Teach With Your Heart, pg. 228-265

Abstract:

Within these pages, Erin describes her first real failure, her lose in the campaign, and talks about her life and how she attempted to bounce back. Left in dept from the campaign, Erin begins speaking at different events for money that barely pays the bills. Word gets out about her speeches and she begins speaking at bigger and bigger venues. Often times, some Freedom Writers, especially Maria, accompany her at the speeches, where they leave the crowd on their feet with tears in there eyes. Erin is approached by a director who wants to make the Freedom Writers story into a movie. She is also approached by another man, Mr. Kayne, a venture capitalist, who asked if Erin thought she could replicate her work with her students as a model on a national level. Erin said she could and the Freedom Writers Foundation began. Towards the end of these chapters, as everything is coming together with the film, including Hilary Swank as Erin, Erin finds out her father died of a heartache. Erin finds herself lost without that one support who was always there for her no matter what. She realizes he is still there with her, just not in person. The book ends with Maria and Sharaud introducing the movie at the New Port movie theater that Mrs. G had brought the class to in the beginning. It was their turn to tell their story to people who really listened and who cared.

Reflection:

I really like the idea of the Freedom Writers Foundation. I would like to see were is it today, what they have accomplished and who is benefiting from their program. Looking at the book as a whole, I feel Erin matured in a lot of ways. I'm sure she looks back at her experiences now and thinks "I must have been crazy to think I could do that!" She did everything in her power to change the lives of her students, to a point where it changed everything in her life as well. The big picture that I get out of all this is that we all need to give, to change, to care and to help the education system for the betterment of all students. If we all give then people like Erin would not have to give themselves completely; it would be a network working together for a great cause.