This woman personifies what a true teacher actually is. Every child deserves a teacher like her. What a beautiful story. I want to read the books and watch the movie now.
I was a WHITE student in public school in the city and it was a BLACK Mathematics teacher who showed me the most love and kindness. In fact, when my family moved she used to write to me. It's not about white or black or brown, as some of these comments seem to suggest. It's about being a teacher with a heart inspired by love and selfless dedication to the best possible good of your students.
@@TheSaleh1999 i"m absolutely and completely agree with you🤷🏻😢🤷🏻Happy new year 2021🎆i wish you God may bring you all your dreams come true🌻💛🌻 God bless you and bless all your beautiful family today tomorrow and always❤🌹🙏🏻🌹❤
I had a white math teacher who everyone saw as mean but I saw a true caring teacher. She wanted us to pass and in her desperation she told us a little insight of her life. She said “They ask me, what are you doing there teaching in a low income school? They tell me that I should go teach in a suburban school but I don’t want to. I’m here to help you all” since that day I was touched and found a new respect for her ❤️ God bless her I hope she is doing well ❤️❤️
That's amazing of you thank you for helping kids out. May you have the impact to change the kids lives let them know that they can do better. Most importantly teach them that love is unconditional please do that for me make them understand resilience and god. John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. And Jeremiah 29:11 for i know the plans I have for you declares the lord plans to prosper you not to harm (fail) you plans to give you hope and a future.
@@openingshift7070That’s 100% wrong, you need to do a bit more research and stop listening to propaganda. I know you wrote this a year ago but I just had to chime in on this constant misinformation that gets spread around all because America has been made the world’s scapegoat.
Strongly agree with you. The school and education programs are bad and leave a lot of kids behind with very little support in areas that they need it most.
@openingshift7070 Because of teachers like this Gruwell character. Don't you remember from her movie; "I want you to give yourselves the grade you feel you deserve."
The story of Maria is touching to say the least. It’s important for adults of any vocation to remember that children-however Ill behaved- are children. They need love to grow. They need adults to believe in them as they build value in themselves and find their way in the world.
so so true, my little brother was in 'alternative education ' for 'unruly kids'. he had no chance at school who never saw his different learning abilities..hands on learning. he now drives coaches for a manager who saw his potential😊
@Win Big with Lena & Mike no strangers aren't those kids parents, but if no one stands up for them, no one believes in them enough to show kindness, human compassion, love & a better way to grow up, then what will happen to those kids? Become hardened criminals, go to prison, end up 6' under? Their criminal ways are going to affect a lot people. The citizens where those kids ultimately get locked up are paying for them to stay locked up. Which is better, paying a little now (w/time, effort & some monetary resources) or paying a lot later (from the crimes they have committed, lives changed for the worse, maybe some deaths, and yes again monetary resources)? Which would be better, someone like Maria who became a teacher herself, a productive member of society, giving back to underprivileged kids, or a felon either locked up for life or out on the streets commiting more crimes against society? I pick the ounce of prevention over the pound of cure. Help these kids, care about them, connect w/them, show them something better, even if you are originally a stranger, you won't be one for long.
Stories like this is why I chose to become a teacher. Some kids just don’t have one person in their corner fighting for them to make it. I want to be their cheer leader.
Don't give up. Most days you aren't going to make progress and you'll feel like you're smacking your head off the wall. Getting through to kids isn't easy, especially troubled kids with rough home lives. They've been taught by their experiences to never trust anyone, especially adults. Earning their trust will be difficult, but ultimately if you change the life of just one kid, you will have succeeded. Good luck.
People always joke about the "white savior", but I wish I had a white woman, anyone, come into our school and gave us a chance where everyone else gave up on us.
I lived that too. I didnt meet a great teacher like this till my first year in community college. My english teacher could see my incomplete education. He stayed and helped me. Helped me write my college admission to his university and I got in. He was the oldest teacher at 85. It was nice to sit with a grandpa and go slower to learn. I learned! I wish a good teacher for everyone as it will change your life. It did for me.
I'm sure they are many if only the system n parents would show them the respect they deserve n let them to what they're are meant to do, guide and prepare children
I had a teacher that threw my test paper at me and told me that I was a no good for nothing. I was in the 4th grade at the time, Oh how that hurt me. U just never what impacts you in life.
@@missrita1826 man, some people should just not be teachers. Sorry that had to happen to you, cause it really shouldn't. Honestly, it's sad when people like this are allowed to educate children.
@@kella_rt653 Come to find out that he had a nervous break down and was in a mental hospital for a while. It still pops up in my mind sometimes. Thank you so much.
@@EverHeartK98 You are a brave soul. So sorry you had to go through trama like that. You are a special person, a somebody that is not dumb, remember that. Somebody thay take stupidity out on us is going through things and then take it out on us, so we are not dumb. Hold your head up high and be proud of yourself. You are special. Just love and be easy on yourself. Take care.
don't forget that teachers aren't just found in a classroom. They can be found at work, on a field, within a friend, your parents. Never stop looking for your teacher to learn how to live. Take the opportunity to be a teacher to teach others how to survive.
As a born and raised Dutch person, I am astonished by what this teacher and these kids managed to do. I got taught about Anne Frank in history class regularly, but until the moment I decided to write this comment never came to realise how much of an impact her diary made in the lives of millions of people around the world. Anne Frank is truly one of the greatest people that have ever been on this world.
Rather sharing Celebrities who uses our Time and energy, and money to fulfill their own goals, We should Try hard to Share this Great Ladys' Unselfish action
I became an Art Therapist in 1994, often working in schools, with foster care, and children who suffered abuse, neglect. It’s so heartbreaking to see the toll of trauma and poverty and a lack of parental love and guidance. It’s so wrong -in my view- to judge people so harshly who often did not get what they needed and deserved as children. So many beautiful souls tossed aside when they deserve so much more. It’s amazing to see the difference one person can make.
It's wrong, and it's not necessary. We need higher minimum wages, better job security and benefits, food security, and health insurance for everyone. It'd be a start.
Freedom writer's the movie change my life, it show me that I'm not supposed to be what other ppl think I'm gonna end up been. Instead reach for success.
I am leaking from my face and I don’t like it. I identify so hard with that young lady who got angry about Anne’s death... her feelings of crushing hopelessness made all the more heavy knowing that literally everyone in her life had already decided who she was. Her seething anger at that treatment and defiance.
This is what parents are supposed to do for their children. Empower them to be anything they put their minds to do. But a teacher who didn’t look like them, think like them, or act like them was able to empower them. Truly powerful. Erin is such an amazing person.
What she did was selfless and inspiring. She didn’t judge anyone based on their background but instead saw their potential. If only more people could be like her...
I'm white and from a poor town in England, and wished I'd of had a teacher like her. No one I knew ever went to college or university. Most didn't even get jobs after school, there was none. I went to college in my 30s, then to university, because I wanted to do better, improve my living standards
What has you being white got to do with this? Especially since England is predominantly white so your skin colour is in no way a barrier to getting higher grades
This made me cry. I applied for teaching position having so much heart but was rejected because I am so honest and naive. I regret saying that I have social anxiety during the interview, but it took me so much courage to stood in front of the class..
I applied for a restaurant job once and they gave me a personality test to see if I'd be good with people. I answered the questions honestly and failed the test. So the manager let me take it again and told me to put the answers I thought they wanted to hear. I got the job, loved it, and was great at it. Never feel bad about being honest. I'm sorry it kept you from that particular job, but I'm a teacher now and if you have a heart for teaching I hope you'll keep pursuing it. Just like this woman was the right teacher for these students, somewhere there are students who need a teacher just like You.
Don't give up! You may need time, experience, or any of a combination of factors to bring you back to the classroom. Be proud for trying and realize that this calling may take time to cultivate. Or your calling may be in a different direction. What matters most is that you care and caring can be expressed in many different ways.
She is the example of a teacher who truly cares about her students. She was willing to change their lives to the full extent, and not for recognition, but because she saw them for who they truly were. She didn’t think of them as the dumb and dangerous students people claimed they were. She gave them the true definition of a person who cares for you, and can change you for the best. She gave them a family, a future. She is truly amazing.
I wasnt violent but schools did fail me from the moment i went into first grade. There was ONE teacher i met in freshman year who actually cared. he would sit down and let us talk about the true struggles we were facing (addiction, abuse, suicidal thoughts) and instead of just reporting us, he was vulnerable (about his own addictions) and offered support. When i said i was too scared to be home but i also couldnt leave or my things would be destroyed, he got me a social worker. When i revealed to him that i was dropping out the following year, instead of trying to convince me not to he asked me if i was sure, and when i said yes he told me to do what you think is best, dont stress out over grades or school because your life matters more than an essay or test. So mr. rowley, thank you, and i will never forget your compassion and care.
I loved Freedom Writers! She’s such an amazing woman to actually try to help the students & never give up! We need more teachers like her in the world! You never know what’s going on with students outside of school
School should be for training the person to become true human of good character. In Japan first few years children are learning how to respect others, how to clean, how to make meals and serve others. Only after that comes mundane education. That is how supposed to be.
@@wxsteri2580 in Japan you can't even be unique, people are just copies of each other because if you speak up and say your opinion and it's different from others you'll get picked on
Japan has good root education but has a very bad society. In Japan you can't be unique, you don't have a voice against society, you can't be a minority. If you want to see countries where humanity is the core of society, go to third world countries.
What they are teaching isnt respect but public image. You think its about real politeness its not. Its equivalent of teaching table manners for the display not character development.
Wish there were more teachers like her. My daughter was emotionally destroyed by her special education teacher. We are slowly working through it and making progress.
This teacher is a model for all teachers - everywhere. The miracles that happened were a result of having this really gifted teacher, Erin Gruwell, in a classroom full of students. The children and teachers need to be together to create this kind of miracle. They need to be together back in real classrooms with their teachers. Not in a virtual classroom in front of a computer, isolated at home. She is a gift to the teaching profession and to her students.
i knew this cooment is 10 months and we & my teacher had fun in the Virtual classrooms sure we could hide our cameras & mute but we played educational games and challenegs from kahoot to Quiziz, the homeworks are flexible & easy to track on what we miss, we could talk face to face and discuss, take a show around of our pets, make funny backround filters and watched movies and analyze them virtually the whole virtual class made us realize after 1 half year of isolation people i dint know (im a loner yet smart kid that likes to ask questions/make interesting points to keep a subject interesting with my peers) love to see eachother our school made at least anice preparation to clean, given a nice environment to change to have hybrid learning or still online.. what is surprising is the online class had given a drop on shootings, we sure love it as some classmates even shared their numbers or instagram/twitter @s we could follow and keep an eye on. i support virtual teaching so bot teachers & students are safe and both can catchup on subjects (leftover class recorded videos anytime can be watched later or do later works) dont use this againt a health policy to break, we had differing feels and culture since the 90s (im born 2000s kid and graduated recently) my most memorable event is the whole virtual year and internally cry on graduation face to face as i knew i wont see my fave teachers again & classmates again. tahnks to the work of Gruwell schooling since i first entered was easier to me and exciting unlike from my third world country back home was whole Draconic and even cases of abuse by teachers made to students. 2nd, i almost become suicidal to even daydreaming depressingly of being a school shooter (luckily i dint give in and too poor to my family buying a gun is taboo or worse an arsonist) but because of my Crush who i contrasted had the worse suffering than me (i lived in a good home, hardworking college educated parents, good food and finally away from my home country which i now currently miss after 7 years) from a ADHD with an ear infection, din't know the purpose of free lunch meals was given to her (she was qualified to to her family's low income status) and gave the apples & milk to me, played games on my phone and both of us look like weird outcasts on the cafeteria, din't know she was "teased" of her odd vocabulary (which i understood) and combined with great teachers and even one favorite counselor i loved every history class, my funny indian teacher in engineering, the 2 english teachers who willing to listen on my tirades of every book they gave me and the math teacher who dint ignore me and get me the help when my mind was cloudy of the sadness due to my fear of failing & disappointment (traumatized back home & the whole facade of the smart asian kid who just procrastinates) yet i stood up and even loved my pyschology clas sthat i seen different perspectives and go to explore the world virtually of our social problems to society and go help and support the same way i saw to defend my friend crush she is not different but a person to me and the school our home and we love dto share our dreams of succeeding (both of us are girls yet i lost touch due to my phone got water damage, forgot password for 2 years and contacts cleared that i lost her number...)
I loved how she believed in them no matter what. Even some of her students were-not on the best terms, she still tried to make the most of it, and what came out was wonderful. I cant imagine how happy she was. She should be so proud of herself for changing those students into better, more educated people.
Teachers like this truly change people's lives. I remember in the 7th grade I was on a bad path already. Fighting all the time and back talking teachers. And one day in my choir class I was being disruptive and showing out for the 'cool kids' the teacher sent me out of the class. Eventually he came out to talk to me. He said "why are you acting out in my class?" I wasn't about to listen to him lecture me so I said; " It doesn't matter just give me the detention!" He said "No I'm not going to give you detention." We went back and forth like that until I said "Why?!?" And he said "because you're not a bad kid" I was taken aback by that. No other teacher had said anything like that to me. I could tell he actually cared and I started to cry. I couldn't even control it. He didn't even react to me crying. He just put a hand on my shoulder and told me I could come back in when I was ready. That was was 14 years ago and I never forgot that moment.
As a teacher, this woman is an absolute inspiration to me. I also have to make a shout out to Ron Clark, another incredible teacher. A true teacher knows that in order to teach, you have to first connect. That’s exactly what she did and that’s exactly what I continue to do. 👏
I could listen to their story over and over again. It's just so beautiful when someone finally believes in you when you've never felt it your whole life. Teachers are truly a gift to the world.
@@Wewereneveryoung I was working but got lay off after I got seasonal i about too get another job my teacher die rip too her but greatest teacher every had as a kid...
One person made the difference to 150 students. This story brought tears to my eyes. Children are such gifts, no matter where they're from. A true story told with an admirable inspirational message for the students who went through hard times in their life. She had no idea she was going to change their story. Thank you to teachers like Ms. Erin Gruwell. ❤️ #eringruwell #teachersmatter #TeachersChangingLives #teachersrock #teachersforgoodtrouble #teachersinspiringthroughbooks #Diaryofannfrank #teacherschangelives #traumatizedstudents #writeyourstory
This reminds me of Jaime Escalante. “Stand and deliver”. Jaime Escalante was an educator who was born in Bolivia and came to the United States in the 1960s to seek a better life. He began teaching math to troubled students in a violent Los Angeles school and became famous for leading many of them to pass the advanced placement calculus test
Jaime Escalante taught for decades in the inner-city. Erin never did. Don't compare the two. Jaime was an awe inspiring teacher who challenged his students. Erin was taught in a predominantly all white high school surrounded by million dollar homes. She fabricated a racist version of what she thought inner-city teaching was like. Then she got her book deal and movie and quit teaching at that high school. The yearbook is published online from when she taught there. She's a fraud.
@@-Subtle- I just wanted to bring up Jaime Escalante, because everyone is hyping her up, but no one is talking about him. So I thought of bringing up to peoples attention. Plus the movie is actually represented by a Hispanic, instead of the typical “white savior “. Erin id also Hispanic, but in the movie she was represented by a white person. Since everyone gets so sensitive now a days, I want to clarify that there’s nothing wrong with being white, I just which minority heroes were actually represented by an actor or actress of the same background. Why not give them the opportunity when is plenty of people who can represent us?
Many teachers out there just accept such students as degenerates But what all an innocent child needs is a ray of hope,light,direction and sprinkle of love and care
I respect this teacher so much. I had a teacher that helped me find me to believe in myself and it made me who i am today. Much respect to all teachers that actually care!
This woman has courage because despite the children and other teachers and everyone around her told her she couldn't make a difference just because she's a teacher. Bc what kind of doffrence can a teacher make right? This truly shows that it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what ur past is like. Everyone is their own person and can choose who they become but sometimes thy need help. And she gave these kids hope and that's the best thing you can have in this world.
We need more teachers like her in this world. I’m showing my kids this story in their teenage years. Because the movie and her story made me change my life.
My mom was this kind of a teacher. She taught chapter one education classes at her middle school in northeast Tennessee from 1980 until she retired in 1999. She was able to reach many students who the system had labeled as being stupid or trouble makers. Over time she would win the trust of her students and they would begin to trust her and start doing better in the classroom. We need more teachers like this lady and my mom. My mom had compassion upon children tgat she knew were living in compromised households where they were living daily in bad poverty or in physically violent environments. Hawkins county,tn where I grew up from 1964 through 1988 had a higher then normal poverty rate and too many children had a family member or two messed up on doing too many drugs or drinking too excessively.
I watched this on mute and tears are streaming down my face at 6-am. Thank you for being such a great woman and impacting your students the way you did. You saved lives and created inspiration where bon existed. ❤️
I’m a young high school math teacher, who works at a school that has a couple things in common with this school. Most of my kids don’t like me or trust me, so they don’t respect me. Watching this video was such an inspiration, so now I’m hoping to implement something like this, so my kids feel like they can be in charge of their own destiny. Just like Ted Lasso (which is an amazing TV show that I highly recommend if you ever had the chance to watch it), I care a lot more about making my kids better people in and out of school, than the math we’re doing. But the math is pretty cool, too😆.
God works through people. This lady was chosen for this special task. These young people who changed their lives will change and be a light to their generation, to their children's generation and their children's children. Kindness, compassion and love breaks the cycle of dysfunction, bigotry and prejudice. Impossible means in the words of Audrey Hepburn 'I'm possible'.
Children need to know they're valued. This wonderful teacher did just that. She is an educator with a calling. She inspired students to be greater than their sum. She is a Godsend to her students.
The students and teacher's stories are very inspiring. They are very brave to face the realities in life and takes it as a sweet challenges in their daily lives. I am happy for them. Thank you teacher for not giving up on them.
@Chad Kyle , so biden is a racist but somehow we fail to see how trump very well maybe... I see. Strangely enough how trump has not not will ever take credit for the high unemployment he bares much responsibility for 2020 & 2021 unemployment. Would you be willing to place credit where it belongs? Understandably trump can only be held responsible for his actions, reaction or lack thereof to the pandemic, bailing out of multimillion/billion dollar companies and their owners even as they fired our laid people off! EVEN SHORTLY after he so very generously gave billions the thrice failed rEAGAN-omics, ALL taxpayer funded bailouts! Wonder why China has our axx in a sling! Now, I kno this POS took credit for many things or at least attempted to, clearly it worked more on some of us than others. The low unemployment numbers can not be attributed to trump, of we recall correctly or are honest with ourselves we can remember trump taking credit in January of 2017. Impossible for the economy or employment statistics to make such an INSTANT turnaround; regardless of the direction - whether positive or negative. Completely impossible. The stock market rallying is altogether another animal, not that is trust those numbers either. To be fair if the economy and employment numbers were garbage in January of 2017, after trump had taken possession of the White House I would not be placing blame on trump and I think we'd be hard pressed to take credit but yet had no problem taking credit for what obama's administration accomplished. Not that I subscribe to the belief that the low unemployment numbers were as a result of anything obama did either, the economy has simply been on a slow recovery from 2007/2008 crash. Now to be clear altho the numbers for unemployment are more accurate today than 2017 when obama left office and trump took credit they are always, with rare exception, manipulated in many ways. One such eg. is counting an individual employed even if they are not employed full-time, in my experience it is seldom the person employed part-time whom is able to thrive, in fact 2 to 3 jobs is often required in the certain states, son this will be the norm. So again if anyone is deserving of credit it would certainly not be trump not obama but rather the people of this nation no matter whether citizens, documented or undocumented for they, their spirits are resilient and powerful. There is a reason why someone like trump is a 1 term president and why the law had to be changed for a FOUR term President such as FDR!
I absolutely love this story. I have never seen the movie but I will now.. I actually just went to the Holocaust museum yesterday and picked up the Diary of Anne Frank to read again … we need more teachers like this , because they truly inspire love, knowledge, and change …. I love the kinders I teach, it’s the greatest honour… 🦋🌺🌻
Full of love. Thank you for helping those kids because you have sent a whole lot more than 150 kids to have a vision. May you be blessed. I could not stop the tears running down my cheeks.
I had a student in second grade who had a lot of energy and was always getting into trouble so when I pulled him out for group reading I always tried to be positive to build him up. Then would report back to teacher how well he did. The shock on the teachers face was priceless.
Everybody not prefect some kids not prefect some don’t want an education some want too stick be a gang member don’t care about another people but you have an teacher that care never want them too failed too me Erin gruwell was a best teacher...
@layla Mcdonald unfortunately, often times people believe that poverty is a choice, that poor people are just lazy. This goes back to the days of Reagan and the mythical "Welfare Queen." He actually blamed the poor for being poor. He accused black women of purposely getting themselves pregnant for a welfare check. He was right about one thing only: the poor families will pass the poverty onto their own children. If you are born into poverty, you are more likely to drop out of school. Then came forty years of defunding education to the point schools are in disrepair, there aren't enough books, the schools are overcrowded. Teachers become the scapegoats to society's problems, so another war begins on public education and teachers. Prior to Reagan, America had one of the best public school systems in the world. They were teaching children how to think critically, producing scientists, doctors, nurses, and a generation of kids who went to college free or nearly free. This in turn produced a strong, vibrant middle class. This was possible because back then public schools and public colleges were fully funded through federal government and state government. The money came from taxes, in which the rich were taxed at 70%. Reagan changed all that. He crafted the lie of trickle down economics, saying if you cut taxes on the very rich, the money will trickle down to the rest of us with jobs and raises. Neither happened. He decided education should be funded by local property taxes, and not the govt. He decided ketchup is a vegetable in order to cut school lunch program. It was deliberate and by design. If you consistently cut school funding, if you berate teachers, schools fall apart, teachers will be unable to teach kids how to think critically about the world around them. College will become unattainable and you keep the poor where they belong. The result is multiple generations of kids who either drop out of school or graduate without the basic skills in reading, writing, math. Take away the unions, cut the hourly pay, and attach things like healthcare to employment. The result is majority of people cannot change jobs and cannot save money. The added bonus of this assault on education is that people can no longer tell when they are being lied to. They believe the propaganda as the truth. Rather than thinking about the world around you and developing ideas for improvement and demanding fairness or justice of equal rights, you accept the status quo and believe nothing can be better. You're being told what to think instead of how to think. You brag that Americans have certain constitutional rights, and don't understand that you have been denied human rights your entire life. America is the ONLY country that believes more in profit than life itself. America ranks 37 in healthcare, 27 in education, 46 in democracy, 47 in women's rights, and 78 in worker's rights. We rank number one in weapons of mass destruction. We'd rather kill people around the world than help people here at home.
Born into poverty. Born into violence. Had to become a parent at an early age. This did not happen to me, but those are just a few reasons why it happens.
This story always makes me tear up immediately for the compassion she had for these students like no other but also the beauty in the struggle of the students opening up to their teacher and more importantly themselves.
This beautiful being understood ,from the very beginning, everything about unity, connectivity ,compassion...shes been blessed with so much...being able to help not only another being, but as many beings as she has helped ...its fascinating ,its beautiful...🥺
Teachers like this are treasures they are very hard to find tbh. I went through school with teachers that really just didn’t care. If your left behind your left behind.
Praise God🙏 what a great outcome! I remember the devastion I felt when Anne died reading the book. I'm 60 years old I read it in 5th grade. To this day because Anne didn't have any books it infuriates me to see books thrown out! And her only chocolate bar! We take a lot for granted! It is wonderful that this teacher thought outside of the box.
Firstly education does not begin in the classroom, it begins in the home. For me the best part of this movie was when the pupils in her class started to mingle with each other, which was down to this teachers skill & empathy.... & then connect. We haven't lived in another's shoes but we are all human beings. Great movie which I found very moving at times. From 🏴🦄
