I just returned from seeing the new movie, Freedom Writers, with my teacher pal Kel. IT...IS...FANTASTIC! It is one of the most inspirational movies I have seen in a long time. (It's nice to know they are still making them.) Being a teacher, I had a pretty personal connection, though it made me glad I don't teach high school! However, something tells me that even non-teachers will enjoy it. I do not feel as though this movie was as well-advertised as it could have been, so if you haven't seen a preview or commercial, here's a brief synopsis:
Rookie teacher Erin Gruwell is in her first year of teaching at an inner city Long Beach, CA school. The kids are GHET-TO and in the midst of a racial war. Being a first year teacher, Erin is super-motivated but consistently told by her co-workers that there is no hope. She vows to make a difference, and does so at the cost of a LOT of her own money (all teachers can relate) and even her marriage. She gives the students each their own journal, in which they can write whatever they want. She only reads them when they ask, but the journals give her a lot of insight into her students' backgrounds. In the end, she is able to use these journals to really connect to her students, and carry out some pretty incredible lessons. You'll have to see the movie to know the rest. I highly recommend it. Let me know what you think!
PS - To top it all off, McDreamy plays her husband AND it's based on a true story. It couldn't get any better than this!
2 comments:
Is this the one that looks like another "Dangerous Minds?"
I teach this book and I can tell you anything else you want to know about this amazing teacher and her inspiring students. She is now a professor and continues to write curriculum so other teachers can make a difference. My students love the book and honestly, you have to experience the raw words of the actual students. I imagine if you get their stories from them it will be even more fulfiling than the film. This film has to be good because Erin was on the script writing team and had first hand in the creative direction.
I can't wait to see it!!!
Movies like Freedom Writers, Dangerous Minds and Lean on Me are so good because they are true stories. It is so sad that we have millions of war movies, hundreds of horror flicks, yet we catorgorize films about teachers into one lump group. I think if more films highlighted the inspirational side of education (instead of the guns, molestation, etc.) there might be more respect.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This is a fantastic site:
http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org
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