Teach With Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the Freedom Writers - Hardcover

Gruwell, Erin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0767915836 ISBN 13: 9780767915830

Publisher: Broadway Books, 2007

Synopsis

In this memoir and call to arms, Erin Gruwell, the dynamic young teacher who nurtured a remarkable group of high school students from Long Beach, California, who called themselves the Freedom Writers, picks up where The Freedom Writers Diary (and the movie The Freedom Writers) end and catches the reader up to where they are today. Teach with Your Heart will include the Freedom Writers unforgettable trip to Auschwitz, where they met with Holocaust survivors; toured the attic of their beloved Anne Frank (Gruwell had the kids read Anne s Diary in The Freedom Writers Diary); visited Bosnia with their friend Zlata Filipovich, and more. The book also includes what happened with the Freedom Writers as they made their way through college and graduation. Along the way, Gruwell includes lessons for parents and teachers about what she learned from her remarkable band of students.
In this passionate, poignant, and deeply personal memoir, Gruwell tells the tale of her journey through the emotional peaks and valleys on the front lines of our nation s educational system and her commitment to awaken personal power in students and people everyone else discounts. Teach with Your Heart is a mesmerizing story of one young woman s personal odyssey and of her remarkable ability to encourage others to follow in her footsteps.
Teach with Your Heart is marked by the enviable radiance and irrepressible force of nature that is Erin Gruwell and her unbelievable determination to ensure that education in the United States truly meets the needs of every student.

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About this title

Review

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL
"The examples of Erin Gruwell's success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren't mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids."
--Ed Hayward, "Boston Herald"
"Gruwell's students included teens who'd belonged to gangs, who'd watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who'd been in juvenile detention, who'd performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who'd watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. ÝIn "The Freedom Writers Diary"¨ they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child--not even a high schooler--should have to navigate. And then they graduated." --Linda P. Campbell, "Star-Telegram
"
"There is no guile to Erin; she's the real thing. That's why so many of us say yes."
--Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL
" Erin is a true inspiration and an example of the extraordinary difference one person can make in the world. She continues to transform the lives of students across the country through her work and The Freedom Writers Foundation."
-- Hilary Swank, Two-time Academy Award Winner
" The examples of Erin Gruwell' s success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren' t mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids."
-- Ed Hayward, "Boston Herald"
" Gruwell' s students included teens who' d belonged to gangs, who' d watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who' d been in juvenile detention, who' d performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who' d watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. [In "The Freedom Writers Diary"] they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child-- not even a high schooler-- should have to navigate. And then they graduated." -- Linda P. Campbell, "Star-Telegram
"
" There isno guile to Erin; she' s the real thing. That' s why so many of us say yes."
-- Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL
"Erin is a true inspiration and an example of the extraordinary difference one person can make in the world. She continues to transform the lives of students across the country through her work and The Freedom Writers Foundation."
--Hilary Swank, Two-time Academy Award Winner
"The examples of Erin Gruwell's success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren't mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids."
--Ed Hayward, "Boston Herald"
"Gruwell's students included teens who'd belonged to gangs, who'd watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who'd been in juvenile detention, who'd performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who'd watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. [In "The Freedom Writers Diary"] they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child--not evena high schooler--should have to navigate. And then they graduated." --Linda P. Campbell, "Star-Telegram
"
"There is no guile to Erin; she's the real thing. That's why so many of us say yes."
--Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL

"Erin is a true inspiration and an example of the extraordinary difference one person can make in the world. She continues to transform the lives of students across the country through her work and The Freedom Writers Foundation."
--Hilary Swank, Two-time Academy Award Winner

"The examples of Erin Gruwell's success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren't mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids."
--Ed Hayward, "Boston Herald"

"Gruwell's students included teens who'd belonged to gangs, who'd watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who'd been in juvenile detention, who'd performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who'd watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. [In "The Freedom Writers Diary"] they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child--not even a high schooler--should have to navigate. And then they graduated." --Linda P. Campbell, "Star-Telegram
"
"There is no guile to Erin; she's the real thing. That's why so many of us say yes."
--Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL
"Erin is a true inspiration and an example of the extraordinary difference one person can make in the world. She continues to transform the lives of students across the country through her work and The Freedom Writers Foundation."
--Hilary Swank, Two-time Academy Award Winner
"The examples of Erin Gruwell's success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren't mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids."
--Ed Hayward, "Boston Herald"
"Gruwell's students included teens who'd belonged to gangs, who'd watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who'd been in juvenile detention, who'd performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who'd watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. [In "The Freedom Writers Diary"] they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child--not even a high schooler--should have to navigate. And then they graduated." --Linda P. Campbell, "Star-Telegram
"
"There is no guile to Erin; she's the real thing. That's why so many of us say yes."
--Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL
Erin is a true inspiration and an example of the extraordinary difference one person can make in the world. She continues to transform the lives of students across the country through her work and The Freedom Writers Foundation.
Hilary Swank, Two-time Academy Award Winner
The examples of Erin Gruwell s success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren t mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids.
Ed Hayward, "Boston Herald"
Gruwell s students included teens who d belonged to gangs, who d watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who d been in juvenile detention, who d performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who d watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. [In "The Freedom Writers Diary"] they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child not even a high schooler should have to navigate. And then they graduated. Linda P. Campbell, "Star-Telegram
"
There is no guile to Erin; she s the real thing. That s why so many of us say yes.
Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)"

PRAISE FOR ERIN GRUWELL
Erin is a true inspiration and an example of the extraordinary difference one person can make in the world. She continues to transform the lives of students across the country through her work and The Freedom Writers Foundation.
Hilary Swank, Two-time Academy Award Winner
The examples of Erin Gruwell s success as a high school English teacher in Long Beach, Calif., aren t mounted on posterboard or bound in a notebook. They walk and talk and tell their stories of academic and personal redemption brought on by a preppy suburbanite who used pop culture to reach gang- and poverty-scarred inner city kids.
Ed Hayward, Boston Herald
Gruwell s students included teens who d belonged to gangs, who d watched friends slain by gunfire and knives, who d been in juvenile detention, who d performed poorly in school if they attended at all, who d watched their mothers beaten or been abused themselves. Feeling that teachers and parents had given up on them, many had given up on themselves. [In The Freedom Writers Diary] they wrote about living in their own undeclared war zones, about coping with their own insecurities, about their angers, their fears, their shames. And their hopes. They described sexual degradation in shocking detail. They poured out their frustrations without sparing the vulgarity. They recounted family breakups and homeless wandering and violent episodes that no child not even a high schooler should have to navigate. And then they graduated. Linda P. Campbell, Star-Telegram

There is no guile to Erin; she s the real thing. That s why so many of us say yes.
Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent (Ret.)"

About the Author

ERIN GRUWELL, the Freedom Writers, and her nonprofit organization, The Freedom Writers Foundation, have received many awards, including the prestigious Spirit of Anne Frank Award, and have appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Primetime, Good Morning America, and The View, to name a few. All 150 Freedom Writers went on to graduate from high school. Erin Gruwell is also a charismatic motivational speaker who spreads her dynamic message to students, teachers, and business people around the world. She lives in southern California.

Edition details

• Publisher: Broadway Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0767915836
• ISBN 13: 9780767915830
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 265