42:
241:. She was assigned low-performing students in the school. One student, a boy named Sharaud, had recently transferred to Wilson from a rival high school where he had allegedly threatened his teacher with a gun. However, a few months into the school year, one of her other students passed a note depicting Sharaud (an
220:
on news coverage, she decided to change her profession to a teacher because she believed educating students could make more of a difference. She reasoned, "I thought, God, by the time you're defending a kid in the courtroom, the battle's already lost. I think that the real fighting should happen
297:
In the fall of 1995, Gruwell gave each of her students a bag full of new books and had them make a toast for change. After that, she saw a turnaround in them. All 150 Freedom
Writers graduated from high school and many went on to attend college.
249:. When one of her students asked her what the Holocaust was, she was met by uncomprehending looks—none of her students had heard of one of the defining moments of the 20th century. Gruwell took the students to see
294:. Writing journals became a solace for many of the students, and because the journals were shared anonymously, teenagers who once refused to speak to someone of a different race became like a family.
616:
675:
670:
590:
690:
498:"The freedom writers: some considered her class a lost cause, but in her first year of teaching, Erin Gruwell challenged her students to become a community of writers"
562:
695:
705:
700:
266:—but Gruwell persevered and reached her students by asking them to keep journals and make movies of their lives, and by relating the family feud in
685:
328:
210:
88:
497:
399:
645:
594:
478:
209:, where she received the Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award. She earned her master's degree and teaching credentials from
206:
79:
327:
In 1998, after teaching for only four years, Gruwell left Wilson High School and became a
Distinguished Teacher in Residence at
566:
234:
303:
161:(born August 15, 1969) is an American teacher known for her unique teaching method, which led to the publication of
332:
104:
164:
The
Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
680:
339:
309:
278:
162:
442:
343:
is a 1999 book written by the
Freedom Writers with intros by Erin Gruwell. It is the basis of the 2007 movie
301:
Between 1994 and 1998, the
Freedom Writers garnered a great deal of media coverage, including appearances on
216:
Gruwell originally intended to go to law school to become a lawyer rather than a teacher. After watching the
376:
258:
After her year of student teaching, Gruwell returned to Wilson as a full teacher, this time with a class of
665:
368:
238:
217:
41:
380:
276:
war. She also had the students read books written by and about other teenagers in times of war, such as
505:
660:
372:
315:
202:
190:
68:
251:
197:, and Sandra Faye Alley. Her parents divorced when she was still a young girl. She graduated from
198:
194:
474:
470:
528:
245:) with large lips. Gruwell told her students that it was drawings like that which led to the
418:
284:
268:
242:
230:
83:
393:
345:
263:
169:
116:
463:
290:
92:
654:
541:
350:
617:"Erin Gruwell to Speak at Oct. 14 Event of National Council of Jewish Women"
259:
246:
213:, where she was honored as Distinguished Alumna by the School of Education.
120:
640:
360:
She has written an autobiographical account of her experiences, entitled
335:, which aspires to spread the Freedom Writers method across the country.
108:
262:. Her fall semester got off to a rocky start due to student protests of
17:
255:, bought new books out of her own pocket and invited guest speakers.
112:
353:
as
Gruwell, and Gruwell is the subject of the 2019 PBS documentary
400:
Inspirational/motivational instructors/mentors portrayed in films
362:
Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the
Freedom Writers
273:
174:
193:
to
Stephen Douglass Gruwell, a former baseball scout for the
646:
interview with
Gruwell, Maria Reyes, and actor Jason Finn
364:, published around the same time as the movie's release.
529:
Erin
Gruwell - Freedom Writers Movie - The Real Story
126:
99:
75:
51:
32:
462:
676:California State University, Long Beach faculty
671:California State University, Long Beach alumni
585:
583:
8:
593:. Freedom Writers Foundation. Archived from
565:. Freedom Writers Foundation. Archived from
542:"""Freedom Writers" tale inspires students""
492:
490:
524:
522:
443:Freedom Writers Diary Movie Questions Essay
40:
29:
456:
454:
452:
450:
504:. November–December 2004. Archived from
691:University of California, Irvine alumni
410:
367:She has also worked regularly with the
355:Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart
329:California State University, Long Beach
211:California State University, Long Beach
179:Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart
89:California State University, Long Beach
461:Freedom Writers; Erin Gruwell (1999).
696:21st-century American women educators
469:. New York: Broadway Books. pp.
331:. Gruwell later went on to start the
7:
615:Schwarz, Alison (October 7, 2023).
383:, to promote religious tolerance.
25:
706:People from Glendora, California
207:University of California, Irvine
146:
80:University of California, Irvine
701:21st-century American educators
419:"Freedom Writers (2007) Trivia"
142:
686:Schoolteachers from California
1:
27:American teacher (born 1969)
722:
641:Freedom Writers Foundation
540:McGhee, Tom (2008-02-27).
333:Freedom Writers Foundation
235:Woodrow Wilson High School
105:Freedom Writers Foundation
103:Executive Director at the
465:The Freedom Writers Diary
340:The Freedom Writers Diary
279:The Diary of a Young Girl
221:here, in the classroom."
189:Erin Gruwell was born in
39:
181:are based on her story.
377:Simon Wiesenthal Center
369:Anti-Defamation League
239:Long Beach, California
218:1992 Los Angeles riots
167:(1999). The 2007 film
619:. Detroit Jewish News
381:U.S. State Department
591:"About Erin Gruwell"
544:. www.denverpost.com
373:USC Shoah Foundation
316:Good Morning America
203:La Verne, California
191:Glendora, California
145: 1990;
69:Glendora, California
199:Bonita High School
156:
155:
16:(Redirected from
713:
681:Jewish educators
629:
628:
626:
624:
612:
606:
605:
603:
602:
587:
578:
577:
575:
574:
559:
553:
552:
550:
549:
537:
531:
526:
517:
516:
514:
513:
494:
485:
484:
468:
458:
445:
440:
434:
433:
431:
429:
415:
269:Romeo and Juliet
252:Schindler's List
243:African American
231:student teaching
150:
148:
144:
65:
61:
59:
44:
30:
21:
721:
720:
716:
715:
714:
712:
711:
710:
651:
650:
637:
632:
622:
620:
614:
613:
609:
600:
598:
589:
588:
581:
572:
570:
561:
560:
556:
547:
545:
539:
538:
534:
527:
520:
511:
509:
496:
495:
488:
481:
460:
459:
448:
441:
437:
427:
425:
417:
416:
412:
408:
394:Freedom Writers
389:
379:, and even the
346:Freedom Writers
325:
264:Proposition 187
227:
187:
170:Freedom Writers
152:
149: 1994)
140:
136:
133:
117:Social Activist
87:
71:
66:
63:
62:August 15, 1969
57:
55:
47:
46:Gruwell in 2015
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
719:
717:
709:
708:
703:
698:
693:
688:
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
653:
652:
649:
648:
643:
636:
635:External links
633:
631:
630:
607:
579:
554:
532:
518:
486:
479:
446:
435:
409:
407:
404:
403:
402:
397:
388:
385:
324:
323:After teaching
321:
304:Primetime Live
229:Gruwell began
226:
223:
195:Anaheim Angels
186:
183:
154:
153:
138:
134:
131:
130:
128:
124:
123:
101:
97:
96:
77:
73:
72:
67:
53:
49:
48:
45:
37:
36:
33:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
718:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
666:Living people
664:
662:
659:
658:
656:
647:
644:
642:
639:
638:
634:
618:
611:
608:
597:on 2007-01-10
596:
592:
586:
584:
580:
569:on 2007-01-15
568:
564:
558:
555:
543:
536:
533:
530:
525:
523:
519:
508:on 2007-05-23
507:
503:
499:
493:
491:
487:
482:
480:0-385-49422-X
476:
472:
467:
466:
457:
455:
453:
451:
447:
444:
439:
436:
424:
420:
414:
411:
405:
401:
398:
396:
395:
391:
390:
386:
384:
382:
378:
374:
370:
365:
363:
358:
356:
352:
348:
347:
342:
341:
336:
334:
330:
322:
320:
318:
317:
312:
311:
306:
305:
299:
295:
293:
292:
287:
286:
285:Zlata's Diary
281:
280:
275:
271:
270:
265:
261:
256:
254:
253:
248:
244:
240:
236:
232:
224:
222:
219:
214:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
184:
182:
180:
176:
173:and the 2019
172:
171:
166:
165:
160:
129:
125:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
100:Occupation(s)
98:
94:
90:
85:
81:
78:
74:
70:
64:(age 55)
54:
50:
43:
38:
31:
19:
621:. Retrieved
610:
599:. Retrieved
595:the original
571:. Retrieved
567:the original
557:
546:. Retrieved
535:
510:. Retrieved
506:the original
502:Instructorrr
501:
464:
438:
426:. Retrieved
422:
413:
392:
366:
361:
359:
354:
351:Hilary Swank
344:
338:
337:
326:
314:
308:
302:
300:
296:
289:
283:
277:
267:
257:
250:
228:
215:
188:
178:
177:documentary
168:
163:
159:Erin Gruwell
158:
157:
34:Erin Gruwell
661:1969 births
349:, starring
233:in 1994 at
132:Scott Casey
655:Categories
601:2007-01-08
573:2007-01-08
563:"The Book"
548:2008-03-26
512:2007-01-08
406:References
260:sophomores
205:, and the
58:1969-08-15
428:14 August
247:Holocaust
185:Education
121:Podcaster
76:Education
623:June 25,
387:See also
310:The View
109:Educator
151:
139:
135:
18:Gruwell
477:
375:, the
371:, the
225:Career
127:Spouse
113:Author
291:Night
272:to a
141:(
137:
625:2023
475:ISBN
473:–5.
430:2021
423:IMdB
313:and
288:and
274:gang
147:div.
52:Born
237:in
201:in
175:PBS
657::
582:^
521:^
500:.
489:^
449:^
421:.
357:.
319:.
307:,
282:,
143:m.
119:,
115:,
111:,
107:,
93:MA
86:)
84:BA
60:)
627:.
604:.
576:.
551:.
515:.
483:.
471:2
432:.
95:)
91:(
82:(
56:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
