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?
42 comments:
I think that Ms. G was given advice not to wear the pearls becasue of the conditions of the school. I think the two teachers who talked to her about it are terrified of the children in Ms. G's class. I think Ms. G ignored the advice becasue she doesn't judge people as quickly and easily as most of the teachers at her school. Also becasue she is oppitimistic and has hope for her students, even if they've started down the wrong path. I think the kids never knew about the Holocaust because they are recieving such a crappy education. The school board could care less about these kids becasue they believe these kids could care less. The students in Ms. G's class are in fact just like the jews in the Holocaust. Gang violence is around every corner in their lives and each day is a battle. It's hard to recieve an education and better themselves when teachers don't encourage or believe in their students..when parents can't even look at their children or beat them half to death..when a gang is the only support system a teenager has to rely on.
The conversation between Ms. G and her department head is important becasue it shows how little the school appreciates the integration students. The honors and AP students recieve all the new and proper books, while all other students are thrown the torn and "modified" versions of books. This discussion also lights a fire in Ms. G which leads her to go talk to someone in higher control over the department head and principle. This also portrays how persistant and dedicated Ms. G is to helping her students.
I believe the most important message of the film is that anyone can suceed if they are truely dedicated, truely want it, and if they have an un-bais chance to work for it.
I believe that Mrs G was told not to wear her pearls in school because of the type of students that were in her class. The people who told her this were implying that those are the kind of kids who would steal it from her. She ignored the advice because Mrs G isn't shallow or racist and judges people by who they are not what they look like.
I think that the kids had never learned about the Holocaust because no teacher had ever given them the time of day to learn something meaningful. The students were treated by previous teachers like stupid kids who knew nothing.
The conversation between Mrs G and the department head is important because it shows that the faculty at the HS looks down upon Ms G's class and how the department head doesn't believe that the students in Ms G's classroom deserve nice looking books. This is what causes Ms G to start to actually make a difference and talk to someone in higher control as well as change those students lives.
I think that Ms. G was given the advice to not wear pearls because everyone at the school has an opinion on the students that they’re dangerous and bad. Also, that they may take her for a fool and disrespect her even more because she looks like she’s from a higher class. I think that Ms. G ignored the advice because she knew what she was getting into and she doesn’t have to change herself in order to help change others. I also think that she ignored the advice because it was sort of the starting point of her disagreeing with the school’s ways and it let them know she’s not afraid to do what she thinks is right.
I think that none of the students have heard of the holocaust because no one has given them a chance. All of the other teachers think that these students aren’t worth it and the students thought that they weren’t worth it as well. When Ms. G came around, it was a great way to connect the students to something they’re interested in at school.
The importance of the conversation of the books let the school know that she’s determined and she believes that these kids are worth it to read brand new books. I think that it was significant that the school rejected her request because when Ms. G. bought the books herself, she let the school know that they were wrong and she was right.
I think that the most important message in this movie is that you shouldn’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something based on discrimination. We all have equal rights and if there’s something you want, go get and don’t be afraid to go through some hard times to get to the better ones.
I think that Ms. G was given the advice to not wear pearls because everyone at the school has an opinion on the students that they’re dangerous and bad. Also, that they may take her for a fool and disrespect her even more because she looks like she’s from a higher class. I think that Ms. G ignored the advice because she knew what she was getting into and she doesn’t have to change herself in order to help change others. I also think that she ignored the advice because it was sort of the starting point of her disagreeing with the school’s ways and it let them know she’s not afraid to do what she thinks is right.
I think that none of the students have heard of the holocaust because no one has given them a chance. All of the other teachers think that these students aren’t worth it and the students thought that they weren’t worth it as well. When Ms. G came around, it was a great way to connect the students to something they’re interested in at school.
The importance of the conversation of the books let the school know that she’s determined and she believes that these kids are worth it to read brand new books. I think that it was significant that the school rejected her request because when Ms. G. bought the books herself, she let the school know that they were wrong and she was right.
I think that the most important message in this movie is that you shouldn’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something based on discrimination. We all have equal rights and if there’s something you want, go get and don’t be afraid to go through some hard times to get to the better ones.
In a very indiscret way, the head of the english department told Mrs. Gruwell that she shouldn't wear her nice pearls to class. She was given the advice becuase the students of room 203 are seen only as thieves, gang members, and hopeless cases when it comes to reform. I think Erin decided to ignore the advice to show that she has faith in her students and that she isn't going to be like the other teachers. She won't sit back and judge the students because she really wants to help them.
I think the kids in her class don't know about the holocaust becuase they've never been interested enough in school to learn and they haven't been provided with the tools to do so. It's as hard for them to receive an education and get away from gang violence as it was for the Jews to escape concentration camps.
The conversation Erin has with her department head is important becuase it shows that the school is only fulfilling an obligation. They aren't putting every effort they have into intigrating the school and the kids know it. The department head dosen't trust the kids from bad neighborhoods because they thinks they will steal and ruin the school property they are entrusted with. Mrs. Gruwell shows more faith and uses her own money when she lacks the support of the school.
The main message of this movie is to refrain from judging others and to never underestimate people, no matter where they come from.
I really agree with Taylor's analysis of the main idea for the movie. She pointed out that "anyone can suceed if they are truely dedicated, truely want it, and if they have an un-bais chance to work for it".
I think she was given that advice because the department head thought that one of her new students would try and steal them from her. I think Ms. Gruwell wore them anyway because she didn’t want to judge the kids before even knowing them. She was willing to give the kids a chance to start fresh and work towards a better future. I think none of the students had heard about the Holocaust because no teacher bothered teaching them about it. None of the teachers at that school thought the kids were worth being taught because of their lack of motivation to learn. What the teachers didn’t understand was that the students felt that way because no one ever had faith in them. The department head didn’t want the kids to have new books because she was afraid they would ruin them. This discussion shows how judgmental she is and how little she thought of these kids. She also thinks that these kids have no chance of improving themselves. I think the overall message of this film is to not judge people based on their differences from you.
I also agree with Taylor and what she thought the main idea of the movie was
She was given the advice by her department head because she disagrees with the integration program. I think Mrs. G wore the pearls to class because she didn't believe that these kids were as bad as the administration made them out to be. I think that almost none of the kids had heard of the Holocaust because the teachers in the school system don't teach certain things because they think that the kids aren't smart enough to learn about it. When she talked to her department head about new books, she was met with resistance. This discussion was important because it showed that she isn't even giving the kids a chance with the books that she considers too complex. I think that the most important message of the film is to not judge people based on stereotypes.
I agree with Alisa when she said that by Mrs. G buying the books herself and having all of her success, she proved to everyone that she was right and the administration was wrong.
The pearls are the least likely piece of jewelry to show up in the projects. Pearls are expensive and flashy and the other teachers think that wearing pearls would be bad because of that. They might even think that wearing pearls would be provoking the kids to steal them. Ms. G ignored their advise because she thought the pearls looked bright and welcoming. The kids probably never heard of the holocaust because no one would tell them about it. The most likely didn't come into contact with WWII veterans in their daily life and certainly had no good history class to explain everything. The discussion with the department chair explained how the system spiraled itself to never improve the kid's learning conditions. The department never gave the kids a chance. The most important message of the film is to understand others because widely accepted notions can still be very wrong.
I agree with Alisa, the part with the books was important because she proved the department wrong and showed that the kids were worth brand new books. The department wouldn't help her so Ms. G defied them at her own expense just so she could help her kids.
I believe Mrs. G was advised not to wear the pearls because of the stereotypes the department head associated with the kids in Mrs. G's class. I think the department head as well as the other teachers believed the kids would be tempted to steal it, or look down upon her as just a rich white woman if she wore them in class. I think she decided to ignore the warning because she tends to be more optimistic about people. She put faith in her class, and did not let the labels other teachers gave her students affect her actions; she just decided to be herself and the pearls had sentimental meaning to her.
I think almost none of the students knew about the Holocaust because of several reasons. First of all, they were freshman in high school at the time, and they most likely have not been exposed to the topic before (though I understand that it is common now for kids to have a basic idea of the Holocaust at a younger age). Also, I think that the school would not want to expose them to it because they may be paranoid that it will give the students ideas, since they were already reenacting many of the same things that occurred during the Holocaust on a smaller scale. What I mean is that they were separating each other by nationality, and each group saw themselves as superior to the other groups, and felt the need to protect their "kind" by using violence. They were not afraid to single out people and even kill those who threatened them or looked at them the wrong way.
I think the importance of the discussion about the books was to compare Mrs. G's faith in her students to the ignorance of the department head who, let's be honest, has probably never met a lot of the kids in Mr.s G's class, let alone partake in a conversation with them. The department chair based her decisions around the stereotypes and what she believed was best for the school. Since she truly believed that the books would be torn, she was willing not to give the students a chance. Mrs. G, however, had more faith in her students and makes the wonderful point that the kids are just wasting their time going to school if they were not going to get the same education that other kids, who were white, would get. The discussion really showed how Mrs. G and the department head's beliefs were polar opposite.
I think the most important message of the film is to have faith in people. People often resort to violence when they feel threatened, and it is true that changing years and years of continuous violence is hard, but every person, regardless of ethnicity, has arguable the most important characteristic of all human beings- a heart. The film shows how similar people are, though they don't like to admit it. Depriving people of various things because of paranoia or trust issues will only depress their self-image, and they will respond in unfortunate ways. The film truly shows how faith and patience is a supernatural gift that can change the lives of even the most obdurate people.
I think at the beginning of the film "Freedom Writers" Ms.Gruwell's department head suggested her not to wear her pearls because she does not trust those students that Ms.G was assigned at all. I think that Ms.G wore those pearls anyway because she is trusting and likes to see the good in people. I think that most of here students meaning all but the white kid, did not know of the Holocaust because they were not taught it. Probably because the white teachers thought that they were to dump to understand it. The conversation that she has with her department chair is important because it makes her realize how much other teachers do not care about these students of a different race. I think that the most important message of the film is that people need to be given the same advantages as everybody else to prevail.
I think that the department head gave Mrs. G the advice not to wear her pearls to class because she knows the reputations of the students Mrs. G is teaching. She knows what kind of neighborhoods these kids come from, what they do outside of the school doors, also inside of them, etc. and comes to the conclusion that these are bad kids. I think she was indirectly warning Mrs. G that if she wears her pearls to class, the students might try stealing them. Also, the students could get off on a bad foot with Mrs. G if she wore the pearls because they may classify her as a stereotypical rich white woman.
I think that Mrs. G went against the given advice by wearing the pearls to class because she wanted to prove the department head and the english teacher wrong. She wanted to show them that someones race, color, social status etc, does not determine whether or not they are a bad person.
I was absent for the part of the film involving the Holocaust.
Although I was absent in todays class and missed mmondays class due to the college fair, I saw a decent amount of the movie, Freedom Writers. In the beginning of the film when mrs. G was told to not wear the pearls, it was because the department head who was talking to her was hinting that the kids she is going to be dealing with on a day to day basis in class are not very well behaved kids and that they may try to steal them or something. I think she ignored the advice to prove that she could keep these unfortuneate kids inline and behaved. I missed the part of the movie when the students were asked if they had heard of the Hollocaust ot not but I'm sure that they most likely hadnt heard of it because all of the unfortunate students in that class are dealing with thier own lives, struggling every day. As it was said in the movie many of the students had ever even left the city. The importance of the conversation between Mrs. g and the department chair was because mrs. G pointed out that these children are coming to school to "get an education" but in reality the school is cutting funding for the students, and there not really learning much. The most important messege that i got out of what i saw of the film was that everyone in life especially growing up, needs a family.
I agree with what David said about what the consequences may be of Mrs. G wearing the pearls.
I think Ms. G was given this advice because the department head and the other english teacher look down at the students she will be teaching. I think she ignored this advice because she didn't what really to expect when teaching these kids. Also, because she thought that they wouldn't steal something like that from these teens.
I think the teens had never heard about the Holocaust for many reasons. One reason being that it seems like all these teachers don't care much about these students. Also, I think that they might have learned it in school, but never remembered it because they were to worried about their safty.
The importance of this discussion was to show that no one other than Ms. G believes or trust these teens. The department head thinks that they will just ruin the books, like previous years. I think this was important because it shows that no one cares enough about these kids, other than Ms. G and she's the only one who wants to give them and education.
I think the most important message of this film is don't judge people by the people that came before them. By this I mean that these kids were treated badly in the school system until Ms. G came along.
The pearls are very flashy pieces of jewelry. I believe the department head and English teacher were concerned for Ms. G's "well being". Ms. G doesn't take their advice because she doesn't believe the kids will do anything like stealing them.
Ms. G asks if the kids know about the holocaust because it is one of the most unforgettable and cruel things ever done by human to fellow human. All the kids seem to have harsh personal lives and living conditions so I believe she sees it as something the kids can relate to and get passionate about.
The talk with the department head was quite important because she proves a point. She proves that the traditional methods of teaching wont get through to the kids in the school. She needed something raw and true, because that's all the kids know about. How cruel life can be.
I believe that the message of the film is to prove that anybody from anywhere can do what they want. It doesn't matter if you are from the ghetto or a rich town, if you are black, white, Latino, or Asian. We all have hardships to deal with and that we need to overcome. It teaches us to have hope even though it may seem we are very short of it.
I agree with Marissa that you shouldn't judge people that come before them. Just because these kids had a reputation of being bad doesn't mean they are bad people. Growing up in such a bad environment reflects on your personality and how you deal with things.
This is a great movie as well as one that sends a real world message. This is something that was occurring commonly not all that long ago if you really think about it. The people in this movie and the struggles that they face make the story that much more real and exciting. I also agree with Taylor J. Mrs. is one of the types of people capable of bringing about change.
I enjoyed watching the film in class, but I was unable to see part of it due to the college fair. First off, I think that Mrs. G was not allowed to wear her pearls in her class because of the reputations that were stuck with the children in her class. These kids were labeled as bad by the entire school, and they were feared by all of the teachers. The other teachers do not trust these kids in the same room with something valuable that could be stolen. Mrs. G did not let these other teachers affect her opinions and actions. She isn’t as quick to put a label on individuals like these other teachers; she knows that there is good in everyone. I missed the part in class about the Holocaust but I think that the kids had never learned about it because they were labeled as bad kids that would never listen to a teacher. A teacher wouldn’t take a chance to teach these kids. The conversation that Mrs. G had with the department head was important. This is because it shows how little effort the school puts into teaching the “bad” class, and that they thought these kids were not good for anything. This motivates Mrs. G to make a difference at the school and change the way people view these kids.
I agree with Taylor. We both thought that the reason she was told not to wear the pearls was that the school viewed her class as trouble makers. These kids were labeled negatively and were not given a chance by the school, even though they had good inside of them. I also thought that the meeting was important because it showed how little the school cared about her kids.
I think that Ms. Gruwell was suggested by her department head not to wear her pearls to class because she thought that they would be stolen by one of the kids of the class, or put off the wrong impression. I think she ignored it because she did not want to stereotype or judge the kids before she got to know them, and she also did not think it would be that hectic. She also was given the pearls by her father, who she is always trying to please with her job and what she is doing in her life. I think almost none of the students had heard of the Holocaust because they had never paid a lot of attention to school or history before they were in a class like Ms. Gruwell’s. The importance of the discussion about the new books is that her department head assumes that the kids will not be able to utilize the money and books to their full potential with the students she teaches because of her prejudice, even though they will read anything their teacher hands them by this point. I think the most important message of the film is to not discriminate, even against yourself, and to believe that you can do anything no matter who you are. I also liked how Eva testified against her boyfriend Paco instead of Jamal. Another very important message of the film is that gangs get you nowhere.
I think the reason that the other teachers told her not to wear the pearls to class is because they consider the school such a dirty and dangerous place that there is no room for nice things in a place like that. Ms.G ignored their warnings because she had a much more open mind than they did, and wasn't as quick to judge them. Most of the students probably didn't know anything about the Holocaust because subjects like that are either brought up at home or at school and those kids didn't really have either of those sources to get the information from. The importance of the conversation with her department chair was that it showed the hypocrisy of the school administration that they wouldn't help the kids get a good education while condemning them for being menaces to society. I think that the important message of the movie was that anybody can make a huge impact on a life, they only need to try.
I think Ms. G was given the advice not to wear her pearls because of the type of students in her class. The other teachers did not trust the students in that class just based on their backgrounds and exterior. They didn't even bother to get to know the kids, they just judged them from the beginning. I think Ms. G ignored the other teachers' advice because she was not going to judge her students based on where they come, their race, or their previous actions.
I think Ms. G's students had never learned about the Holocaust because their previous teachers never bothered to teach them about it. All of the teachers besides Ms. G have given up on the students because of where they come from. They didn't realize that each of these students could relate to the Holocaust due to the events that have occurred in their life. I think the teachers didn't care enough.
When Ms. G talks to the department head about getting the students new books, it showed that she really cared about her students and wanted them to get a quality education. This scene also showed how the department looks down on Ms. G's students and do not believe that they would take care of the books, or even read them. This scene really motivated Ms. G to work as hard as she could to make a difference in these kids' education.
I think the most important message of the film is that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Though theses students come from tough backgrounds and look scary from the outside, they actually have positive things to contribute to society. Many people are so quick to judge and do not take the time to get to know people. This is the case with most of the teachers at the high school. It takes someone dedicated and passionate, like Ms. G, to look deeper than the exterior and help these students learn and succeed. In the end, the kids ended up as better people and got along with their peers who were different from them.
The other teachers in the school told Ms. Gruwell to not wear her pearls because of how they thought someone would steal them from her. She decided to wear them anyway because she wanted to she the other teachers that she wasn't afraid. She also wanted to have confidence in the students at the school. I think that almost none of the students had heard of the holocaust because of how none of them had ever learned about it before. I think that in their earlier years at school they either didn't go or the teachers just didn't teach them about it.
The conversation about the books showed how Ms. Gruwell's department head had no confidence in the students anymore. She was more concerned about keeping the books in good condition then using them at all. Ms. Gruwell showed how she had confidence in her students when she decided to just go out and buy some books with her own money.
The most important message of the film is that race shouldnt matter. Ms. Gruwell showed the students how similar they all really were. They all had similar problems in their life and ultimately they were hating each other for no reason.
I agree with Krystle that most of the teachers were shallow and racist and judged Ms. G's students based on what they looked like. I also agree that Ms. G took tremendous efforts to make a difference in her students' lives.
I think that Freedon Writers is a very inspirational film. Not only from looking at the students and seeing how they have so much more potential than they thought they ever would, but also when looking at Ms. G. She was a new teacher and she proved how determined and dedicated she was to teaching these students no matter the circumstances. She did anything that she put her mind to on her own with not much help or support from other teachers or authority and I think that it very admirable.
I agree with Dean that Mrs G wasn't afraid and she also wasn't afraid to tell/show the other teachers that as well. I think that that is one of the most significant messages in the movie, that you cannot be afraid.
I think that Ms. G. was told not to wear pearls in class because many of the other teachers looked at the class she was teaching and saw them as gang members or bad kids that could not be trusted and did not have much potential. However, Ms. G. was able to prove all the other teachers wrong. Her trust for the students grew from day one and by the end the relationship between her and the students were so different and good. Other teachers never gave these students the same oppurtunity because they judged them without getting to know them or what they were capable of.
I agree with Taylor, the students in this class are similar in ways to Jews in the Holocaust. These kids are heros just like Holocaust survivors because they fight battles like that every single day.
I agree with Taylor because if you are determined you can be successful. Ms. G proved that well by being determined to help the kids and she was successful. The kids were also determined to fix their lives and they did. If you set your mind to something, you can make happen
I agree with Taylor because if you are determined you can be successful. Ms. G proved that well by being determined to help the kids and she was successful. The kids were also determined to fix their lives and they did. If you set your mind to something, you can make happen
I really enjoyed this movie. Even though it was my second time watching it, i still felt very emotional for all of the students in room 203. Ms. G is a very couragous woman for having put her life on the line for her students. The fact that she did as much as she could is admirable. I agree with Taylor Johnson who said that the teachers who told her to not wear the pearls were afraid of the students. They viewed the students more as monsters or evil crimminals more than anything else. Even though she was faced with these false images and the initial distrust and animosity fromn the students, Ms G did her best to treat the students properly and let them decide if she should be afraid of them or not. The courage that Ms G has is one that i wish to have attained myself in the future. To be able to look past all external views and images and see people for who they truly are is a skill that many people these days lack. Ms G is my hero and i hope that one day i will be able to have the courage to stand up for what is morally right and the correct thing to do.
PS i am very very sorry if this is considered late. i unfortunately was unable to go to the library after school and currently have no computer in my room to do any work with. i am right now borrowing my mother's laptop in hopoe to be ablet to get this post done.
I think she was given the advice to not wear the pearls, because of the condition of the school. People wouldn’t normally see someone walking around there with pearls on and its probably best to not stand out. I think the students didn’t know about the holocaust because they either didn’t pay attention in school or they just didn’t show up and never had the will to learn. When she was talking to the department chair about the books, it really showed how dedicated she was to teaching and how she would go to any length to try to relate to the students. The most important message from the movie is that you should do something meaningful with your life, and that anyone can do it. Not just over privileged white kids. All you have to do is apply yourself and you can do anything you set your mind to.
I agree with Ethan, in that you can do anything in this world no matter who you are or even where you come from.
I believe that Ms G was advised not to wear her pearls to school by the department head because of her predisposition towards the kids due to her racism. The deapartment head's racism is a reoccuring aspect of the film. it is shown in particularly in the scene where ms g tries to get books for her class but is rejected by the department head. she speaks down on the students as iif they werent even human, showing that the schools problems are much more internal than the students.
Ms. G was given the advice not to wear the pearl necklace to class because the department head and other teacher both thought that it would get stolen by the students. The department head and teacher had no trust in the students and assumed that the students would try to steal anything of value. Ms. G decided to ignore this advice because she did not want to judge her students before meeting them and because she wanted to start off by establishing a trust with them. The students had probably never heard about the holocaust before because their previous teachers had not taken the time to teach them about something that would not directly help the students in the menial jobs the teachers thought they would have. The discussion with the department chair about the books is important because it showed that the administration did not truly care about the education of Ms. G's students and also that they did not respect their level of intelligence because the department chair refused to allow them to read hard books. The most important message of this film is not to judge and that regardless of background, with enough determination and hard work you can succeed.
I agree with Mike about how the reputation of Ms. G's students had led to them being treated without respect by the administration and that it wasn't until Ms. G came that they got a chance to reveal their true character. When given the opportunity to succeed, the kids did so, but when they were judged and labeled, the kids for the most part just filled the labels they were given.
I think she wore the pearls as to show she was not scared of those kids and believed she could gain their respect. And she did gain it because she didn't treat them like everyone else. I think the discussion about the books were important because it showed how the department head actually thought and acted towards these kids. Also to show that Ms.G was so deticated she wasn't going to take no for an answer. I think those kids didn't know about the holocaust because no one ever took the time to teach about it probably because they thought it was a waste of their time. I think this movie show how you shouldn't give up at the first sign of failure.
I was absent
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