If you’ve seen “Stand and Deliver,” “Lean on Me,” “Dangerous Minds” and/or “Mr. Holland’s Opus”, then you’ve seen the movie “Freedom Writers.”
I was forced to see this movie by my school’s executive director. She’s a woman who claims to have had a difficult life and has stated that she ”ran with gangs,” then changed that story to having been in a gang and is now telling people that she was a “trophy member” of gang. However, she has never really spent time in the classroom, really engaging with the kids. Side note . . . . or question. What exactly is a trophy gang member? I thought you were either a full fledged member or not. Help me. I’m confused.
Anyway, simply put, had I seen this movie before I began working with troubled youth, I probably would have gotten a warm fuzzy feeling and left the theater all teary eyed and jaded, much like when I saw “Lean on Me.” However, I didn’t. The majority of people who work with kids who are involved with gangs, come from bad homes or are in the foster care system will tell you that what was portrayed by Hillary Swank, Patrick “Mc Dreamy” Dempsey and the rest of the cast is simply not reality.
The truth is that most of the kids who we work with will not have sudden epiphanies, change their lives or become cheerful while enduring the rest of their time at home with abusive parents until they can escape off to college. Many drop out and turn to street life. The rest barely graduate and go on to barely above minimum wage jobs. A very small few go on to attend community college. Others join the military.
I wish Hollywood would stop romanticizing troubled youth (as I deeply sigh).
What did strike me about this movie was the ironies among a cast member and Erin Gruwell herself. Hillary Swank is a high school drop out and Erin Gruwell quit teaching in the public school system well before this movie came out. To my knowledge, she lasted less than five years as a public school teacher.
It’s easy to romanticize the notion of troubled youth changing their lives when you’re not in the classroom, actually working with them. I wonder what Erin would have to say if she was still in the trenches, working with troubled kids today. I also don’t think that it was so smart or inspiring to let a job ruin your marriage. Sometimes, having Dr. Man around to vent my frustrations is the only thing that gets me through the day and motivates me to return the next.
Did any of you see “Freedom Writers?” What did you think. I especially want to hear from teachers and parents, in the U.S and abroad.
February 4, 2007 at 10:22 pm |
I did NOT see “Freedom Writers” for the reasons you present in your post. Despite the fact that my Divsion Head touted free tickets to go and see. Give me a gift card to Borders instead. Wasn’t interested.
February 4, 2007 at 10:35 pm |
Like I said, I was forced to go. The Exective Director saw it on her own, and then feeling inspired, she sent out and e-mail stating that she would pay for tickets and “strongly suggested” that all staff members go because she had planned to discuss the movie at the next staff meeting. I’m sure that she didn’t pay for the tickets out of her pocket. Most likely the school paid or she was reimbursed later. To make matters worse, the movie didn’t start until after 4 pm and ended sometime after 6. I didn’t appreciate the fact that we were asked to spend more time after school to see a movie that most of us didn’t want to see.
I’m like you, I would have preferred a gift card to Borders or better yet a massage to ease the tension and stress that follow me home almost everyday.
February 5, 2007 at 9:16 am |
I can’t stand movies like this, and can’t stand Swank, so HELL NO.
I’m not surprised you reacted this way to it. Most kids don’t have epiphanies, let alone kids dealt a bad hand. It always seems slightly repulsive to me as well that it’s a white woman or man that always “fixes” these “bad” kids.
I dunno. I can’t imagine teaching, but I have trouble believing that anyone in real life ends with warm fuzzies.
No idea on the trophy thing either.
February 5, 2007 at 12:56 pm |
I went to Freedom Writers because it was free. I went with a bunch of teacher-friends and all of us reacted the same way you did. Although teachers can make a difference with some kids, they won’t make da difference with all of them, as it was portrayed in the film. Also, isn’t it interesting that no kids dropped out of school, ended up in jail or got killed while they were in her class. They never mentioned how the kids were doing in other classes or how they did after graduation, if they did graduate.
Not only is it unrealistic to expect teachers to give up their lives for their students, it is also something that should not be expected. In today’s climate, many parents and administrators expect teachers to perfom the miracles Ms. G performed.
Another unrealistic factor is that all older teachers were portrayed as uncaring and unwilling to teach difficult students. This is absolutely not true. I’ve been teaching for over 30 years and still work well with all students. In fact, I am often recruited to teach those kind of kids. I have plenty of colleagues who feel the same as I do.
Thanks for your wonderful comments on the movie.
February 5, 2007 at 9:11 pm |
I agree. Many of the most dedicated and compassionate teachers that I’ve worked with have been in the profession for 20+ years. All of the older teachers were portrayed as cold and uncaring. My mother taught for almost 30 years and was even featured in the local paper a couple of times for her work with her students. When she had to retire due to health reasons, despite the many negative changes that she witnessed over the years, she would say, I miss my job. I miss my kids. She constantly runs into former students who talk about how much they love her and how she helped to shape their lives.
So many of us make a difference in little ways, everyday. And then there is the sad reality that there are some lives that we’ll never touch.
As far as the whereabouts of Erin Gruwell’s former students, the Director of Development at my school stated that all of her students went to college and several of them earned Ph.D.s. I don’t know if this is true or not. I do know that she taught in a rough section of Long Beach. I also know that the percentage of people who currently hold and earn Ph.D.s each year is in the single digits. I don’t know . . . . . . I seriously doubt what my schools DoD stated.
February 5, 2007 at 10:12 pm |
I haven’t seen it and probably won’t. I don’t teach but I see kids like these every day here. Not many of them go on to success.
On the other hand, a good teacher can sometimes turn a life around and we never know which life it will be or which teacher.
February 6, 2007 at 4:16 am |
I haven’t seen the film but I adore Hillary Swank, so I forgive her in advance. You might want to take a gander at a film called “Teachers” from 1984. It doesn’t romanitcize quite as much, and really gives you the feel of an inner-city school. It’s uneven, but it’s been on The Movie Channel lately and the price is right.
February 16, 2007 at 8:24 pm |
Thank you THANK YOU for expressing exactly why I won’t see this film. The tired story line of a the (usually white) hero teacher acting as the deus ex machina for inner city (Hispanic or African-American) kids is yawningly cliche, and sooo old. I think society has a madonna-whore complex when it comes to us teachers: either we’re saints, or we’re scum. Spare me.
Great blog!
July 10, 2007 at 5:41 pm |
I waited to rent this film and am glad that I did. The one thing that these films have in common is that the noble heroine teacher never stays in the teaching position. Torey Hayden spend three or four years purely teaching. Louanne Johnson, like many, finds consulting and book writing more desireable than continuing to teach. Even Jaime Escalante finally switched schools, then retired and now lives in Bolivia.
Meanwhile, those of us who quietly plod along are constantly compared to those who are like comets, they rise fly past us brilliantly, shine, show our dirty corners and short comings, write a book about it, and quit to become consultants before they age or have to deal with substantial challenges.
Perhaps the only way to “MAINTAIN” at that level is to become the traditional spinster schoolmarm, devoted only to the children.
October 11, 2007 at 6:12 am |
I was a bit suprised to read these negative comments. I think Erin should be congratulated. I’m suprised about how negative a lot of these posts are. Shouldn’t we encourage people to try and make a postive difference no matter how small. Otheriwse why bother at all. And given that she is a woman making a difference shouldn’t we support that even more especially with how little women are recognised. And does it matter what colour she is, she cared, she tried and she succeeded.
In regards to older teachers the movie represents her experiences with the teachers at her school it doesnt portray all older teachers as being horrible.
Be the change you want to see in the world…
November 12, 2007 at 12:09 pm |
Australian Teacher,
I agree with you that we should “encourage people to try and make a positive difference no matter how small.” My post and the other comments weren’t aimed at her color or her gender.
The problem with the movie (and others like it) is that it is not realistic. And to me that is the problem with movies such as “Freedom Writers” and the like. Those movies make it appear as if one teacher can come in and drastically/dramatically change broken lives within 9-10 months. I mean we’re not talking about simply changing lives, but we’re talking about changing the lives of kids who are in or are around gangs on a daily basis, kids who are in foster homes or have parents who are on drugs or are in jail, kids who are raising themselves and sometimes siblings, kids who steal for fun and out of necessity…….and the list goes on.
I can speak on this subject because I work with the kids that are portrayed in those kinds of movies on a daily basis. I detest these one-man-or-woman-as-savior movies so much because, they can lead those who are new to the profession or those “in search of a higher calling” or greater fulfilment outside of a corporate 9-5 into thinking that they can save the world through education….or at least their students. And, the sad truth of the matter is that not all will be saved. Not all WANT to be saved. Not to mention there is often a team effort behind the success of a child.
It is my opinion that this type of jaded thinking/movie making is actually detrimental to the education profession. Thinking that one is going to come in and change, save, rescue, leave a big foot print and be richly rewarded with warm fuzzy feelings of giving back to society is what often leads to disappointment and burn out among teachers. You give so much of yourself and aren’t always appreciated or frequently rewarded with the warm fuzzy feelings. Dealing with kids, parents and administrators, not to mention your own personal life is a lot of work. Our work doesn’t stay behind, when we leave the classroom. It often follows us home.
Check the national stats for American teachers. Most who enter the profession don’t last more than 5 years. Erin Gruwell was/is a part of that statistic. The movie didn’t highlight that!
I live by Ghandi’s quote almost daily. I am the change that I want to see in this world. I get up every morning and work with kids who have cursed at me, hit me, lied on me, stole from me, keyed my car…..and their parents along with administration have not been very helpful. I do it because I know that I have made a positive difference in several lives….some have even told me so. It’s just that my role and experiences (along with the majority of teachers in the U.S. or the world for that matter) haven’t been highly exaggerated for movie audiences.
December 29, 2007 at 11:57 am |
As a teacher who has worked ina true urban setting for the past 8 years and continues to do so, I agree that all students have the ability to learn and the potential to do great things. I do find it interesting however to have learned that Wilson High School is a school that only takes students who have to apply to get in. This makes a lot of sense to me because as I read the book, I kept asking myself…..” at what level do these students read?”….I know that most of my students read between the 4th and 5th grade levels….which makes it extremely difficult to read some of the books Ms. Gruwell read in her class. We also have a high school in our district that student’s must apply to get in to. They must take a test, and they get sent back to their “home school” if they drop below a “C” average two semesters ina row. If this is how Wilson High School is then the whole idea of a “class of underachievers” is completely blown away. Ms. Gruwell probably taught the underachievers of a rather high achieving school. Which is completely different from teaching at a truly public school with all of the complications and varying reading levels that come with it.
It is interesting, however, how much say Ms.Gruwell had in the curriculum of her class. It is in direct opposition to how we must teach now with NCLB hovering over our heads! I think the true inspiration of this story is how Ms. Gruwell showed that by planning her curriculum based on her particular class’ needs is the freedom that every educator needs….instead of being weighted down by a “set in stone” curriculum and standardized testing every couple of months to “check your progress”.
January 2, 2008 at 1:16 am |
Urban Teacher,
You make several good points. I did not know that Wilson High requires an application and a certain GPA. And, i couldn’t agree more when you state, “I think the true inspiration of this story is how Ms. Gruwell showed that by planning her curriculum based on her particular class’ need is the freedom that every educator needs . . .” So well said!
March 9, 2008 at 1:38 pm |
It is CERTAINLY unrealistic to expect that all teachers, no matter how great, can achieve a 100% student turn around (for the better). But can a teacher really make a difference in student’s lives? YES. definitely, absolutely, a “Yes”. I teach in a rural area where most kids have no interest in math. But I’d like to think I was successful with my students because for the first time in our highschool, students are eager to take on “higher mathematics.” Suddenly, i have a lot of students staying after school just to get tutoring so they could advance. Also, I have alot of kids who were expected not to graduate, who are now signed up for summer school for ADVANCEMENT in pre-calculus—that way, they can take AP CALCULUS and AP STATISTICS next year. A big leap indeed. One incident that really told me I was making a difference was when I saw one of my students reading his Algebra II book while he was walking home. He didnt know I was watching him because I was in my car. This particular student didnt start out as the brightest (although we knew he was smart). He was also known to be a gang member in LA. But imagine how I happy I was as I saw him walk down the street while reading his Algebra II book. It was really a “wow” moment for me. How many kids do you know who had no interest in math, suddenly walks hom reading an Algebra II book.
But does this mean I have 100% turn around? I would love to, but no, i dont. But is it possible to have atleast 80% turn around? Yes. I know for sure it is possible. I am not an “Erin Gruwell” and neither am I a “Jaime Escalante.” But definitely, whenever I think about Erin and Jaime, I think about the difference they have made in others…100% or NOT. It’s the difference that they’ve made that matters, not the numbers. And the difference theyve made is a REALITY not fiction.
Even a small number of students can turn a light in a dark room. =)
July 30, 2008 at 4:45 pm |
FYI
Complete FICTION. Real story appears below
Wilson High School in Long Beach is one of the school district’s jewels. Situated near million-dollar homes, it’s considered a “learning academy” where uniformed students study classics and others vie to make its waiting list.
But in the new Hilary Swank film “Freedom Writers,” that same school is portrayed as a beaten-down inner-city nightmare, run by bitter burned-out teachers and populated with well-armed students.
“Anybody who knows Long Beach knows the high school is nothing like that,” said Long Beach Unified School District Supt. Chris Steinhauser.
Despite that, Steinhauser considered the film uplifting. But other Long Beach residents – like the subjects of other true-life stories – are appalled at the Hollywood version. They aren’t happy with its portrayal of the true story of Long Beach teacher Erin Gruwell and her at-risk students, saying it offers an oversimplified, insulting narrative about the community: poor racial minorities triumph over lazy, jealous teachers and The Man.
The Freedom Writers – Gruwell’s 150 students who named themselves for the civil rights group – included Caucasian and middle-class students, the critics point out. One was the popular football quarterback. Wilson High’s students also came from affluent Eastside neighborhoods with waterfront mansions, and plenty of teachers at the high school helped Gruwell and her cause.
August 23, 2008 at 9:26 pm |
I just finished this movie and immediately went on a search to see if anyone else disliked it like I did.
In regards to this genre of movie: why is it always the english teacher? Apparently if you teach science, or God forbid, math, you could not possibly have any effect on your students. And, this is not a slight against the real Erin Gruwell, but in the movie, she is portrayed as kind of an idiot. On the first day of class I’m watching it thinking “Man, and I thought maybe I was a bad teacher.” I mean, had the movie Erin ever been to an education class or student taught at all? And I guess if you live in a movie school, if you’re black or hispanic, you are in a gang and packing heat.
While watching, I thought, “Does she have any standards she needs to be teaching to? Isn’t there curriculumn she needs to be following with the other teachers?” At one point, I swear they were all just having a dance party in the middle of class. I also was thinking “Gee, if I only had 25 students every day, I’d be a pretty damn good teacher too.” Where were the rest of her classes? And I love how everyone who wasn’t the wide-eyed naive new teacher was some racist, disilliusioned asshole who wanted to do nothing but hold back Mrs. Gruwell and all her stupid minority kids. I’ve never seen anything like this happen in a real school. I’m sure this was a lovely story, but Hollywood played up every aspect of it until it became a caricature.
My favorite? I love how because movie Gruwell was teaching the dumb classes (I’m sorry CLASS) that meant there was only one white kid there. He was quiet, polite, and more importantly, scared as HELL to be in a room with all those scary black kids.
Oh, and it’s ALWAYS
August 23, 2008 at 9:30 pm |
oops, got click happy….
appropriate to show up to your students homes, let them climb into your car and take them on a little trip.
I’m sure Erin Gruwell did amazing things for her class, and I think it was important that the movie showed how teaching can eat away at your real life. We all deal with frustrations, failures, success, tears and inspirations. And that’s just on a Monday. This movie took a truly inspiring story (one I’m sure most teachers have to tell) and made it unbelievable and trite
September 11, 2008 at 12:03 am |
Well, I’m in Yr 10 in Australia, and my english class has done a unit on it. We are currently doing an analytical essay on it, and this pretty much sums up how i felt about it! (we had to read the book too)
Just letting you know, in real life Erin Gruwell didn’t actually do that to her husband, i actually don’t know if she had one at all, that was just a twist for Hollywood, so she doesnt seem so perfect.
This has all helped me, so thank you
October 26, 2008 at 9:57 pm |
It is amazing how critical some can be about a movie. Although, I’m sure hollywood used it’s rights to glamorize this movie, the basis of the movie is what is missing in the schools today, the sense of community and belonging. I work with a program that tries to do similar project based learning and I have found it quite effective. Most of the teachers that have a problem with the movie are possibly the narrow minded ineffective teachers that can identify with the character that was at the head of the board and at the bottom of the class.