Role Model, by Marwah Ayache

On my eighteenth birthday, a friend got me a copy of The Freedom Writers’ Diary. It was a special gift since this book is based on the true story of an English teacher named Erin Gruwell at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Although she started out at Wilson High School as a student teacher, she ended up become a permanent teacher at the school. Gruwell made a significant impact on her students, which is something I want to achieve when I start teaching. Gruwell’s story has shown me that a teacher is more than just an educator to students, and that teachers can have a bigger impact on their students if they put in the effort. I hope that one day in my teaching career I will have impacted my students as much as Erin Gruwell did for her own students. Erin Gruwell is a role model for me because she believed in her students, even though they had been cast off as “unteachable” and “at-risk” by the educational system. She helped out both students and teachers, and has inspired me to do the exact same for students. 

One of the reasons that Gruwell is a role model for me is that she believed that her so-called “unteachable, at-risk” students could change for the better. When Gruwell first started teaching at this school, she was worried and scared that the students would not like her or not take her seriously since she was so young. She wanted to look past race during her time student teaching, but knew that was not going to be the case once the bell rang. She had a troubled student named Sharaud in her English class. He made sure everyone knew that he disliked the school, the class, and even Gruwell herself, getting her to cry. A month later, he had been the butt of a bad joke. Another student in the class had gotten annoyed with Sharaud and drew a racist picture of him that featured exaggerated big lips. This picture was passed around the class and everyone began laughing at him. Once Sharaud saw the picture, it put a dent in his so-called tough personality and he was at the point of tears.

Once Gruwell saw this picture, though, she was shocked and angry. She explained to the class how during World War II, the German Nazis used propaganda similar to that during the Holocaust. To her surprise, one student asked what the Holocaust was. When Gruwell asked the class how many of them knew what the Holocaust was, no one raised their hands. Gruwell then asked how many of them had been shot at; every hand in the class went up. At this moment, Erin Gruwell knew that she had to do something to change this group of kids who were deemed unteachable and at-risk. Gruwell decided to throw out the lessons she had spent so much time planning and made tolerance the main purpose of her curriculum. She would begin teaching this new curriculum by trying to bring history into her class through new books, guest speakers, and field trips (Gruwell 1-3). This new curriculum solely focused on the value and promotion of diversity, and it greatly impacted their lives. These students were encouraged by their teacher to re-evaluate rigid beliefs about themselves and others, reconsider their own decisions, and change their future. These students gave up teenage pregnancy, drugs, and violence to become college students, published writer, and citizens for change, all because their teacher believed they could change (Bureau). Gruwell’s belief that her students could change, even though the educational system gave up them, is one of the many reasons she is my role model.

Another way Erin Gruwell is a role model to me is that over the course of her career as an educator, she has helped both her students in her classroom and educators in their classrooms. In her own classroom, Gruwell did her best to help out her students, even in the smallest ways possible. While she was teaching at Wilson High School, Proposition 187 was a proposal that would affect immigrant families if it passed. This proposal stated that public programs, like health care benefits and education, can be taken away from illegal immigrants. One of Gruwell’s students wrote a diary entry about this proposal because it would affect her mother if it passed. Most of the students planned to stage a walkout to protest this proposal, but this student decided that he or she would be better off in class discussing how she felt about it in class, since their voice can be heard and their opinions were never judged. Gruwell held a class discussion that day about how this proposal would affect certain nationalities (Gruwell 22). Another student of Erin Gruwell had dyslexia. Gruwell did not make fun of about his learning disorder and instead taught him that reading can be fun, and even though it can be difficult sometimes, it is still enjoyable. In addition to encouraging him in reading, Erin Gruwell has encouraged this specific student in sports. This student now knows that by working hard in school and sports, he or she can be successful (Gruwell 24). Erin Gruwell decided she wanted to extend her impact as a teacher beyond the classroom at Wilson High School. Erin Gruwell founded the Freedom Writers Foundation. This foundation teaches educators all over the world how to use her innovative lesson plans in their own classes (Bureau). Erin Gruwell willingness to help not only her own students, but teachers as well is another reason why she is my role model.

Erin Gruwell is a role model to me due to the fact that I am inspired by her. To begin with, I would like to start a foundation like just she did. Although I had always wanted to do something big during my educational career, I was never exact sure of what to do. Once I read that she had created a foundation of her to help other educators, I got an idea of what to do. I would like to start a foundation to donate school supplies, money, textbooks, and backpacks to students in need all around the world. Also, I hope that one-day people can be inspired by me like they are by Gruwell. She inspires many students and teachers due to the work she does, like fight for equality in education (Bureau). I hope that one-day, I am able to achieve as much as half the things she has done in her life. Finally, I hope to be able to change my students’ lives as much as she did. Her innovative lesson plans that focused on promoting diversity, she changed her students lives by encouraging them to change their beliefs, decisions, and ultimately, their future (Bureau). I hope my students are able to say that I had that effect on them. Erin Gruwell has inspired me as a role model.

Erin Gruwell is big role model to me due her strong belief that her “unteachable” students could change, the way she was able to help both students and teachers, and how she was able to inspire me to want to do great things. She was able to change her students’ attitudes completely, which led to them wanting to become writer and college students, instead of getting involved in drugs and violence. She has helped her students by giving them a voice in her classroom and encouraging them to be successful in ever aspect of their lives. Erin Gruwell has provided teachers around with world with ways to include her lesson plans into their classrooms. She has also inspired me to do great things once I become an educator.

Reference

Gruwell, E., & Writers, T. F. (1999). The Freedom Writers Diary. New York City, New York:

Broadway Books.

Bureau, A. P. (2015). Erin Gruwell: Educator & Catalyst for Social Change. Retrieved February

8, 2016, from http://www.apbspeakers.com/resources/speakerpdf/1001150.pdf