In the beginning of the film,
The Freedom Writers, you saw Ms. Gruwell's department head suggest that she not to wear her pearls to class. We noticed later that she wore them anyway. Why do you think she ignored the advice? Also, you heard the teacher 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 she asked her students if they had ever discussed the Holocaust? Did you think it was important for her to have asked her students that question - if so why?You will make a reflective comment to these questions and then make a comment on at least one other student's comment. Remember to use your First Name and your Last Name!
35 comments:
The movie Freedom Writers was a very inspiring and moving movie. In the beginning of the movie Ms. Gruwell’s department head suggested that she not where her pearls to school. I believe that Ms. Gruwell ignored this advice for several reasons. I think she ignored the advice because she honestly didn’t think that the kids could be that threatening. I also think that Ms. Gruwell thought that her department head had no right telling her how she should act or dress as a teacher. Another reason why I think she wore her pearls is because her father gave them to her and the pearls gave her hope and strength to get through event the hardest of times.
When one of the students drew a picture of another student with big lips because he was black, Ms. Gruwell brought up the holocaust. When she found out that the students had never talked or heard about the holocaust she was shocked and decided it best to discuss it in depth. I think it was very important that she asked about the holocaust. This is because the holocaust is such an important part of history. The discrimination that the Jewish people suffered was unimaginable and nobody should have to go through what they did. What the students didn’t realize is the severity of discriminating against others because it could lead to something as devastating as the holocaust.
To me it is amazing how one person can make such a difference in the world. Ms. Gruwell took a class that was much divided and brought them together. The differences of the class at the begging of freshman year to the end of sophomore year are outstanding. Ms. Gruwells actions prove that one person can make a difference in this world.
I believe she ignore the advice to remove her pearls because she didn’t want the kids to feel as though they had been pre-judged or feel that she thought they were dangerous. By wearing the pearls she made a statement that she didn’t listen to anything notions she had heard about that kids and it was up to them to leave a good impression on her because they were starting with a clean plate. I think she asked the students if they had ever heard of the holocaust because she wanted to make them aware of the connection between the discrimination they were making and the holocaust, which revolved around discrimination that led to genocide.
I think Meg Sullivan made a great point in saying that this was a very inspiring movie, and I have to agree with her. The change that those students went through from the beginning of freshman year to the beginning of sophomore year was amazing.
I think that Ms. G ignored the department heads advice and kept wearing her pearls as a sign of respect to her students and to show that she wasn’t afraid of them. I think that Ms, G asked her students if they had ever studied the Holocaust because they all seemed very confused when she was talking about the Nazi’s and about Jews being discriminated against. Her class seemed to believe that it was impossible for white people to be treated differently. I think it was very important for Ms. G to ask her students this question because the Holocaust is such an important part of our history and it’s about gang violence which these kids go through every day. Ms. G was able to teach her students a little bit more about themselves and about such an important event in history at the same time.
I believe that Meg Burke and Meg Sullivan are both right when they say that by Ms. G teaching her kids about the Holocaust she made them more aware of their own actions and how discrimination is such a terrible thing.
I think Meg Burke makes a good point about how Ms. G wore here pearls so the kids would get a sense of respect from their teacher.
I think Megan Sullivan makes a good point when she said that Ms. Gruwell wore her pearls because she trusted her kids with out even knowing them, to not take her pearls and because she didn't consider them that threatening. In the end, her first instincts turned out to be true and she transformed a classroom filled with animocity and terror to a family like and comfortable setting.
this is one of my favorite movies, and was my deciding factor to become a teacher. I understood, after watching the movie in theaters, that a teacher isn't just someone who stands infront of a class, it is a person who can change the lives of his/her students all because they care. I love watching this movie, every time I get tears in my eyes for each scene that Mrs. gruwell starts to care about her kids. not because she has to, but because she wants to. I agree with Megan when she said that the holocaust should be taught in classrooms, because people need to know these things so that they can prevent it from happening again.
Ms. Gruwell asked her students if they had ever heard about the Holocaust in order to make a point to her students. She compared
Hitler and the Nazis to the gangs within the community. She used this analogy to emphasize the severity of the consequences that come with the isolation and discrimination of a race. I thought this was an extremely clever comparison and I thought it was important for her to ask if the students have ever heard of the Holocaust because once again the Nazis were doing the same thing that all of the different gangs were doing locally, only on a much more etreme level. I personally thought that Ms. Gruwell's triumphs with room 203 were unbelievable. The way that she devoted all of her time, personal finances, and effort was extrodinary in order to make a difference in a few poverty stricken lives. I very much enjoyed this film.
As for the first question, I feel as if Ms. Gruwell still wore the pearls to show her independence. Also, from the beginning she never showed any fear for the students. Even though she eventually got to view the world they live in and the things they were capable of, she only saw the good. This is unless the department head who only saw the bad parts of the students like violence. As for the second question, I feel as if the Holocaust was a good thing to mention because it had been one of the biggest acts of prejudice in history. I think that she wanted to make her students realize the intensity of their actions by comparing the Holocaust to the drawing and the things that they were doing to one another.
I definitely agree with Emily's view on Ms. Gruwell and what she had done. It's hard to think that just one first-year teacher could do this, but it's utterly inspiring. Personally, I want to be a teacher and I hope to affect students even at the slightest fraction of what she did. It would be so worthwhile.
At the beginning of the movie ms.gruwell department head suggest to her not to wear her pearls. i think she choose not to follow that advise because she didnt believe a group of kids could be so threatening and dangerous. i think the reason she ask her students about the holocaust because she never thought that someone wouldnt know about such an event. i think it was a very influential question that she asked her students. the way her students could relate and how entwined with all the information that happened help form them into the people they were at the end of the movie. i think megan sullivan did a very good job describing her thoughts on the movie and i think her comment is spot on how i feel about this movie. i have never seen this movie and it was amazing i would definably want to see it again.
I overall enjoyed the movie and think that it stands for many great lessons to be learned. At the start of the movie when Ms. G first meets with the department head she suggests she take of the pearls that her father had given her. But instead of taking the advice from the department head, she leaves the pearls on. I think Ms. G did this for a few reasons, one she thought that these young adults are no threat and shouldn’t be any danger to her or her earrings. Also throughout the movie she has a way of doing things on her own and with her own drive and never once does she let the department head tell her what to do, not on the large scale of trying to prevent her from being the students teacher for junior year or on the smaller scale of wearing pearls. I think that Ms. G asked the students if they had ever discussed the holocaust because if it was discussed with the right facts then they most likely wouldn’t have been passing around the picture. Also I’m sure that that was the first thing that came to her mind when she saw the picture and was a great connection to the unnecessary discrimination that has been so prevalent and had a clear effect on the students. And yes, I do think that it was important that she asked them if they had discussed the holocaust because after she did teach it to them it made a major difference in their thinking and ultimately their actions and if Ms.G never asked the question who knows if the result would have been the same.
I agree with Amanda H, that one of the main reasons Ms. G didn’t take out the pearl earring was out of a sign of respect for the students and not judging them like they have always been in school.
I thought this movie was as interesting as it was inspiring. Originally i think the teacher kept her pearls on because she was ignorant to what these students were like and what they were capable of. I thought it was interesting how the teacher incorporated the holocaust into the incident that happened in class. It allowed the students to take a step back and realize what segregation could amount to in the longrun. Overall this movie was very effective is showing how one person can change the lives of many.
I agree with kelsey in the respect that MRS. G decided to keep her pearls because she had trust in her students and it was a sign of respect and trust to them
I thought the movie Freedom Writers was a very inspirational film. I think that at the beginning of her teaching experience, Mrs. G had no idea what she was in for. Although it took some time she made connections between the lives of her students and examples of segregation and discrimination from the past. Mrs. Gruwell also showed her "underprivelaged" students that they could be successful in life, go to college, and make it out of the rough neighborhoods they grew up in. At first, her students showed her no respect, and undermined her authority, not believing that a middle aged white woman knew anything about what they were going through everyday. But over time she showed them that she truly cared and wanted them to succeed. I thought the way that Mrs. G fought for her students showed the kids in her class how much she cared, and they responded to that, and was eventually the reason so many of them made it to graduation and moving on to bigger and better things than gang life.
I agree with Sully in that discussing past examples of discrimination such as the holocaust with her students was critical. The students constantly talked about how everything would be better if the other races weren't around. But over time the students realized that it wasn't about skin color or the gang that they were associated with. Mrs. G helped her students realize that there is more to life than gangs, and that they could all do bigger and better things.
I enjoyed watching the movie Freedom Writers very much. It is extremely inspiring and certainly made me want to be a better person. At the beginning of the movie, I think that the department head suggested to Mrs. Gruwell not to wear her pearls to school because the department was extremely stereotypical and could not see passed the ethnicity of each student. To her the students were nothing but trouble. I think Mrs. Gruwell ignored the advice mainly because she did not see her students in the way that the department head did, and she wanted to send the message to her students that she could trust them. She was showing her students that she didn't view them as bad kids in any way by wearing her pearls to school. I think that Mrs. Gruwell asked her students if they had ever heard of the Holocaust because she wanted them to connect the discrimination that Jews received during that time, to the discrimination that each individual student may deal with in their lives on a day to day basis. In all, Mrs. Gruwell used many unbelievable teaching methods and strategies to create a multiracial family inside her classroom. It was an amazing thing to see and should bring hope to anyone.
I really did enjoy the movie Freedom Writers when Mrs. G department head told her not to wear her pearls it was like she saying that the students in her class were going to steal them. I think that Mrs. Gruwell's ingore the advise because she believed that the students in her would be threatening. I think Mrs Gruwell's ask her student abotu the Holocaust and know really knew about she was shocked and was a big part of history. I think this movie shows that if you all the care into something that you can make a change in someone. Like Mrs. Gruwell's showed that she care for her students and that made them start to change and see that they could do it. I agree with Meg Burke because by not taking off the pearls in her class it was show the department head that she can trust her students. I also agree about what Meg Burke say that Mrs. Gruwell's tried to show the students in her class that you can change if you want.
I agree with what Megan said regarding why Mrs. Gruwell chose not to listen to the department head. I think she felt that the department had no right to tell her what she should and should not wear to school. Mrs. Gruwell was in no way influenced by the department heads advice. It is also probably very true that the pearls gave her hope in struggling times. It is really cool to see that Mrs. Gruwell was able to bring such a divided class together and create a family.
I think that Ms. Gruwell ignored the department head's suggestion to not wear pearls because she didn't expect that the students were going to be as dangerous as she was told they were. I think that she was naive and thought the department head was exaggerating and trying to scare her, so she overlooked the suggestion and wore her pearls. I think that it was important that Ms. Gruwell asked about the holocaust because it was a critical part of history and the fact that the students in her class didn't know about it was unusual because of its significance. The comparison Ms. Gruwell used between the holocaust and the discrimination within races in their community was smart and insightful. It helped show her students what could really happen in the future if the discrimination continued.
I agree with Megan S when she says that the difference of Ms. G's students' behavior between freshman and sophomore year was huge. The changes they made in their attitude and lifestyle in just one year was so impressive.
The movie freedom writers was a great movie. Ms.G is a good example of a teacher who really enjoy and care about what she does. Ms.G help all her students to see that what they were doing was not the best thing to do in life. So she help them to choose a different life with a better future. Ms.G never listen to any negative things the all the teachers and principal tell her about her students. everything that Ms.G does is a surprise for me because I never though that one teacher could help people like them that hate each other for no reason. Ms,G is a good example for anyone who want to be a teacher because she does everything for their kids just like a mother will do for any of her sons.
I found this movie to be incredibly inspiring. Ms. Gruwell really showed how one person can have a lasting impact on an entire community. I found Ms. Gruwell’s department head’s comment about the pearls to be very interesting and it showed how this woman prejudged the people in Ms. Gruwell’s class. I think Ms. Gruwell ignored the advice not to wear the pearls to show that she trusted in her students and to act as a reminder to them and herself of the potential that these students had. I also thought that Ms. Gruwell’s discussion about the Holocaust following the ugly picture situation was very important. The ugly picture passed around epitomized the notions of stereotyping and discrimination. These two things came to shape the feeling of superiority within the Nazi mentality. Through teaching her students about the Holocaust and the way in which the stereotyping and discriminating of an entire people caused a mass genocide, Ms. Gruwell enlightened her students as to how dangerous discrimination and stereotyping can be.
I think Megan raises an interesting point about why Ms. Gruwell decided to continue wearing her pearls. I never considered how the sentimental value of the pearls might help to give Ms. Gruwell strength during difficult times. I also found Ms. Gruwell’s ability to unite a completely divided class to be truly remarkable and inspiring.
I missed the first section of this movie. It was important for them to learn about the holocaust because Mrs. G thought they could relate as they were also being oppressed. I also think that they shoul've had to do junior and senior year without her holding their hand.
I can agree with Meagan in that not wearing perals was a way of protecting themselves.
I think that Mrs. Gruwell chose to keep wearing her pearls despite the words of the department head to show how committed she was to educating her students and making a change in their lives. Her choice to continue wearing the pearls despite the possible danger represented how she was willing to continue to try to reach her students despite the risks of violence or failure. When the class began to discuss the Holocaust I think Mrs. Gruwell effectively showed the class the horrors that hate can bring and helped to give them a different perspective on how to view other people. I think it was very important that she discuss this with the class because it helped to completely change the way they think about others.
I agree with Rachel's comment about why Mrs. Gruwell continued to wear her pearls. I think by wearing them she was letting her students know that trusted them and wouldn't jump to any conclusions about them or stereotype them. I also agree that there was great importance in the classes discussion of the Holocaust. I think that by learning about the Holocaust the students were exposed to how terrible stereotyping can be and that its outcomes will always lead to violence.
Freedom Writers was an incredibal movie. Ms.Gruwell as a first time teacher entered a school filled with racial tension and gang territorys. The department head suggested for her not to wear her pearls to class because she figured that the kids in the school would most likely steal them from her. Ms.Gruwell wore the pearls anyway because she wanted to establish a trusting relationship with her new students. They were new freshmen entering the school and deserved a chance. It was extrememly important that Ms.Gruwell brought up the holocaust in her class because there was only one student who happend to even know what it was. Ms.Gruwell was so surprised and shocked because it was such a huge event in our history and everyone should be taught about what the Nazi's did to the jews so that it cant and will never happen again.
I thought this film was extremely inspiring and motivational. The struggles and hardships these students were enduring made it almost impossible for them to succeed in a school where they had no support from anyone. Mrs. G took on a challenge and went above and beyond the requirements of her job. She sacrificed all her time, energy, and even her marriage to support her students. She fought through endless roadblocks with the school committee for her students to succeed.
I also agree with Amanda that Mrs. G decided to leave her pearl necklace on as a sign of respect and also to show that she wasn't afraid of the students or the challenges she knew she would be facing.
Ms. Gruwell wore her pearls even after her department heads comments because she refused to stoop to the others levels and put the kids down. The entire movie everyone except Ms. Gruwell didn't trust the kids and put them down, Ms. Gruwell ignored their advice and did what she felt was right and in return she earned all of the students trust. Ms. Gruwell wanted to teach the students about the holocaust to show the students how dangerous discrimination can be. She wanted to show them the consequences of discrimination and how nothing positive can come from it.
I agree with a lot of people in the class that this was a great movie and was very inspirational. This movie was a grey movie as has become one of my favorites
I've been absent for the past two days... I wish I could have seen the rest of it. :(
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