Sign in with FacebookRachel's Reviews > The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers
by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers
I will begin by stating that I did not read this entire book. I made it through 50 or 60 pages. I had not had any intent to read it, as I have heard more than enough stories about the fish out of water young white teacher who is able to "save" the inner city youth from the apparent inevitability of failure. A coworker strongly recommended the book to me and actually put it in my hand, so I decided to give it a chance.
As I read one journal entry after another, I was puzzled by the fact that every entry of every child seemed to be written in almost the same exact voice. The vocabulary and expressions used were not what I would expect to hear from a group of high school freshmen, particularly in a group of kids that was previously underachieving and hated reading and writing. Inner city dialect was juxtaposed with difficult vocabulary and phrasing that seemed adult and dated on almost every page. I skimmed through the rest of the book to see if there was any information on how the journals were edited, or if they went through any type of writing process with them (typically a journal wouldn't go through revision) but didn't see any explanation. Maybe I was just missing something. There also was not any description of how Ms. Gruwell was able to elicit the trust of all of her students so quickly (so that they would be comfortable writing about their crimes and personal issues) and get them to write pages and pages when they had refused to do any writing before. It seemed that she was able to have them writing full entries that were eloquent and insightful within the first month or two.
I know that there is truth to these stories. I know that this is a real class and Ms. Gruwell is a real teacher. I just can't get past the belief that these diaries are not fully authentic and that these words have been reshaped somewhere along the line; how can I tell how much and by whom? Why wasn't this addressed? Perhaps if the diaries were in their original form, complete with spelling and grammar errors, it would make more sense. As it was, I just couldn't trust it. These are real kids. They have real stories. I want to hear them in their words.
I would love to hear other people's opinions on this. Did anyone else have this problem?
As I read one journal entry after another, I was puzzled by the fact that every entry of every child seemed to be written in almost the same exact voice. The vocabulary and expressions used were not what I would expect to hear from a group of high school freshmen, particularly in a group of kids that was previously underachieving and hated reading and writing. Inner city dialect was juxtaposed with difficult vocabulary and phrasing that seemed adult and dated on almost every page. I skimmed through the rest of the book to see if there was any information on how the journals were edited, or if they went through any type of writing process with them (typically a journal wouldn't go through revision) but didn't see any explanation. Maybe I was just missing something. There also was not any description of how Ms. Gruwell was able to elicit the trust of all of her students so quickly (so that they would be comfortable writing about their crimes and personal issues) and get them to write pages and pages when they had refused to do any writing before. It seemed that she was able to have them writing full entries that were eloquent and insightful within the first month or two.
I know that there is truth to these stories. I know that this is a real class and Ms. Gruwell is a real teacher. I just can't get past the belief that these diaries are not fully authentic and that these words have been reshaped somewhere along the line; how can I tell how much and by whom? Why wasn't this addressed? Perhaps if the diaries were in their original form, complete with spelling and grammar errors, it would make more sense. As it was, I just couldn't trust it. These are real kids. They have real stories. I want to hear them in their words.
I would love to hear other people's opinions on this. Did anyone else have this problem?
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For answers to your questions concerning the validity and editing of the diaries, read Gruwell's "Teach With Your Heart". There are times I ask myself, why my kids trust me. Why are they willing to lay it all on the line, in writing, knowing that I have the power to call a parent or a "higher power"? These are kids looking for someone to trust. For many, it may be the last person they trust. That is putting a lot on a teacher's shoulder.
Thank you for the information about where to find out about the technical questions. As for the trust, I agree with you in some respects; however, I think it is a process to earn that trust. It is not something that happens as soon as a new teacher walks in the door, particularly for students who are used to being disappointed by those they would like to trust in their outside lives. I am a teacher and I do teach writing to my kids (they are younger: 4th, 5th, and 6th grade). I know that when kids start writing in the beginning of the year, there is a lot of resistance and minimal effort and commitment. It takes time before they have the confidence to write longer pieces (I realize this is partly age-related, but I think would be reflected to some degree with older students, especially given that Ms. Gruwell's class came in hating reading and writing). I know that my review is cynical, but as a teacher, I believe very strongly in teaching with love and respect. I have earned the trust of tough kids in a tough city, and their work has improved for this. But don't you think that to give the impression that this can happen in a week (or even a month or two), it invalidates our hard work as teachers, as well as the hard work of students in getting to that point?
I also flipped to the back of the book hoping to find more about how the book was created. Obviously some of these must be flashback entries or SERIOUSLY recreated, because these student would not have leapt into writing right away. I'm disappointed that there isn't more - though again, maybe I will discover that as I read.
While I understand the motivation behind numbering the entries, I think that combined with the blandness of the writing, it really takes away from characterization of these students.
I have already given up on this book once, so I'm determined to see it through this time. I hope I don't regret it. :-P