some going as far as calling the classroom a home when they felt like there was no other home. The application of a students real life in the classroom is one of the best ways to teach. The students understand more and feel a connection to the material they learn. Freedom Writers can be inspirational to teachers everywhere. Even if it seems like another cliché movie, it is based on a true story.