My time at Tomlinson Middle School
So, when I was in eighth grade, I had Language Arts with Mrs. Harrison. She also had my sister, Cici, when she went to TMS. I honestly learned a lot from Mrs. Harrison. From grammar to even writing a good research paper.
During my second semester, we watched a movie called Freedom Writers. I loved the movie, even talking about it gets me goosebumps. I love watching it because it has a lot of messages and themes in the film. Some of the main themes that it covers are Tolerance, Empowerment and self-worth, and the power of writing.
To dive into the themes:
Tolerance: Gruwell teaches her students the power of tolerance and enables them to better understand each other and the world around them.
Empowerment and self worth: Gruwell empowers her students by giving them an outlet through which to express themselves both personally and creatively.
The power of writing: Through their readings and writing assignments, Gruwell’s students come to understand both the cathartic values of writing as well as its ability to impact the world.
About the movie: A teacher in a racially divided school who gives her students what they’ve always needed – a voice. Erin Gruwell, the real-life teacher at Long Beach’s Wilson High who inspired her students to overcome the gangs that divided them and the education system that forgot them. Based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary and supported by a cast of first-time actors who drew from their actual experiences on the street, Gruwell teaches us all an important lesson about tolerance and trust.
(SPOILERS AHEAD, DON’T WATCH UNLESS YOU’VE SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!)
This movie is based off a true story.