Moving Forward and Moving On

Growing up, I've been fortunate enough not to have experienced the wars, discrimination and inequality the students in the film did. However, I too have had teachers in the past who have been agents to my development and growing up. In the film we watched last Friday, Freedom Writers, two facts stayed with me: 1.) the student-teacher relationship can make or break a student's learning experience and 2.) a learner-centered teaching is still the "best way to go".

In the movie, we saw how the class was at the start of their school year - unruly, indifferent and full of angst. Then when Mrs. Gruwell finally understood them and gave them the hope and push they needed, the students' walls broke and they opened themselves to their teacher. From then, we saw the changes in the student-teacher relationship and the improvement in the students' performances, outlooks in life and personal lives. They began valuing their education more, especially since they now respect themselves and their teacher. Mrs. Gruwell guided them accordingly, but in the end what she really did was empowered them for them to help themselves. I realized then that a teacher who invests on his/her students' education and lives is a teacher who will surely be successful.

In order for these changes to happen, Mrs. Gruwell had to change a lot of things in the prescribed curriculum of their institution. Recognizing her students' special circumstances, she adjusted her teaching technique in a way that will make more sense to them and to the reality they come home to. She asked them to read books whose authors they can surely relate to and used methods patterned to their preferences. And as seen in the movie, her learner-centered methods worked.

Four days after and I still can't move on from this movie. The characters and their stories have really touched me and I'm glad we were able to watch it. For sure, I won't be forgetting their stories and the impression they made on me, especially learning-related, any time soon.

03/24/15

on 03/20/15