Erin Gruwell

Erin Gruwell (http://orthevie.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/erin-gruwell-color-2005-photoshop.jpg)

My hero is Erin Gruwell. She was born on August 15, 1970 in California. She Graduated from Bonita High School in La Verne California and graduated from the university of California, Irvine. She began her teaching career in 1994 at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Her teaching method is known as the unorthodox method. When she began her teaching career she had this kid that was African American and He was making her life miserable. Her teaching career led to her book she wrote in 1999 called The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them. The 2007 Erin’s inspirational story was based in a film called “Freedom Writers.”

Erin Gruwell was assigned to teach of what is called by the other teachers the “unteachables”. When she started there was this guy that was African American and he was making her life miserable. He had transferred from Wilson from a rival high school where he had allegedly threatened his teacher with a gun. One day the kids passed the note around making fun of his lips and she told them it was what was called caricature that the Nazis had used during the Holocaust. Surprisingly they had no clue what the Holocaust was and it shocked her. Then, she had them have guest speakers to the class and read books about it.

After a year of her teaching career she was assigned to teach freshmen class. The kids in that class represent Erin as a kind lady that cares and be there for the children at all times. Her method is also known as "freedom writing" to everyone. In the fall of 1995 she bought all 150 students a copy of Anne Frank’s diary with her funds money. She wanted to make a toast for a change for the kids. In 1998, Gruwell left Wilson High School and became a Distinguished Teacher in Residence at California State University, Long Beach. In 1999 she published a book about her class and herself. All of her 150 freedom writers students graduated high school. All of her students now know the true facts about the Holocaust and can pass down to their kids.

In 2007, there was a movie made after her story of what she did with the students named Freedom Writers. The star, Hilary Swank played Erin’s part. She has written an autobiographical account of her experiences, entitled Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the Freedom Writers, published around the same time as the movie's release. Also in the movie, Hilary got divorced but still moved on and that part was true in real life. Her husband did not want any part of anything. Some people asked if Anne Frank's person Miep was the real deal they said no she turned 98 that year and could not play. In the film Erin took the kids to a holocaust museum and that was real in real life also. Erin did a lot for her students that no other teacher did.

I believe that Erin Gruwell is a hero because she was always there for the kids. Even now she still will be for anyone else she is with. She is a kind, caring, stand for what she believes in kind of woman. This person fits in with our definition. She fits in because she was a leader, just like King Arthur was and the Greeks. People stand for her and are on her side. She has honesty and never gives up just like the comics do. She is also generous because of her spending the copies of the books with her own money. I would love to meet her one-day.