“Pick up your pen and be a catalyst for change.” These words end The Freedom Writer Diary. If I ever do anything close to what Erin Gruwell accomplished with her students, I will call myself successful. Am I doing what I should? Is education really a war? Teachers like Erin Gruwell were at the front and fighting bravely. Other teachers on the front don’t fight at all. And if education is a war, I am in some cushy office on the homefront.
I don’t want to leave Weber. I think I’m doing good things there. I am happy. But all kids need good teachers, and too many of my peers are not willing to be like Erin Gruwell. In fact, I’m not. I have a family I already feel I don’t put first often enough. I could not take on an extra job like Gruwell did.
Maybe my blog is helping me in some way to pick up my pen and pass on my message. I think maybe I do help others. Maybe more than I realize. I do know the power of having a voice and an audience for my voice. I wonder if any of the Freedom Writers blog? They should.
In spite of how much I loved and was inspired by The Freedom Writer’s Diary, I was bothered by two things. First, Erin Gruwell left the classroom. In my opinion, she personified the famous poem’s message in that she burned the candle at both ends. There is no way she could have kept going the way she was. She would have died or burned out. Perhaps establishing her foundation and teaching college was what she needed to do to preserve her sanity. I shouldn’t judge. But it bothers me she left. I suppose it is true she can spread her message more quickly through educating future teachers. Why, then, does it still bother me she left? The second thing that bothers me are the proofreading errors. There were a few. I realize these are journals, but it bothers me to see that proofreading errors made it into print. This is my guess because of the types of errors I noticed. For example, “then” for “than.” I want to focus on the book’s message and turn off that English teacher. I can’t.
Part 2 of Day 2 will appear tomorrow.
[tags]Erin Gruwell, Freedom Writers, Freedom Writers Diary[/tags]