Freedom Writers

Last night I went to see Freedom Writers. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good movie, though slow at times. To me, it is almost the epitome of why I want to be a teacher. I want to make a difference in the lives of the students in my classroom, I want to be able to reach them and get them interested in learning. Erin Gurwell did what I want to do despite the odds stacked against her and lack of support from the other teachers in her department. Half the time I was appalled at what the other teachers were telling her, because they did not believe her students could succeed in high school because they came in with poor reading scores. Unfortunately, some teachers today still think that way and expect those students to fail, instead of believing that they can succeed. I hope I never turn into that type of teacher. I believe everyone can succeed if given the chance and the support they need.

The movie was inspiring, in that I begin student teaching on Monday. I have Romeo and Juliet pretty much planned, I just have to finish creating hand-outs, quizzes, assignment sheets, etc. As much as I wasn't looking forward to teaching Shakespeare, I actually think this unit may be kind of fun. At least I hope so. If not, I'm only going to be there for half the semester.

It finally feels like winter in Des Moines. I drove back in the gross rain today, but at least I missed the ice and snow. I guess I'll be spending the next few days getting things ready, and then onto the last step before graduation and job hunting!