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?
37 comments:
She was probably given that advice by the department head and the other teacher, because they thought the students that she was teaching would just steal them from her. Mrs. Gruwell ended up ignoring their advice since she did not feel the kids she was teaching were criminals just because they weren't white honors students.
The kids didn't know what the Holocaust was since none of the teachers in the high school were willing to teach them about it. The department head's reasoning behind not teaching them this curriculum was that she didn't feel they were smart enough to understand the curriculum. This bigotry the department head has toward the non-white students is seen when she doesn't allow Mrs.Gruwell to use certain books. Mrs. Gruwell is told that if she is given the books they will be written on, torn, etc. Further more she is also told not to bother trying to challenge the students, because they "wouldn't understand it."
The message that I found was reoccurring throughout the movie was to not judge someone based on their background. The film also showed that a little good can go a long way in fact it can inspire many others to do good things as well.
She was told not to wear her pearls because the other teachers were expecting that because these kids are from the lower-income, higher-crime part of the city, and because they aren't white, they would all be criminals. Ms. Gruwell was giving these kids the benefit of the doubt; she was setting higher expectations for these kids than anyone else ever had.
None of the kids had heard of the Holocaust because the school had set very low expectations of them. No one had been willing to put in any effort to try and get through to these kids, so they probably thought it was a waste of time to try and get them to understand something so complex as the Holocaust.
The importance of the discussion with the teacher was that Ms. Gruwell believed that the kids were only acting in the manner in which they were being treated. When the kids realized that the books Ms. Gruwell gave them were new, they were impressed and this lead to more respect. When given old, ratty books, they understand that people expect them to be disrespectful, so they behave in that way.
I think the important message of this film is that people everyone has potential, but when people are treated like they have nothing to offer, they will never fulfill that potential.
I think that they gave her the advice not to wear the pearls like others said because of the kids. They come from a different background and most of the kids are seen as criminals. Mrs Gruwell decided to wear the pearls anyways she was expecting more from the kids and did not believe they would steal them from her.
When she asked about th eHolocaust and very few had known any information on this it was because of the teachers at this school. The teachers did not teach about the Holocaust to these students because they did not believe that the students were capable of reading about this topic. The importance of this discussion was that the students were given books that were old and torn. This is because they believed that the students would ruin other books and did not have potential to read them. Mrs Gruwell believed that if she got them new books she could make a difference and reach out to the students.
I think the main message of this movie is that people are always judged based upon their background and race.This movie shows that people should not be judged based on background.
I agree with what Ben said about the main message of the movie and how it was that people should not be judged based upon their background.
I was not in class to finish the film.
The department head was trying to warn her how bad these kids truly were and assumed that they would take her pearls. Ms. Gruwell however believed that if she respected and trusted them they would do the same to her, which symbolized their relationship to be for the rest of their high school careers.
I was pretty shocked to hear that none of the teenagers knew of the Holocaust. After much thought I realized the school probably didn’t teach them it because it didn’t follow the “perfect curriculum” set in place. Also, teachers probably didn’t understand the connection between the holocaust and the students.
Even though it was such a simple act, giving the students new books promoted a sense of worth for the teenagers. It made them realize that someone did care for them, and believed that they were able to handle such opportunities given to them. I feel that if Ms.Gruwell never gave the students these books, they never would have had an interest in literature, connecting their worlds with others.
I believe the most important message of the film is getting to know someone, regardless of race and other stereotypes. We all have a story. Without trying to get to know people we will never be able to understand others and their stories. It’s vital to look over prejudices in order to form a bond with someone.
I agree with all of Jamie Cerny’s points. Once Ms. Gruwell had high expectations for her students they rose to the challenge and level that she had expected of them.
I think she was advised not to wear her pearls because the students might use it to openly make fun of her, or even be rude and steal it from her. She ignored it because she didn't feel that the her students would do such things.
I think the students did not know anything about the Holocaust because most of the time they were either not in school or in jail. Hence, they were not taught anything about it.
The importance of that discussion was that it quickly became clear that the department head and other teachers did not consider the students "intelligent" enough to understand the lesson. Ms. Gruwell was repeatedly denied school materials such as books, field trips. She had to go as far as finding an additional part-time job to have enough money to buy the materials herself. For instance, she went to book stores and bought most of the books herself. Moreover, along with the help of her father, she drove the students to the museum because she was denied the use of school buses.
What I found to be the most important message of the film was that everyone is equal, no matter what their background is, how they look, or how they talk. Everyone has their own story. Ms. Gruwell recognized this soon and treated her students the same way she would have treated any other student. Not only did she give them hope to succeed, but she also helped them correct their mistakes and lead a proper life. For example, many students, including Marcus, threw away the guns they owned. Eva, the girl who was present in the store where the killing took place, testified against her own boyfriend as she realized that it was "the right thing." For many of the students, they were the first in their family to go to college.
I agree with Alyssa that Ms. Gruwell thought that if she respected the students and put her trust in them, then they would do the same thing.
This theme was present throughout the film. The students were able to recognize this belief that Ms. Gruwell had put into them, and they were willing to change themselves and listen to her.
I think the department head told her to not bring her pearls to class because she was afraid that the students would try and steal them. Ms. Gruwell ignored her because she doesn't judge people without getting to know them and also because she has the right to do what she wants.
I don't think any of the students had heard of the Holocaust because teachers didn't believe that they would be able to understand the Holocaust because of their "low reading and writing scores" when in reality its because teachers have never challenged them and give up. When Ms. Gruwell was trying to get books for her class and the department head said she could only use the condensed version, Ms. Gruwell wanted to challenge them and wouldn't take no for an answer which is why she got 2 more jobs. What I think the most important message in the film is that we are all going through something ( you'd be surprised) and how we should trat each other with respect.
I agree with Alyssa Los and how the students felt a sense of worth when they received new books because they are used to getting the worst.
She was told not to wear the pearls to schools because of a judgment made by the department head. The department head was judgmental person and based on the fact that most of Ms. G’s students came from a lower class household she though that they would try to steal them.
The kids had no idea what the holocaust was because they were the neglected students. They were the kids that the school wanted to drop out so if they did or didn’t know what the holocaust was it didn’t make the school look bad regardless.
The importance of the conversation between the department head and Ms. G was again the department head being judgmental. Just because the kids didn’t care about school up to that point, because no one made them think it was, she thought that they would destroy them and make the books be now usless for kids that “deserved” better books, AKA the white kids of the school.
I agree with Jamie with that people have potential, but if people are treated like dirt they won’t bring it out because people already think they don’t have it so what’s the point
I think that Ms. Gruwell was given the advice not to wear her pearls because the other teachers thought that her students might steal them. The pearls also showed that she/her family had a lot of money, and if the kids saw them, they thought that the students might try to take other things from her throughout the school year. Ms. Gruwell obviously did not agree with that way of thinking. By wearing the pearls to class, she demonstrated the faith that she had in her students before she even met them.
The students may have never heard of the Holocaust because they either weren’t in class to learn about it or their teachers never took the time to tell them about it. Ms. Gruwell’s class was also the lowest freshman English class (as pointed out in the film), and most of the kids were automatically placed in other low-level classes that may not have discussed the Holocaust or the significance of it.
This discussion revealed that the department chair had little to no faith in Ms. Gruwell’s students. She did not want to give them new books because they would ruin them and wouldn’t even read them. Ms. Gruwell was offended by that assumption because she believed that her students would treat the books well and would be able to learn from them. Their conversation also showed that the school district placed a stereotype on the students placed in that class, indicating that they had very little hope that those students would succeed.
I think that the most important message of the film is that when a teacher, even just one teacher, honestly believes in their students, those kids can and will succeed. Ms. Gruwell knew that the traditional methods of teaching at her school would not be effective for her students. With a lot of effort on her part by creating lessons that would unite them and that they could relate to, fundraising, and staying after school, her students grew to trust her. I think that if more teachers had that same drive and faith in their students’ ability to succeed, more students would stay in school and have better grades.
Nancy’s point about how everyone is going through something was another important message from the film. Each of the students had something going on in their lives outside of school that was difficult to deal with, and for a teacher to recognize that was a significant to the film.
The department head and teacher probably told Ms. Gruwell not to wear the pearls because they felt that the students, coming from low-income backgrounds, could steal them from her. I think she ignored this advice because she wanted to make decisions about the students for herself based on their actions, not priorly made stereotypes. By judging the students based only on what she saw them do, and not because they were of different races and came from different backgrounds, Ms. Gruwell felt like she could trust the students more than any other adult had.
Most students had not heard about the Holocaust because the school kept saying that "those" students could not handle such a topic and were not at a high enough intellectual level to comprehend what happened. The lack of drive from the school to educate the students from Ms. Gruwell's class prior to her becoming a teacher allowed for ignorant students.
The importance of the discussion about the books is that Ms. Gruwell feels that students should be entrusted with books to the point where she goes out and buys them on her own. She proves that the students do not destroy the school books simply to be destructive, but they are angered by the fact that the school does not feel like they can trust them.
I think the most important message of the film is to ignore what everyone else says about a situation, such as a classfull of low-income students, but instead to make your decisions about people based on what you see first hand. Everyone should be granted equal opportunity and by working with the students on their level, gaining their trust, and teaching them how to love and respect one another, Ms. Gruwell is able to change the lives of her students.
I agree with Jamie about how once Ms. Gruwell held the students at higher standards they rose to meet them and were challenged themselves. When teachers in the past constantly told the students they "can't" do something, they lacked drive and motivation. Through the use of positive messages, and through earning respect, students will want to perform at a higher level to benefit themselves and to make their teacher proud.
I think that Ms. G was given the advice not to wear the pearls because due to the previously formed stereotypes by the department head and by the other teacher they assumed that Ms. G was ignorant of the type of students she will be teaching. They did not see these kids as students they saw them as criminals and assumed that a nice woman like Ms. G would be deceived by the teenagers and get her pearls stolen. Ms. G ignored it because she wanted the students to know that she did not fear them, and she had the confidence in them to and knew better than to assume. She wanted the students to be aware of this too. I think the students never heard of the holocaust because they were never expected to care enough about it so their past teachers neglected to teach them about it. Either that, or because they assumed it would just cause more controversy in the class and they were too scared too. The importance of Ms. G’s discussion with the department head about giving them new books goes to show that people of power deny others the privilege of advancing because they feel sickened by the idea of “these kids” gaining knowledge thus gaining power. As an aspiring teacher myself I think the most important message of this film is that you should never assume to assume. Kids are just kids, and the most important teacher they will ever have is the things they experience. A teacher can do two things that I think Ms. G did an amazing job at. A good teacher guides previous knowledge and creates educational experience to question past knowledge. Another very important lesson that my group discussed today is that prejudice is formed by isolation – what makes us different. Ms. G showed the students that it is about what makes us unique but at the same time being able to find common ground with others, because the kids had experienced a lot of the same struggles and hurt that separated them in the first place.
Mrs. Gruwell was advised not to wear hear pearls to class because the department head had previously stereotyped the students that Mrs. G would be teaching as lying, cheating, thieves. She was trying to warm Mrs. G that they would probably be stolen if she wore them in the classroom. Mrs. G ignored warning because she believed these students were good people and she wanted to give them a chance.
I think that none of the students knew about the holocaust because no teacher had taken the time to teach the students about this event previously. In the movie, there was a comment made about how teachers for “those types of students” were just babysitters, and that all Mrs. G had to do was to babysit the students until they were old enough to drop out of school. I think that previous teachers probably followed the babysitting mentality thus the students were never taught about the holocaust
The department head said that the students would just loose or destroy the books and that is why they were not allowed to borrow them. Once again this was the department head stereotyping Mrs. Gruwell’s students which is truly the importance about this seen. Even after Mrs. G was able to improve the students reading and writing scores they were still not able to use school resources that might better their scores even further. This also shows that the department head was not concerned about Mrs. Gruwell’s students succeeding. She had the preconceived notion that the students were not good enough and nothing was going to change her mind.
I think the most important message of the film is the power of an individual. Mrs. Gruwell repeatedly preached this to the class. However, she did not just tell them she led by example on all of her disputes with department head and the administration and how she never gave up and eventually won some of her battles. But she also encouraged the students to do the same, if it wasn’t for her Eva might have lied in the court room.
I agree with Ben, that another important message of the film is to not judge and or stereotype a person.
Mrs. Gruwell was given that advice from the department head, for the sole purpose that she thought the kids she was teaching were going to steal the pearls from Mrs. Gruwell. I think she ignored the advice to prove to them that she wasn't teaching criminals or bad kids, but normal human beings.
When Mrs. Gruwell asked the kids about the Holocaust I think that none of them knew because they haven't been taught that because none of the other teachers give them a chance to learn or understand it because the other teachers think that it is too sophisticated of a subject to teach to the students.
The importance of the discussion Mrs. Gruwell had about getting new books is that she wants to show the other teachers that the students have potential and have the ability to do things that no other teach gave them a chance to show.
I think that the most important message of the film is that small things can make a huge impact. Some minor things Mrs. Gruwell did and showed the kids really made an impact on them and inspired them to better themselves.
I agree with what Ben said that you can't judge someone based on their background. Just because they are another race or "color" doesn't mean that they are bad or criminals, and that you have to give them a chance to show who they really are
Mrs.G was given this advice because they probably thought the students of her class would steal from her because of the bad reputation they had been given. I think she ignored this suggestion because it was her own way of saying that she was going to do what she thought was right, no matter what anyone tells her. It isn't up to other people to decide. It is up to her. I also agree with Jamie and Ben that Ms. G didn't believe these kids were as bad as they were made out to be.
I dont think these kids knew about the Holocaust because I think a lot of the teachers these kids had in the past wrote them off as not able to learn about things like the Holocaust.
An important message I found in this story is that you can't judge people based off of their background, or who their family is. And that everyone has potential, and don't let anyone write you off as not good enough.
Ms. Gruwell was given the advice to not wear her pearls on the first day by the department head and English teacher because both of them assumed that her incoming students would steal them from her. Ms. Gruwell ignored their advice because she was taught not to judge a book by its cover. And she did not feel that they were any different from the honors students.
I think that none of the students knew what the Holocaust was due to the ignorance of prior teachers not believing they were capable of understanding the curriculum. As well as the low expectations that the school had set for them. The importance of the discussion with department head was to show how the school placed a stereotype on the students by not giving them newer books because they were afraid they were going to ruin them and had no potential to read them.
The message that I found most important was that it only takes one person to make a difference for everyone else.
I agree with Sarah Masters that all it takes is one teacher to believe in their students for those them to succeed.
I think Ms. Gruwell chose to wear the pearls even when she was told not to because she wanted to show everyone that she would treat her students with respect and not judge them as lower than her or as thieves. The rest of the department assumed the students would steal them because they had prejudice views of the kids because they were not white. Ms. Gruwell treated them as her equal.
None of the kids had heard of the Holocaust because they were never taught it. The school district did not think these kids were capable of learning anything of a higher level thinking as evidence by the torn up books they received. Ms. Gruwell understood their need for a valuable education and how the situation of the Holocaust cast down on the personal stories each student told.
I think the most important message of the film is that the power of the individual is immense and the determination of a single being can change the lives of many, in both good and bad ways. Through the stories of the students we see the bad consequences that can arise by the works of single individuals but Ms. Gruwell demonstrated that is you never give up you can achieve anything. She stood up to everyone who steered her in the opposite direction and discouraged her. She got two additional jobs to pay for the students supplies. And she respected the children which reciprocated back to her.
I agree with Emily that the teachers never had the confidence in the students to teach them important lessons because they assumed they would eventually drop out. Ms. Gruwell had faith in them and defied their futures by believing in them and what they are capable of.
I think she was given the advice to not wear them because some students may get the impression that she's young, which would make her inexperienced and easier to take advantage of. Also, those pearls may be something which no other female teacher wears in this school, so wearing them would go against what others do. The school may be against that because they're trying to establish more conformist ways. I think she ignored what they told her because she felt independent, and didn't think they'd cause any major problems.
I think almost none of them knew what the Holocaust was mainly because the ethnic groups from which they were from weren't really affected by the Holocaust, which eliminated the need to teach them about what had happened.
The importance of that discussion was to show how Mrs. Gruwell really wanted to help her students learn more, and how she was willing to make it happen. It also shows the opposite side, and how the department head was opposed to this idea.
I think the most important message from this movie is that everyone has some type of potential, but it takes some work to uncover and utilize that potential, whatever it may be.
I side with Amy, in terms of how the students also put in a good work ethic in order to be successful in the class. Mrs. Gruwell alone couldn't make everything great; the students had to do their part, and they did it well.
In the beginning, Ms. Gruwell was informed by the department head not to wear her pearls because the students in her class were from low-income families in an area with a high crime-rate. Society depicts these kids as "criminals" that would steal those pearls off her neck. She chose to ignore the advice because she set a high expectation for the kids and thought they would respect her and not steal them from her.
The kids in the class did not know about the Holocaust because none of their teachers had taught them that subject matter and was not a part of the curriculum. She was also told not to waste time on it because the kids would simply not get it.
The importance of the discussion with the department head is to highlight Ms. Gruwell's passion for teaching and illustrate her compassion for her class. She also demonstrated her dedication when she was denied for new books by getting two part-time jobs.
I believe the most important message of the film is to not judge people by their outside qualities such as color and race.
I also agree with Amy in that a single individual can make a great impact on many other people, such as Ms. Gruwell and her class.
I believe that Ms. G was told not to wear the pearls because the department head thought of the children in her class to be nothing more than a group of thugs. I think that she decided to wear the pearls to make a point that she not only had faith in these students before knowing them, but also to show that she wasn’t going to fall in line with the prejudices of the other teachers in the school. I don’t think the students had ever heard of the Holocaust because no one had ever made an effort to try and teach them. The opinion at that school was that “those” students were never going to be good for anything and that they would never be able to be taught so there was no point in trying. The whole book ordeal is centered around this point as well. The department head was under the impression that these books were not only of above the reading level of Ms. G’s students but also that the books were too nice and that the students would only tear them up and vandalize them. She didn’t believe they deserved the books or that they were qualified to have them. I believe the importance is to show how Ms. G is not willing to accept the way of thinking of the other teachers and that she is willing to stand up for what she believes in even if that means she has to go out and get two more jobs to help pay for the materials she is looking for. I believe the most important message of this film is to not settle and accept the way that things are. Just because things are a certain way doesn’t mean that they have to stay that way, it doesn’t mean that things cant change for the better.
I think that Ms. Gruwell received that advice because the other teachers thought that she would be targeted by gang violence. They thought that since she was teaching kids from the minorities, it was too dangerous to wear expensive jewelry, because they might steal it. I think that she ignored this advice because she wanted to give the kids a fair chance and wanted to treat them as adults and respected individuals. I think that none of the kids had heard about the holocaust because teachers hadn't taken the time to teach them about it, because they assumed that since they were minorities, they wouldn't care, and it would be a waste of their time.
The importance of the discussion was that Ms. Gruwell stuck up for her students and expressed her opinion that the kids will never take learning seriously until they are taught in that way. They need to be given responsibility to show them that they are trusted and important in order for them to learn and want to learn. I think the most important message of the film was that you should never judge a book based on its cover. The kids in the class were all judged by teachers due to their skin color. The kids judged each other and associated themselves with people of specific colors and appearances. I agree with Ben in that backgrounds and race and appearances in general really affected how people saw one another in this movie, but Ms. Gruwell attempted to open up the kids minds and those around her as well.
I agree with just about everyone but I agree particularly with Alyssa in that the new books made the students feel as if someone really cared about them and that they were not longer being treated as second hand students.
Ms. Gruwell was probably given the advice not to wear pearls to class by the department head because it was believed the students weren't any better than their gang-related stereotypes, therefore likely to steal them. Ms. Gruwell ignored this advice and wore the pearls anyways. I think she chose to ignore this advice in order to give these students the benefit of the doubt. She decided to see the students as individuals rather than stereotyping them based on their race, culture, or social class.
In Ms. Gruwell's class none of the students were aware of the Holocaust. This was probably because in the past no one had put any effort into the students, just as they had not put effort into themselves. Due to this lack of effort, the students weren't very educated, including an education on a topic as complex as the Holocaust.
The discussion between Ms. Gruwell and the department head regarding new books for the students clearly portrayed the universal negative feelings towards her students by the department head, and how Ms. Gruwell did not view her students in this way. Ms. Gruwell proved to believe in her students and their potential.
I think that the most important message throughout the film was to have a voice and to stand up for the greater cause and beliefs. Also, not to judge someone based on their background or how they may appear. Not to make judgements without an understanding of what someone feels and what they have faced.
I agree with Ben that a little good can go a long way. Any small effort can make a big difference and inspire others to do good as well.
Ms. Gruwell wore the pearls on the first day because she didn't submit to the same ignorance and stereotyping the department head demonstrated. She didn't automatically assume that her students were going to be criminals just because of their socio-economic background. The students probably had never heard of the Holocaust because teachers before Ms. Gruwell had been ignorant like the department head and and decided not to teach the kids about it because they thought it would be to difficult to understand. The discussion about giving her students new books was important because it further drove home the beliefs of the department head which were that the kids wouldn't have either respect for the books or ability to understand them.
I think the most important message of the film is that with determination and persistence one person can have a profound effect in society. whether it be helping people who hate each other connect, or inspiring others.
I also agree with Jamie in that seeing what everyone has to offer as a person, is another important message of this film
I agree with Sean that inspiring others is the most important first step revealing someone's full potential.
Freedom writers was probably the most interesting and the most moving films that we have seen in this class. People today including me hear minorities and they put them all in the same group but this movie opened my eyes to the fact that they are very different. When the kids walked into class they already had a built up hatred for one another, they were all in their own gangs and didn’t want anything to do with each other. After the teacher understood this she started to break up the groups by allowing them to see that they weren’t that different after all. At the end of the film the same kid who told her that he had no respect for her showed respect. Over all that summed up the movie and showed the transformation.
I agree with jamie Ms.Gruwell did give the kids the benifit of the doubt. She could have listened to the head of the department and notput them on based off of what the kids were known for. She trusted them from the start and at the end it all payed off.
I think she ignored the advice because the pearls had a special meaning to her. Ms. Gruwell also is a very independent person who wants to create ideas for herself and not go off of what other people say. That way her thoughts are her own. I think that almost none of the students had ever heard of the Holocaust because no one had ever taught them that subject and a lot of them had other things on their mind. In a way it was as if they were fighting their very own Holocausts. I think the importance of that discussion was to show how different the views of Ms. Gruwell and her department head were. They differed greatly and showed how much Ms. Gruwell cared. I think the most important message was that success comes from yourself and there is always a difference to be made.
In response to Ben Fowle...
I think that the message of not to judge someone based on their background is also a reoccuring theme and message throughout the movie.
Post a Comment