Freedom Writers

So today, Utah Education Association had a huge conference and their special guest speaker was Erin Gruwell. For those that don't who she is, here is a quick synopsis. She was a new young teacher at an urban city school in Long Beach, CA. A true story of Dangerous Minds, where the teacher changed student lives. Her students wrote in journals and they published them as Freedom Writers(yes, like the Freedom Riders of the 1960's). Primetime live did a story on her and her students in 1997, before the book was published. Then, the story was turned into a movie called Freedom Writers with Hilary Swank. As I watched the movie, it was like watching my teaching style with my students in Bremerton, Washington. (I do miss horribly). Anyway, I attended the conference to hear her speak. She is amazing, then one of the student, Maria, spoke, she was also there. I was able to meet both of these women and they signed my book. If you could pick any teacher that I relate to, she is it.