Freedom Writers Discussion Questions.

Freedom Writers Discussion Questions

1. Mrs. Gruwell changed the ‘seating plan’ in her classroom. What was the immediate and then long-term impact on the climate of the class?

The immediate impact was not very significant and the class was still being divided in groups and with bad relationship between its members but as the times passed we could see how the climate of the class was improving considerably.

1. What role does an ‘emotional connection’ play in the establishment of a meaningful relationship?

Without an emotional connection, a relationship is nothing but a business plan where no one care for the other person. An emotional connection establishes that concern for the other beings involved and allows people to open up to one another and trust each other.

1. What observations did you make about the players as the line game progressed?

I could observed that when the teacher let them know that they were going to play a game almost all of them thought that it was a waste of time and stupid, but as the questions were deeper they started to understand that It was more than just a stupid game with stupid questions, and they started to identify with their classmates and to see that despite of their differences they were living similar things.

1. How important is it to have a clear set of expectations and guidelines when bringing a ‘new concept’ online? What does doing so establish?

It is very important because as we have learnt during this semester the teachers expectations are very important and influence a lot student´s results.

1. Did you anticipate the response that Mrs. Gruwell received on the invitation to hand in the journals for her reading? Do you think Mrs. Gruwell was surprised? What can you imply about the students response to this invitation?

Yes, I think I expected the response that Mrs. Gruwell received when she invited her students to hand in the journals, because I believe that at that point of the movie they were starting to trust her and they wanted her to understand their lives and what they were going though.

I think the teacher, Mrs. Gruwell, was very surprised, because she definitely was not expecting that response.

I think that probably for the students it was very hard to share their personal moments with their teacher but that in a way they needed to be “listened” or in this case “read”, and that response was a proof that they trusted her.

1. How does Mrs. Gruwell’s personal purchase of the books tie into her respect for her students and her belief in them?

Erin Gruwell mocked the school system´s use of resources by saying, “Well, they can’t learn so let´s not waste resources”. By purchasing the new books for her students she was proving that she was willing to take that risk because she believed in them. This is in turn her way of showing and giving respects to her students, and expecting respect back through the treatment of the book.

1. Each of us is surrounded by influence. How does the following statement reflect the influence Eva grew up under? “Nobody’s innocent and if you take enough of the victories, you will win!”

With this stamen it sounds like her father means to say that everyone is guilty of something so she may as well risk it all until their “kind” is superior. I can deduce that Eva grew up under the influence that she must do whatever it takes for the betterment of her kind.

1. Why does Gloria decide to switch into Mrs. Gruwell’s English classroom from the Distinguished Honors classroom?

She decided to switch classes because of the diaries, in the other class she felt discriminated and she felt that it was going to be more comfortable in the other class, where their classmates could understand her.

1. At what point in the movie did Mrs. Gruwell make the connection in understanding the plight of her students? How did this impact her performance as a teacher and the atmosphere created in her classroom?

I think it was when they read the diaries, and from them on the climate in her classroom was much better.

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