31:
230:. 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
209:
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
286:
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.
238:. 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
283:. 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.
605:
579:
487:"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"
551:
664:
659:
255:—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
679:
684:
486:
634:
694:
583:
198:, where she received the Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award. She earned her master's degree and teaching credentials from
689:
674:
317:
199:
77:
316:
In 1998, after teaching for only four years, Gruwell left Wilson High School and became a
Distinguished Teacher in Residence at
555:
388:
467:
150:(born August 15, 1969) is an American teacher known for her unique teaching method, which led to the publication of
195:
68:
153:
The
Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
431:
332:
is a 1999 book written by the
Freedom Writers with intros by Erin Gruwell. It is the basis of the 2007 movie
290:
Between 1994 and 1998, the
Freedom Writers garnered a great deal of media coverage, including appearances on
205:
Gruwell originally intended to go to law school to become a lawyer rather than a teacher. After watching the
247:
After her year of student teaching, Gruwell returned to Wilson as a full teacher, this time with a class of
223:
292:
265:
war. She also had the students read books written by and about other teenagers in times of war, such as
494:
321:
93:
669:
328:
298:
267:
151:
186:, and Sandra Faye Alley. Her parents divorced when she was still a young girl. She graduated from
365:
654:
357:
227:
206:
459:
517:
369:
234:) with large lips. Gruwell told her students that it was drawings like that which led to the
407:
649:
361:
304:
191:
179:
57:
8:
240:
452:
187:
183:
30:
463:
530:
273:
257:
231:
219:
72:
382:
334:
252:
158:
105:
279:
81:
643:
606:"Erin Gruwell to Speak at Oct. 14 Event of National Council of Jewish Women"
202:, where she was honored as Distinguished Alumna by the School of Education.
339:
629:
349:
She has written an autobiographical account of her experiences, entitled
324:, which aspires to spread the Freedom Writers method across the country.
251:. Her fall semester got off to a rocky start due to student protests of
248:
244:, bought new books out of her own pocket and invited guest speakers.
235:
109:
342:
as
Gruwell, and Gruwell is the subject of the 2019 PBS documentary
97:
389:
Inspirational/motivational instructors/mentors portrayed in films
351:
Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the
Freedom Writers
101:
182:
to
Stephen Douglass Gruwell, a former baseball scout for the
449:
262:
635:
interview with
Gruwell, Maria Reyes, and actor Jason Finn
353:, published around the same time as the movie's release.
163:
518:
Erin
Gruwell - Freedom Writers Movie - The Real Story
451:
641:
665:California State University, Long Beach faculty
660:California State University, Long Beach alumni
574:
572:
582:. Freedom Writers Foundation. Archived from
554:. Freedom Writers Foundation. Archived from
531:"""Freedom Writers" tale inspires students""
481:
479:
513:
511:
432:Freedom Writers Diary Movie Questions Essay
569:
544:
29:
476:
445:
443:
441:
439:
508:
493:. November–December 2004. Archived from
680:University of California, Irvine alumni
603:
356:She has also worked regularly with the
344:Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart
318:California State University, Long Beach
200:California State University, Long Beach
168:Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart
78:California State University, Long Beach
642:
528:
522:
450:Freedom Writers; Erin Gruwell (1999).
436:
685:21st-century American women educators
458:. New York: Broadway Books. pp.
320:. Gruwell later went on to start the
604:Schwarz, Alison (October 7, 2023).
13:
372:, to promote religious tolerance.
14:
706:
623:
311:
695:People from Glendora, California
196:University of California, Irvine
135:
69:University of California, Irvine
690:21st-century American educators
408:"Freedom Writers (2007) Trivia"
131:
675:Schoolteachers from California
597:
425:
400:
1:
394:
173:
16:American teacher (born 1969)
7:
375:
10:
711:
630:Freedom Writers Foundation
529:McGhee, Tom (2008-02-27).
322:Freedom Writers Foundation
224:Woodrow Wilson High School
94:Freedom Writers Foundation
92:Executive Director at the
454:The Freedom Writers Diary
329:The Freedom Writers Diary
268:The Diary of a Young Girl
213:
210:here, in the classroom."
178:Erin Gruwell was born in
115:
88:
64:
40:
28:
21:
170:are based on her story.
366:Simon Wiesenthal Center
358:Anti-Defamation League
228:Long Beach, California
207:1992 Los Angeles riots
156:(1999). The 2007 film
608:. Detroit Jewish News
370:U.S. State Department
580:"About Erin Gruwell"
533:. www.denverpost.com
362:USC Shoah Foundation
305:Good Morning America
192:La Verne, California
180:Glendora, California
134: 1990;
58:Glendora, California
188:Bonita High School
145:
144:
702:
670:Jewish educators
618:
617:
615:
613:
601:
595:
594:
592:
591:
576:
567:
566:
564:
563:
548:
542:
541:
539:
538:
526:
520:
515:
506:
505:
503:
502:
483:
474:
473:
457:
447:
434:
429:
423:
422:
420:
418:
404:
258:Romeo and Juliet
241:Schindler's List
232:African American
220:student teaching
139:
137:
133:
54:
50:
48:
33:
19:
18:
710:
709:
705:
704:
703:
701:
700:
699:
640:
639:
626:
621:
611:
609:
602:
598:
589:
587:
578:
577:
570:
561:
559:
550:
549:
545:
536:
534:
527:
523:
516:
509:
500:
498:
485:
484:
477:
470:
448:
437:
430:
426:
416:
414:
406:
405:
401:
397:
383:Freedom Writers
378:
368:, and even the
335:Freedom Writers
314:
253:Proposition 187
216:
176:
159:Freedom Writers
141:
138: 1994)
129:
125:
122:
106:Social Activist
76:
60:
55:
52:
51:August 15, 1969
46:
44:
36:
35:Gruwell in 2015
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
708:
698:
697:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
638:
637:
632:
625:
624:External links
622:
620:
619:
596:
568:
543:
521:
507:
475:
468:
435:
424:
398:
396:
393:
392:
391:
386:
377:
374:
313:
312:After teaching
310:
293:Primetime Live
218:Gruwell began
215:
212:
184:Anaheim Angels
175:
172:
143:
142:
127:
123:
120:
119:
117:
113:
112:
90:
86:
85:
66:
62:
61:
56:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
707:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
655:Living people
653:
651:
648:
647:
645:
636:
633:
631:
628:
627:
607:
600:
586:on 2007-01-10
585:
581:
575:
573:
558:on 2007-01-15
557:
553:
547:
532:
525:
519:
514:
512:
497:on 2007-05-23
496:
492:
488:
482:
480:
471:
469:0-385-49422-X
465:
461:
456:
455:
446:
444:
442:
440:
433:
428:
413:
409:
403:
399:
390:
387:
385:
384:
380:
379:
373:
371:
367:
363:
359:
354:
352:
347:
345:
341:
337:
336:
331:
330:
325:
323:
319:
309:
307:
306:
301:
300:
295:
294:
288:
284:
282:
281:
276:
275:
274:Zlata's Diary
270:
269:
264:
260:
259:
254:
250:
245:
243:
242:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
211:
208:
203:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
171:
169:
165:
162:and the 2019
161:
160:
155:
154:
149:
118:
114:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
89:Occupation(s)
87:
83:
79:
74:
70:
67:
63:
59:
53:(age 55)
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
610:. Retrieved
599:
588:. Retrieved
584:the original
560:. Retrieved
556:the original
546:
535:. Retrieved
524:
499:. Retrieved
495:the original
491:Instructorrr
490:
453:
427:
415:. Retrieved
411:
402:
381:
355:
350:
348:
343:
340:Hilary Swank
333:
327:
326:
315:
303:
297:
291:
289:
285:
278:
272:
266:
256:
246:
239:
217:
204:
177:
167:
166:documentary
157:
152:
148:Erin Gruwell
147:
146:
23:Erin Gruwell
650:1969 births
338:, starring
222:in 1994 at
121:Scott Casey
644:Categories
590:2007-01-08
562:2007-01-08
552:"The Book"
537:2008-03-26
501:2007-01-08
395:References
249:sophomores
194:, and the
47:1969-08-15
417:14 August
236:Holocaust
174:Education
110:Podcaster
65:Education
612:June 25,
376:See also
299:The View
98:Educator
140:
128:
124:
466:
364:, the
360:, the
214:Career
116:Spouse
102:Author
280:Night
261:to a
130:(
126:
614:2023
464:ISBN
462:–5.
419:2021
412:IMdB
302:and
277:and
263:gang
136:div.
41:Born
226:in
190:in
164:PBS
646::
571:^
510:^
489:.
478:^
438:^
410:.
346:.
308:.
296:,
271:,
132:m.
108:,
104:,
100:,
96:,
82:MA
75:)
73:BA
49:)
616:.
593:.
565:.
540:.
504:.
472:.
460:2
421:.
84:)
80:(
71:(
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
_(cropped).jpg)