I have been tabbing certain pages. This diary of all of the students thoughts and feelings is an emotional roller-coaster. It's amazing to see how far these students have come. When I teach, I want students to keep a journal just like the students at Wilson High. Some students may roll their eyes because they have to keep a journal, just as many of Ms. Gruwell's students did, but after getting use to the journaling the students found it as a way to let out their emotions.
I enjoy reading about Erin's teaching strategies and I have some ideas of ways I could incorporate her ideas into my classroom. I am borrowing her "Toast for Change" campaign and lesson for my student teaching 10-day unit. I was moved by this story and feel as though my students could do the same. Erin does a fabulous job of bringing literature together and relating it to her student's lives. Erin knows her students and because she knows them, she is able to teach them.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a teacher, not just an English teacher. Reading about how "at-risk" students become successful is reason in itself to want to teach and help make a difference in a child's life.
Here are some links relating to the Freedom Writers:
Click here for the movie trailer.
Click here for the Freedom Writers Foundation.
I, as well, absolutely loved that book. Please let me know how using the "Toast for Change" lesson works for your unit. I'd love to hear exactly how you're planning on carrying this out.
ReplyDeleteIt is awesome that I just read this because I am actually doing a journal "activity" for my students this year at Field. I, like Dr. Kist, went out and bought notebooks for all of my students. I am having my students journal about whatever they want to write about. I think teachers these days are too concerned with vocabulary sheets, quizzes over reading and assignments that don't lead to the creativity of the students. Unfortunately we are not allowing them to write!!! I think that they don't have assignments that allow them to write enough.
ReplyDeleteI hope that with this activity students will begin to love writing. It's imperative in my mind that we harness this right away. Students deserve to be heard as well. Of course I am only going to be giving a completion grade on this assignment. I want the students to know that I respect their voice and that what they have to say IS important, no matter what it may be.
I feel that journaling is such a special way for students to explain how they feel. I plan on doing some journaling in my 10-day unit.
ReplyDeleteErin Gruwell=my role model. I want to be just like her. (I'm not kidding!) I found her character to be the most inspiring of any I've seen in my entire life.
I constantly think about her when I am dealing with students. Like her, I am working with students from a rough neighborhood. Many students have issues that they want to talk about. This is why journaling is crucial to any English classroom!