Erin Gruwell

Walking down the street, they wonder of the moment when someone might shoot them. They constantly live in fear of other gangs. These gangs are separated by their race. They don't believe in school, only about staying alive. These people were the students that had their lives changed forever when they walked in room 203, Erin Gruwell's room. Gruwell started teaching at Woodrow Wilson High School during the fall of 1994. Just finished being a student teacher, she was scared and didn't know what to expect. She didn't know she would help change the lives of 150 teens and teach them tolerance. Years later, after her extraordinary success with her students, she founded the Freedom Writers Foundation, where she helps other teachers design their lesson plan directly for their students. Erin Gruwell could have never got to this stage if not for her qualities of determination, attributes, and selflessness. These attributes have not only guided her to success but have helped her change the lives of these students. A deserving hero, Erin Gruwell supported teens, considered low-performing academically and from "ghetto" neighborhoods, turn their lives around and inspired them to make a better change in the world. 

Erin Gruwell stopped at nothing to show these kids the meaning of tolerance.  Her determination assisted her in transforming these kids and showing them a brighter future. For example, Gruwell used her own money to help teach these kids tolerance. She knew it costed her greatly but wanted tremendously to help her students: "...a few months into the school year one of her other students passed a note depicting Sharaud (an African American) with extremely large lips. Gruwell told the class that that was the type of caricature that the Nazis had used during the Holocaust. When only one of the students knew what the Holocaust was, Gruwell changed the theme of her curriculum to tolerance. Gruwell took the students to see Schindler's List bought new books out of her own pocket and invited guest speakers." (Wikipedia) She knew it took much to produce much, and wanted to show the kids that she would take immense measures to help them change their views on one other. A movie and guest speakers were one of the few obligations that she felt the students must be exposed to. She understood that spending money out of her own pocket would cost her greatly. This act required a colossal deal of determination from her. She knew it took away from her lifestyle, but she also knew she was helping the kids. She understood and knew the complications she was undertaking and worked through them: "It was no easy task to transform the lives of these students, and in the times of hardship it would have been easy for Erin to give up, to quit and find an easier school, an easier job" (Gray, Canadian Center of Bio-Ethical Reform) Quitting was always an easier option when she came face-to-face with this burdensome situation. Gruwell knew quitting would easily solve her problems. But she didn't give up. Her strong determination took over her feelings of helplessness. She knew she had to help these kids and knew that she had to stay true to these kids. She believed she had to struggle with them in order to achieve change with them. Erin Gruwell's determination highly assisted her in helping communicate to these kids the meaning of change. She had to sacrifice a lot and put in everything she had in helping these kids. 

Erin Gruwell became an inspiration to her students. They never knew what hope meant until they met their new English teacher, Mrs. Gruwell. An influential person, she helped inspire them in various ways. Knowing that most of her students were involved in gang violence almost every day, she wanted them to know that she was there to help them get through it: "She showed them that no matter how troubling one's situation, it is possible to rise above the ashes--if we choose. Erin Gruwell inspired her students to choose a different way from gang violence and mediocrity--she inspired them to choose to aspire to greatness."(Gray, Canadian Center of Bio-Ethical Reform) Erin Gruwell wanted more out of her students. She knew that deep down inside of them they were regular people just like anyone else. She helped her students "turn away from violence and choose greatness." They managed to learn and do well in school despite everything they have gone through in their life because of Mrs. Gruwell. These students were greatly inspired by her. She revealed her true influential power, when these once-scared kids, learned to bond together as a family. They were split apart because their own race was considered their gang and the other race, the enemy gang: "My students entered my classroom afraid to sit next to one another or even talk to a person of a different race. They left my classroom as a family. We worked hard on breaking down stereotypes and dismantling comfort zones to see past color and creed."(Biography Reference Center) They were "afraid to sit next to one another or even talk to a person of a different race." Yet Erin Gruwell made these teens overlook this petty matter. She helped them to see a bigger picture. She inspired them to see that tolerance was needed, or else everything would end up like the Holocaust. She showed them the dangers of entering another time of discrimination and racism. Gruwell inspired them to "see past color and creed" and learn to cherish the differences between them and people of different skin color. Her influential abilities helped to inspire these kids greatly and helped them to "aspire to greatness" and look toward tolerance as a wonderful concept, despite their past experiences.

Erin Gruwell showed extreme selflessness in helping these kids. She always thought about what she could do to help them get better and get the most out of themselves. Her selflessness made her much similar to a mom: ""She's like our mom, and our room is like a safe home to us--even late at night and on the weekends." Another student who credits Miss G with having given him his second chance in life commented, "She doesn't give us any fake kind of stuff; she DOES things." Another young man added that Miss G WILL NOT accept failure because, she says, that means that she has failed. "She just doesn't take excuses from us."" (Haglund, Elaine, Biography in Context) Gruwell knew that if she took excuses from them, they would always fail and never succeed. She desperately wanted to change this and show that she will do all she can to help them, even if they don't like it. This shows her extreme selflessness. She cares about them so much that she "WILL NOT accept failure" from them. She wants them to succeed. Another way she demonstrated her selflessness was when she knew the students did bad things but still wanted them: "Erin completely disregarded the fact that her students, before entering the school, had been tracked and labeled the Bad-News `Bears' [as derived from the school's mascot]. To quote her, "Learners arrive in my classroom with a clean slate top students; it's up to them to bring down their grade."(Haglund, Elaine, Biography in Context). She heard of all the atrocious things her students had done. She knew they were troublemakers. They were "the Bad-News Bears". But for all she cared, they were just regular students. She decides to give them a new chance because she cared about her students and desperately wanted them to get better. Gruwell gave them "a clean slate top" and a chance to rebuild themselves in her classroom, whereas other teachers wouldn't. Gruwell was selfless in her approach to make these students better. She didn't care of what their background was, if they didn't care to learn, or if they hated her. She cared about them and helped them to get better because she knew it would benefit them in the long run.

Erin Gruwell certainly changed the lives of these teens. Once unaware of respecting other people's differences, they changed to become tolerant of other's people races and understand how powerful tolerance can be. A selfless, influential, and determined person, she helped her students turn their lives around. She influenced them incredibly and showed the benefit connecting with other people. She didn't stop at anything. She always put herself before her students. Erin Gruwell has also changed my life. I have learned to be more tolerant of other cultures, despite their differences. Her determination has also inspired me to work hard at anything I do. Still inspiring others today, Erin Gruwell has created the Freedom Writers Foundation, where she indirectly helps other kids, by helping teachers improve their lesson plans better. They have managed to reach more kids than they could have ever imagined. Once "low-performing" kids from the projects in Long Beach, now high-performing activists wanting to change the world.

Works Cited

"Erin Gruwell." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Gruwell>.

Gray, Stephanie. "Erin Gruwell: The Teacher Who Inspired Change." Unmaskingchoice.ca. Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. <http://www.unmaskingchoice.ca/blog/2012/02/10/erin-gruell-teacher-who-inspired-change>.

"The Freedom Writers." Instructor 114.4 (2004): 27. Biography Reference Center. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

HAGLUND, ELAINE. "WHAT'S RIGHT WITH EDUCATION? ERIN GRUWELL'S RECONNECTING THE DISCONNECTED." Education 119.2 (1998): 300. Biography In Context. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.