why did erin gruwell become a teacher instead of lawyer

by Dante Sporer Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 6 min read

What is the reason Erin Gruwell (Ms. G.) decides to teach instead of becoming a lawyer is? Fighting in court may be too late; According to her the real fighting starts and occurs in the classroom.

Why did Gruwell become a teacher?

Erin was motivated to become a teacher after seeing the social unrest of the Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles. She realised that such things could be prevented if the economic playing field was made more equal by giving children educational opportunities.

How did Erin start out as a teacher in Freedom Writers?

Idealistic Erin Gruwell is just starting her first teaching job, that as freshman and sophomore English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School, which, two years earlier, implemented a voluntary integration program.

Why does Erin's father have a problem with her career choice?

In the beginning Erin's father didn't really supported her in her choice to be a teacher. Especially not in this area because the kids here are known for being troublemakers and not really care for their education. He wanted her to be a loyer.

How does Mrs Gruwell try to engage interest her students?

To reach them, she uses books that the kids can relate to. She reacts badly because it was a racist thing to do and she points it out to everyone, bringing up the Holocaust.

Who gave Gruwell the pearl necklace?

She still wears the necklace of pearls her father, Stephen Douglas Gruwell, gave her. She wore them for the first time when she was a 24-year-old teacher facing her first “at risk” students, including gang members, victims of domestic violence, homeless and even some honor students.Oct 30, 2017

Was the real Miep Gies in Freedom Writers?

Did the woman who hid Anne Frank play herself in the movie? No. The woman who hid Anne Frank, Miep Gies, was played by veteran stage and screen actress Pat Carroll. However, the real Miep Gies is remarkably still alive today.

What was Erin's reason for meeting with Cohn?

(53:36-59:26) Erin goes over her department chair's head and meets with Dr. Cohn on the school board to get approval for class trips.

Why do MS Gruwell's students hate and resent her at first?

Gruwell's students resent her because she expects them to learn, to participate, and to pay attention. As a first year teacher, she's been given the most difficult students.... but she's not going to give up on them.Jul 19, 2020

Who was Grant Rice in Freedom Writers?

Armand Jones

Armand Jones, who plays Grant Rice, died in the lobby of a Denny's restaurant early on the morning of March 17. Mr. Jones was an ambitious, bright-eyed 18-year-old whose dreams of a career in entertainment were starting to come true with his role in the movie.Jan 6, 2007

Who are the teachers in Freedom Writers?

Erin Gruwell (born August 15, 1969) is an American teacher known for her unique teaching method, which led to the publication of The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them (1999).

What teaching strategies were used in Freedom Writers?

Main principles of Freedom Writing

Engage – approach students with materials that speak to them, adapted to their interests, regardless of their situation.
Enlighten – provide a diverse set of tools that convey the information effectively, stimulating curiosity and social interaction while acquiring new knowledge.

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Oct 12, 2021

What is the main lesson of Freedom Writers?

The most significant theme in The Freedom Writers Diary is tolerance and understanding. Gruwell's students hated one another for no reason other than that they thought they were supposed to because of gang histories and stereotypes. Gruwell taught them that they actually had more in common than they wanted to believe.May 8, 2020

What did Erin Gruwell do to help pay for college?

These kids, once written off as dropouts, graduated high school and went to college thanks to The Tolerance Education Foundation, an organization Erin Gruwell helped set up to help pay their tuition. Their successes continued to grow, and as they traveled the country, visiting prisons and reform schools, they became ambassadors for tolerance and peace.

What was Erin Gruwell's first job?

For Erin Gruwell, walking into her first teaching job was like entering a war zone. Gruwell was given a class of "sure-to-drop-outs," students no other teacher wanted, students who weren't expected to succeed. The school was tough, racially divided, and gang-infested. Fights and even murders were part of the students' experience. Some of the kids were homeless. Others came from broken or abusive homes. They saw people they knew using drugs every day. There were few places to go to be safe and few people they could count on.

Why did Zlata Filipovic come to Gruwell?

Gruwell wanted her students to know that if they worked together they could accomplish important things. They raised money to bring Zlata Filipovic from Ireland (where she has been living) to visit their school and share what she had learned from living through a war. Zlata encouraged the students in their efforts to fight stereotypes and racial prejudices in their own lives. She became their friend and role model.

What did the kids in the Gruwell story look like?

Some of the kids were homeless. Others came from broken or abusive homes. They saw people they knew using drugs every day. There were few places to go to be safe and few people they could count on. Gruwell was white, wore suits to class and looked like the well-educated product of a safe suburban life.

What did Gruwell's students write in their diaries?

Inspired by their readings and field trips, Gruwell's students started keeping diaries in which they wrote about their daily battles and experiences. For some of them, Gruwell's class was the only place where anyone wanted to hear their stories. For others, it was the first safe place to share them.

Who brought Miep Gies to the Freedom Writers?

Gruwell also brought Miep Gies to visit the students and share her experiences. Miep Gies was deeply moved by the students' concern and commitment to change, calling them "the real heroes.". Eventually The Freedom Writers' stories gained media attention.

Is Erin and the Freedom Writers a book?

Many of her freedom writer students from the early years of teaching at Long Beach High School have gone on to college and are now teachers themselves. Erin and the Freedom Writers have just published a new book: TEACHING HOPE. In 2009, the original Freedom Writers project celebrates its 10th anniversary.

What does Erin Gruwell recall in the epilogue?

Epilogue. Erin Gruwell recalls that, during the Freedom Writers’ trip to Washington, someone suggested that their next... (full context) Erin also takes part in a transition of her own, as she leaves high school and... (full context) ...of them have known what it feels like to believe in violence as a solution.

What is Erin's plan for Wilson?

(full context) Adapting herself to her students’ life stories and interests, Erin plans a curriculum that will keep them engaged. She chooses the diaries of two adolescent... (full context) Part III: Diary 25.

What motivation does the student find in his teacher's speech?

The student, shocked and on the verge of tears after Ms. Gruwell ’s reaction, finds motivation in his teacher’s speech. He realizes that, to be truly self-reliant,... (full context)

Where does Erin meet Miep?

In the Netherlands , Erin meets up with Miep and gives her a care package from her students. Miep tells... (full context)

What is the epilogue to Room 203?

Epilogue Quotes. Without the comfort of Room 203, they had to adjust to new environments and their newfound freedom. Initially the transition was difficult. Room 203 wasn't just a classroom, it was home, a safe haven. I realized that in order for them to grow, they had to branch out and explore new ground.

Who was Anne Frank's father?

In the meantime, taking advantage of Holocaust survivor Miep Gies’s upcoming trip to California, Ms. Gruwell plans for the historical figure to come meet her students. Gies was Anne Frank’s father’s... (full context)

Did the young men in Columbine share a community like the Freedom Writers?

Unfortunately, the young men in Columbine didn’t share a community like the Freedom Writers. Instead, they were alone and on the fringe. Their cries for help fell on deaf ears. And rather than picking up a pen and finding a solution, they turned to guns and bombs instead.

Why did Erin Gruwell's father think she was making a mistake teaching there?

Erin Gruwell’s father thought that she was making a mistake teaching there because it was dangerous, and even her husband thought she was wasting too much time with kids who would never learn or respect her. On Parents’ Night, no one showed up to visit her classroom. This showed Erin that her students were right.

Who is Erin Gruwell?

Erin Gruwell. Erin Gruwell is a person who wanted to prove the impossible. She proved that she could teach kids who are “unteachable”. She was able to inspire kids who wanted to be in gangs, and kids from bad homes to want to learn and read.

Where did Erin Gruwell go to high school?

Erin Gruwell was born on August 15, 1969 in California. She graduated from Bonita High School, in La Verne, California, and the University of California, Irvine. She went on to California State University, Long Beach to earn her Master’s Degree and teaching credentials. From there, she went on to her first teaching job at Woodrow Wilson High School ...

What is Erin's advice to educators?

“As she told story after story,” said senior, Tala Khalaf (Business Administration major & Leadership Studies minor), “I came to realize how essential stories are to identity and leadership.” Erin’s advice to aspiring educators is to “teach to the person, not to the test,” and “always be you – be yourself, and start now to make a difference. There is no need to wait.”

Who is the educator who wrote the Freedom Writers?

Gruwell, the educator whose story was the basis for The Freedom Writers feature film in 2007, met with 40 students from a leadership course in a round of question-and-answer which probed the fears, strategies and successes of transformational leadership as it has been practiced by Gruwell. The discussion ranged from Gruwell ’s fears and how she overcame them