In the beginning of the film you saw Ms. Gruwell's department head suggest that she not to wear her pearls to class. The English teacher commented on them as well. Later we notice that she wore them to class on the first day of school. Why do you think she was given the advice and why do you think she ignored it? Also, you heard Ms. Gruwell ask her students if they were aware of the Holocaust after she saw an ugly picture being passed around the class. Why do you think almost none of the students had ever heard of the Holocaust? At one point she is having a conversation with her department chair about giving her students new books. What was the importance of that discussion? Finally, what do you think is the most important message of the film?
50 comments:
I think Ms. Gruwell was given advice not to wear her pearls to class because of the conditions of the school, and how the students were percieved: as gang members,
thieves, and kids who just didn't care about anything. I think she decided to ignore the advice because she wanted to show her students that she had faith in them, unlike teachers in the past. She didn't want to judge the students before she even got to meet them because she knew they deserved a chance.
I think that most of the students had never heard about the Holocaust because they had never been interested enough to attend or learn in school. They also weren't
provided with the right tools to learn because most teachers ended up giving up on them and didn't think they were worth being taught because of their lack of motivation, which made them feel like no one believed in them.
The importance of Ms. Gruwell having the discussion with her department chair about getting new books is that it shows how the school only wanted to fulfill an
obligation to teaching/providing students who they thought were worth teaching. They also didn't put any effort into trying to reform the school. The department head didn't want the students to have new books because she assumed that they would ruin and steal them, just because they came from poor neighborhoods.
I think that the most important message of this film is to not discriminate and underestimate people, even yourself, and to believe that you can to anything, no matter where you come from.
The reason for the comments on Ms.Gruwell's pearls was due to the reputation of the school and the suspicions of the students trying to take them. I believe she ignored the advice because she at first wasn't aware of the situation at the school, but later because she didn't feel as if she had to hide them from the students, making them feel untrusted.
next, i believe the students had never heard of ther holacust before because they were never motivated to learn and teachers didn't try to interest them either. for example, when the department head refused to let ms.gruwell use the books and says the students wouldn't understand and only would harm the books. this situation shows that the department head only sees the .
students as "gang members"and degrades them by not allowing them to use any of the class materials. the most i,portant message from Freedom Wtiters is to not judge a book by its cover because you don't know what they have going on in their life or what they are capeable of.
I think the reason they didn't want her to wear her pearls is because they didn't want her to be jumped for pearls first of all, and it might also suggest she comes from a rich background which wouldn't help her gain the trust of her kids. She ignored it because she honestly wasn't stereotyping the kids and where they came from, so she wasn't worried about anything happening to them. I think the kids weren't aware of the holocaust because no one had ever really had a reason to educate them on world topics, all they knew was long beach, California. I think the importance of giving the kids new books was to show them that they aren't just ripped up, torn, cheap knock-offs. When your giving something new, it gives you a feeling of responsibility that you want to uphold too. So I think the greatest message of this movie was that with authenticity and belief you can do anything. Ms. G came into the school as a newbie with the roughest students you could think off, yet she made something out was she was told was nothing. That's perseverance.
I agree with Connie that the message is also not to discriminate and underestimate people. These kids were left with nothing but hate and anger, and went against odds to graduate from high school and even go to college.
The reason Mrs. Gruwell still wore the pearls to school even though she was given advice to not wear the necklace was because she believed that the teenagers would be able to be control and she did not what to change any of her routines. The reason the students in her class did not know about the holocaust was because none of them had really had an advance education as they were treated differently by others. The importance of the talk with the department head about the books was important because it showed that the school treated these kids like dirt because they would not give them books that were not ripped and destroyed. Lastly, the most important message of the film was that you should never give up on anyone because if people did then this country would be in chaos as kids might not have respect because they were not shown respect by others. Also, persistence is important because that is what made these kids get interested into this class, and later on helped them to be able to graduate high school.
I agree with Kate's point about how the department head was degrading the students because she only saw them as gang members and judged them based on what she saw, instead of trying to take the time like Ms. Gruwell to understand them.
I agree with what David said because you should believe that you can do anything and that you need perseverance to be able to do anything you want and to be able to teach kids that had a background of the "rough life." She also had to be able to believe in gthe kids to be able to make them successful and to make her teaching successful.
Ms. Gruwell was wearing a pearl necklace in the beginning of the movie and was told not to wear them because they might get stolen since she was working with a lot of poor and rough kids. I think she ignored it to show them that she trusted them and didn’t share the same stereotype that everyone else had about them. I think almost none of the students had heard of the Holocaust because either teachers didn’t take the time to teach them anything because they didn’t think it would be worth it or the kids skipped class so often that they didn’t learn anything. The importance of the discussion of whether or not to give the kids new books has to do with trusting them and thinking that they’re worth resources. By giving the kids new books Ms. Gruwell is showing that she believes and trusts that the books will make it back in the same condition that she lent them out in. Also it shows that she believes the kids are worth spending money on and giving nice things too. I think the most important message of this film is that if people believe in themselves, they can do whatever they put their mind towards. Also, you shouldn’t judge a type of person before you get to know who they really are because by the end of the movie all of the different racial groups were all friends with each other and Ms. Gruwell knew the kids had potential, even though all of the other teachers thought differently.
I like what Robert said about how you have to show respect to kids in order to get respected by them. I think many teachers just assume that they should be respected meanwhile there is no respect coming from them towards the students.
I think Ms. Gruwell ignored the advice about not wearing her pearls to class because she wanted to show that she wasn’t afraid of the students. She would wear what she wanted and not hide who she is from them either. The pearls to her were a sign of safety and strength from her well-sheltered life, and they made her feel comfortable and safe in a new environment.
I think that the kids never heard about the holocaust because the teachers weren’t willing to teach them what they deserved to know. It seemed as though none of the teachers cared about the students that were not in the honors classes, so they would slide them along until they dropped out, teaching them as little as possible. The teachers didn’t try because they believed that the students didn’t want to learn, they just were getting by until they were old enough to drop out.
I think that the book discussion really showed the other teachers view of the students. They didn’t give them a chance and believed that they deserved the bear minimum because if they gave them the opportunity they would just find a way to ruin it. This reminded me of the movie we watched a couple weeks ago on Birmingham, Alabama. They were fighting for their rights because they were being treated unequally. They wanted all of the same equalities and when the kids in the Freedom Writers started getting more and more things that made them feel special, they would work and do anything to get what they wanted and deserved to better their education and overall knowledge.
I think the message of this movie was to not judge a book by its cover. In the beginning of the movie everyone was very clicky and were stereotyping and hating all of the other races. One of the girls even yelled out to Ms. Gruwell about how much she hated white people because they were all the same and they all believed they were better than everyone else. But as the movie progressed everyone saw that everyone has issues, some very similar, some very different but everyone faces problems in their life. All of these stories and bumps in the road that each and every one of them faced, brought them closer and finally united them as a family. That’s why I believe that the message of this movie is to not judge a book by its cover because it is holding you back from meeting new people and making new friends and connections.
Mrs. Gruwell wore the pearl necklace to school that day because she had an idea of what the environment would be like, but she underestimated how bad the situation with the kids was. The students saw the necklace and thought of her as a typical rich white person, which made it more difficult for her to relate with them because right away they already were tuning her out. They judged her because of her necklace and did not want to listen to anything that she said. She was advised not to wear the necklace for this very reason. These students were from the slums of the town. I think that almost none of the students had ever heard of the Holocaust because they most likely are not in school enough throughout a year to learn about it. Also their families seemed like they were not the type to talk about past history so the only way they could have possibly heard about it is through school. However, these students are too caught up in their gangs and separated cliques to have time to learn about history such as that. The importance of her asking for new books for her kids was that she was sticking up for them, fighting to give them a better experience and a better education. I think the most important message of the film is that we should not judge others and separate our society based on race. On that first day of school everyone was separated, it felt as if there was a time bomb ticking in the middle of the room because at any moment things could have gotten violent and out of hand, which it did.
I agree with what Connie said on the department chair and how she was very judgmental towards the students and never gave them a chance.
I agree with what robert was saying, i think that the kids really didnt have much of an education up to that point of school in their lives
I believe that Ms. Gruwell was advised not to wear her pearls to school because Wilson High has a very bad reputation of violence and crime so for her personal safety and so the pearls would not possibly get stolen she was advised not to wear them. The reason she did wear them though is because I think she wanted to show her kids that she was a risk taker and was not ready to push over to these kids.
I think the students didn't know what the holocaust was because first of all they never really made much of an effort to attend school nor did they care enough to learn about things in school that they felt didn't apply to them and second of all they had not know of the holocaust because the teachers in the school basically gave up teaching them , they felt it was not necessary to educate these kids who simply didn't want to be there.
The importance of Ms. G having that conversation with her department head was that it highlighted the fact that these teachers at this school really had no interest in teaching these kids or getting them any what interested in learning.
The most important message that i took away from this movie was that no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, and no matter what cards you're given in life, the power to change things around is in the power of your own hands and you cannot make excuses for not achieving your potential.
I think the reason Ms. Gruwell was told not to wear the pearls was because all of the teachers thought that the kids would've made fun of her for dressing so fancy when the conditions of the school were completely opposite of that. Also because the kids are seen as theieves so maybe the
teachers thought that they would try to take her pearls. I think she decided to ignore the advice to not wear the pearls was because she wanted to get to know the kids before she assumed how they were, just like everyone else has in the past. I think most of the students have never heard about the Holocaust before because the teachers in the past have never provided the kids with the right
books and other tools to help them learn. The teachers don't trust the kids with new books, so they don't get to learn from them. Plus most of the kids don't really have any interest in school so they don't show up. The importance of the conversation Ms. Gruwell had with her department chair about getting the students new books was that it showed that the school didn't care about the education of their students. Also it showed that they didn't trust the students with new books just because of where they come from. This is why the students and school is the way it is, because most of the teachers in the school put no effort into trying to change/help the students and school.I think the most important message of this film is that you can do anything you set your mind to. Also that you shouldn't assume things about people because you never know what they've been through or what they're going through now.
I agree with Connie, the message of this film is to not discriminate and underestimate people.
I agree with Roberts' point that persistence is something that must be in your arsenal in order to get most students to want to learn.
I think the reason why Ms Gruwell was given the advice to not wear the pearls to school is because she was going into a very hostile environment with students who could possibly steal them. I think the reason she chose to wear them is because she had some sort of belief that her students would not take them. I think that the reason why most of her students have not heard of the Holocaust is because they haven't had the opportunity to have any sort of history education because of the environment they are living in. The importance of Ms. G having the discussion with her department about getting new books is important because it shows that she really cares about her students and she wants to pick book that can connect to her students. Also, I think that it shows that they should receive the same books as other students, not ones that have been ripped and torn because it discriminates them. I think the most important message from the movie is to not be prejudice to people, when you haven't even got a chance to know them or build a relationship with them.
I think Ms. Gruwell decides to ignore the warnings of her fellow teacher and advisor because she wants to send the message that she expects more from the students that she will be teaching. The warnings to take off the necklace hinted that it was expected of the students to try and steal such a valuable item. Unlike teachers before her, Ms. Gruwell doesn’t preconceive the attitudes and characters that will be present in her classroom; rather she approaches the new situation with an open mind and high standards.
Considering the fact that Ms. Gruwell’s students were only freshmen in high school when the topic of the holocaust was mentioned, I think the lack of knowledge on this topic comes from a lack of purposeful education. The students in that classroom had probably not come across a teacher that cared about their education, but now they were given the opportunity to learn about history in a way that pertained to their lives.
The importance of the book discussion first brings to light the fact that Ms. Gruwell truly cared for the well-being and education for students in room 203. This is when Ms. Gruwell and the department chair first begin to clash; Gruwell thinks the students are deserving of more than what they’ve been offered, but the department chair chooses to belittle the students and give them as little as possible.
I think the most important message of the film is to never limit your self-potential, or the potential of others. We are all capable of things that may seem unattainable, but if we keep persisting and pushing our self or others to do more than what’s expected, the results can be monumental.
I agree with Dan because I think that the power to change things around you is in the power of yourself and what kind of person you want to be
I think Jennifer Pilkington brings up a very good point: it was through the sharing of struggles and the realization that several of the students that seemed to be different had gone through similar things that the class was brought together as a family.
The department head suggested that Ms. Gruwell not wear her pearls because she did not trust the students. She also felt as though the pearls were too sophisticated for her job as a public school teacher. I think Ms. Gruwell chose to ignore the advice because she had a different opinion of the students than the department head and the other honors English teacher. Ms. Gruwell had more respect for her students. It’s likely that the students had never been informed of the Holocaust, not necessarily because of ignorance, but more because of their poor education opportunities and the isolation that their communities created. When Ms. Gruwell was conversing with the department chair about new books for her students, the department chair began to have a change in opinion about the students in general. He realized that not only was Ms. Gruwell fully invested in the achievement and education of her students, but also the student’s increased interests in their classes. I think the most important message in the film is portrayed by Ms. Gruwell’s persistence and determination to give her students the most fulfilling and opportunistic experience that she could as their teacher. The message that Ms. Gruwell’s character expresses is that doing the right thing is not always your responsibility, but it is a moral obligation. Throughout the movie, Ms. Gruwell’s husband reminds her that her students are not her kids and that they are not her responsibility, but she feels as though it is her moral obligation to take care of them and be for them as much as she can, even if it overpasses her responsibility as a teacher.
I agree with what Eric said about how the purchase of the new books proved that Ms. Gruwell trusted and respected the students, which is something they had most likely never experienced before, especially from a teacher.
In the beginning of The Freedom Writers, Mrs. G wears her pearls even after being advised not to. I think this relates to the situation that the only white kid in class was in. At first he was afraid to sit anywhere but in the front, away from everyone else. He was operating under the expectation that something bad would happen if he sat somewhere else. If Mrs. G were to take the advise, she would be operating under the same expectations; that they would get stolen or whatever else. Instead, she decided to give the class a chance to prove stereotypes wrong.
When Mrs. G mentions the holocaust only one student knew what she was talking about. After she realizes this, she learns that almost everyone in class has been shot at. Their lives are surrounded by events outside of
school. Gang violence is such a big part of their lives that at any time they could be jumped, shot, killed etc. With all of this in mind I don't think education scores a 10 on the importance scale. That's why I think they didn't know about the holocaust.
The department chair wouldnt give Mrs G books and told her various excuses as to why. The students couldn't read at that level, they'd tear the books up, and so on. This scene shows how Mrs. G is fighting against the system. The department chair wouldn't do her job and help educate.
The most important message from this movie was the go after what you want and to believe in yourself.
I agree with Connie, Mrs G. didn' want to operate under judgements of how her students were precieved by others.
I think Ms. Gruwell was told not to wear her pearls to class because the school was known for violence and crimes, and the teachers thought it could be dangerous if she wore them around the students. I think she ignored this advice because she wanted to give the kids a chance and not judge them by what others have told her.
I think the students did not know about the Holocaust because the teachers weren’t ever willing to teach them. At the high school, the teachers thought very little of their students that were not in the honors class and therefore did not think they were capable of understanding topics such as the holocaust. The teachers believed the students did not want to learn and gave up on them because they thought they were going to drop out anyways.
The conversation with her department chair about giving her students new books was important because it showed that the teachers had no interest in trying to help advance the student’s education. They believed that the students could only handle certain types of books and did not deserve new ones.
I think the most important lesson is to not underestimate people because you never know what they are capable of.
I believe Ms. Gruwell was advised to remove her pearls because it creates an image that she is of an upper class and that she is vulnerable to the unfamiliar setting of Wilson High. I think she ignored the advice in order to show the students that she was not afraid and did not believe that they were bad people, just troubled.
I think that the reason most of the students had never heard of the Holocaust is because they were uneducated. It seemed as though the teachers of Wilson High believed the students were unwilling to learn. I believe the students deserved that information but it seemed like the teachers wanted the students to fail.
The book discussion revealed that the teachers had no faith in their students and were of the thinking that they were unwilling to learn. As a result, they treated the students like garbage, preserving intact materials for higher level courses. Ms. Gruwell discovered a prejudice the teachers had against her students. They believed they were nothing but criminals and thieves. These opinions were formed based on the students' situations, not individual merit.
I believe the most important message of the film is to think for yourself and make your own decisions. In the beginning, each student belonged to his/her own clique or gang. As the story progressed however, students learned to judge people based on merit and to make their own decisions, rather than acting on behalf of "their own."
I think she was given the advice to not wear the pearls because the students might see that she is of a higher class, and try to level the playing field some way. I think she ignored the advice because she wanted to change the school and wearing pearls would be her first step to show authority.
I think that the students weren't exposed to the Holocaust because they never had the opportunity. These students had the worst conditions to learn: torn and ripped books and their environment outside the class room played a large role in their inhibition to learn.
The importance of the discussion is to give all students the same foundation to learn, gaining the knowledge, however, will be their decision. Ms. Gruwell's students had a very poor foundation. The new books would show that the school cared about them, possibly one of the first times that anybody had cared about them. When she brought in new books, their spirits were lifted.
I think the most important message of this film is to not underestimate people and not give up hope. People can't be underestimated if you don't know their full potential. They need to be given the opportunity to show who they really are. The second message, not to give up hope, applies to the students. If these students gave up the hope of a better future, they would be on the streets or dead. When they hope for a better future, it is more likely to come true.
I agree with Jake's message of the story. If you can be yourself, and not let those around you make your decisions, you will find what you are really good at and passionate about and pursue that dream.
I agree with Kate that the students most likely were not informed of the Holocaust not necessarily because of ignorance, but more because of their poor education opportunities and the isolation that their communities created. They were never given the opportunity to learn about important topics.
I agree with Jennifer that once the students recognized that everyone has their own struggles, they began to relate with one another. They realized that they shared similarities and the cliques they belonged to are detrimental to their well being.
The reason the teachers suggested that she didn't wear the pearls is that her students had a reputation of being bad kids. Most of them were in gangs, so the teachers just assumed that they would try to steal her pearls. She ignored the teachers suggestions because she trusted these kids and knew that she could change them for the better.
I think almost all of the students didn't know about the holocaust because none of the teachers bothered to teach them about it. I got the impression that all of the teachers before Ms. G didn't really care about the students and just assumed that they were all going to drop out, so they didn't do a great job teaching their students.
The importance of Ms. G's discussion with the department head is that it shows Ms. G knows that her students are at a higher level than many teacher think they are at. She knew that they would be able to handle the new books, and that she could trust them to take care of them.
I think the most important message of the film is to keep an open mind. Ms. G could have gone into her classroom just assuming that she was going to be teaching a bunch of future dropouts. Instead, she went in and tried her hardest to change the kid's mindset towards school, and she managed to do that.
Ms. Gruwell was advised by the department head not to wear her pearls to school, hinting that with the type of kids going to this school, they might get stolen. She ignored this advice because the pearls meant a lot to her because they are from her father and because she was not aware about the type of kids yet. Even when she found out that it was a rougher school she kept wearing them because she trusted the students and never believed in the stereotypes given by all the other teachers in the school.
I think that none of the kids never heard about the holocaust before because teachers in the past never really tried to teach them anything like that. A lot of the teachers considered it almost like babysitting the kids instead of teaching them actual, real life information. The kids also probably weren't motivated at all to even listen in class because teachers treated them like this.
The importance of the conversation about the books is that is showed how the school's faculty viewed the students. They didn't think the kids deserved books because they'd vandalize them and not even read them. The school didn't want to teach them, they just wanted to discipline them until they either finally graduate or drop out.
The most important message of the film is to never underestimate your own power to help people. Ignore everyone around you telling you that you can't help someone and what you're doing is wrong, even if it is your loved ones, because with enough determination and care, you can make a difference in someone's life.
I agree with Robert. Ms. G did not give up on her students when they showed they weren't interested in learning, and her hard work eventually paid off in the end.
I agree with Mike that Ms. G knew that her kids could handle reading the books, despite what all the other teachers and department chair thinks about them. It really showed her trust in the kids and showed the kids how much Ms. G actually cared about them.
Ms. Gruwell was given this advice because they believed there was a good chance they would get stolen by one of the students. She chose to ignore the advice because she didn't want to think of her students as criminals and believed they were better. The students never heard of the holocaust because they wernt educated nd were living in there own war so they didnt know about any one elses. The importance of that conversation was to point out how the administration didn't believe in there students and how Ms. Gruwell did. The overall message is that we all have good and bad inside us, but what matters is what side we choose to act and live on.
I agree with connie that an important message of thise film is to believe in yourself and your potential.
Ms. Gruwell’s department chair initially tells her to not wear he necklace to class due to the kids previous behaviors in gangs and such that could put her at risk of having her necklace stolen. Ms. Gruwell ignores this advice because she wants to prove to the kids that she trusts them, in order for them to open up to her.
Almost none of the students had heard about the Holocaust because of a lack of knowledge and exposure to that subject.
When the department chair refuses to give her the books because she believes that the kids will destroy them, Ms. Gruwell believes that the students are entitled to more than just ripped up books. She thinks that they should be reading the nice and not torn up books, so she decides to buy the books herself.
I think the most important message of the film is to give others a chance to show who they really are and to not judge them on things that they have done in the past. Also, it teaches to not look past others backgrounds because their situation at home might be very unstable which could be the root of their behavior.
I like Dan's comment on how he said that the result of your life rests in your own hands.
I think that she was given the advice because considering the condition of the school, and the attitudes of the students in the school, she would be judged by wearing them. She would give off a vibe that she comes from a good background and she would be precieved as a person who thought she was better than everyone else. I believe she ignored it because I don't really think she knew what to expect and because of that, expected the best. She wanted to look like a smart, educated, teacher and dressing nice was part of that.
I think that half the kids hadn't heard of the holocaust because I don't think that the teachers at the school cared much about what the kids learned and I don't think the kids cared either. And because no one cared, no one learned or taught important lessons.
The importance of the discussion was that this is when Ms. G realized how little the department head cared about the students. And not just that, but she showed how little she expected out of them, assuming the worst. This is when Ms. G took the kid's education into her own hands and Went against the administration, and believed, and invested heavily in these kids.
I think that the most important message is to not assume the worst of people just because of their backgrounds. She took kids with completely different backgrounds, and who most people thought had no potential, and she unified them, believed in them, and turned their lives around. Creating a "family" of diverse students in one class.
I agree with Connie's comment on not underestimating people. Many people have potential that they haven't reached yet and to assume they never will is not fair.
I think that Ms. Gruwell was given the advice to not wear the pearls because she would be taken as a rich white person and wouldn't be taken seriously by the kids because they would just walk all over her. She would be taken as someone who thought they were better than others because she came from money and a good background. I believe she ignored the advice because she liked the pearls and wouldn't let the department head say she couldn't wear them because they were a gift and probably meant a lot to her.
I think that the students hadn't heard of the holocaust because they either hadn't payed attention in school, or they had teachers who simply had no hope for them and didn't bother teaching them important. Or, as the department head would have said, They couldnt handle the material.
The importance of the discussion was that this was the point in the film that Ms. Gruwell figured out how little faith the school had in these students. The fact that she gave them crap books because she didnt think they could handle the material made the students think that they were not good enough for real, well put together books. And if you were constantly reminded by the book that people didnt have high expectation of you, why even bother reading it?
The most important message of the book is to not underestimate people. You never know what some people are capable of, and it is unfair to assume that someone has very little potential to live up to.
I agree with Robert when he said that you should never give up on anyone, because you never know the potential that some people have. A lot of people are capable of great things and to assume that they are not, or to give up on them, is wrong.
I think the department head and distinguished honors teacher both commented on her pearls because they thought she was naïve to wear such a nice thing to a class with ‘bad’ students, who could think of her as being arrogant or wealthy and someone they couldn’t relate to or respect. It’s also possible they might try stealing them. I think Ms. Gruwell wore them anyways because she wanted to look her best for her students, like a little kid getting ready for their first day of school she wanted to put her best foot forward for her class as well.
None of the students but one raised their hand when asked if they knew what the Holocaust was. I think the reason for their ignorance is because no one had bothered teaching them either in school or at home. It seems like all their life the school system never really intended to teach them anything, but instead to keep them in school for as long as they could. Because of this they had never heard of the Holocaust, despite it being such a huge event and mistake in history.
When the department head and Ms. Gruwell are having the discussion about getting new books, it clearly shows the antagonism and protagonist perspective in the movie. The department head voiced the belief of many that these students weren’t worth spending resources of money or time on because she didn’t believe in them or their potential. She openly discriminated against them and Ms. Gruwell’s argument was that somebody needs to take the initiative for change. It’s a never ending cycle of the kids behaving badly and the school doesn’t trust them and so the kids continue to behave badly because they have no reason to change.
I think the most important message of the film was what Miep Gies said about why she cared for Anne Frank and the other Jews in hiding so much, enough to risk her own life to save theirs; she was just doing the right thing. Ms. Gruwell didn’t have to care about her students so much, as people more than just students even, but she did because it was the right thing to do. I believe there is a moral obligation to help others even strangers because every human creates a global community.
I like how Connie was saying not to discriminate against anyone or even yourself. I think it’s really important to see every person as a human being and realize that no one person or race is better than another or entitled to more. Also, when she said that the students weren’t aware of the holocaust because they might not have been interested in school, it made me realize that maybe they were taught in school at some point but just didn’t care enough to pay attention. The fault can’t be just on the school or just on the students; it’s a combination of many factors that led up to the person they were at the point of meeting Ms. Gruwell.
I think that Mrs. Gruwell was brought in to teach in a very hostile environment. She definitely was unprepared to handle these students at first. These kids had their priorities and school was clearly not one of them. Thry were concerned about protecting themselves and fighting for their color. They had never heard about the holocaust because they had never had the interest to go out and gain knowledge about such an event, they were more concerned with themselves. Mrs. Gruwell's discussion was important because it shows that she values these kids more than anyone else does and shes willing to fight for them for soemthing that she thinks is right, they are family to her. I think the most important message to the film is that everyone nhas it in them to succeed and that sometimes its a matter of finding your interests or finding the person that can motivate you best.
She was given the advice because all of the teachers thought it would save her the theft of her pearls. They assumed that the kids would steal them because of who they were and what they had done in the past. All though it is an assumption and generalization, I think the teachers honestly thought they were giving her good advice. I think she ignored it because she didn't want to just hear all these different opinions, she wanted to make her own and also to show the kids that she did believe that they wouldn't try anything.
Education is the obvious answer as to why they had never heard of the Holocaust. It kind of shows how important that history must be taught or it is doomed to repeat itself. These kids lives basically showed the beginning stages of how something like a Holocaust could happen, purely by the fact that they had no idea what it was and didn't think it could get that bad.
The new books discussion was basically to show the students respect. If you continue to give students the worst materials or none at all, you give them crap things, they will feel like crap. These kids are aware that they are getting the worst things and that can make them bitter toward the school and the people that view them like the bottom. Giving them the new books showed trust, but mostly respect. Mr. Gruwell showed respect to her students and they really took it seriously.
The most important message is that you need to believe in people and things might get better. All people want to feel good and succeed, but negative things and people can get them low. You need to show respect to get respect .
I agree with Juli to never limit yourself and others, what they can accomplish might surprise you.
When Mrs. G wore her pearls on the first day of school, both the department head and the other English teacher advised her to take them off because "students like them" had a very bad reputation with the teachers, and were all stereotyped as mischievous, thieving criminals who did not care for their education. Despite her coworkers, Mrs. G wanted to treat all of her students with the respect that they never had, and decided to wear the pearls to class anyways.
None of the students in her class had ever heard of the Holocaust because they were probably never taught it before: either their teachers did not see the point in trying to educate a group of "unteachables" or had not earned their student's respect enough for them to want to attend class.
When Mrs. G had the discussion with her chair about using the school's resources, we learned even more about how the school only wanted to put in the bare minimum: they did not care to put in enough effort to teach kids in a remedial class. Because they did not respect the kids they taught, they didn't feel a need to provide them with access to good quality resources. But, after Mrs. G spent her own pocket money on new books to test her students' respect for her possessions, she found that it was possible once the students wanted to learn.
I think the most important message from this movie is that if you want the respect from someone else, especially if by position they are inferior to you (as in teacher to student), you need to respect them first. Once Mrs. G's students respected Mrs. G and vice versa, they were able to expose the class's true potential and pull everyone up to graduation.
which leaves me to understand is that we should not judge someone before meeting and also by color or race
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