Freedom Teacher Influence

Those who carry a powerful and influential character within them, work to inspire others. The powerful influence could be used to guide others into a bad lifestyle, or it could be used to guide them into a brighter future. Teenage years in terms of growth is critical. Teachers are one of the most important individuals who have a powerful influence over the lives of young adults. As high school students, teenagers spend most of their days in an environment where their parents are absent and the next adults in charge, are the teachers and staff members at school. To understand the world view of a high school teacher, the movie Freedom Writers will be analyzed, especially the role of Ms. Gruwell, the teacher. Teaching at Woodrow Wilson Classical …show more content…
The teacher must remain professional at all times when interacting with colleagues and students; however, there is a great different in the degree of professionalism. If the teacher is too professional, they will not be able to connect with their students and their professionalism will become a wall between the pupil and instructor which will not allow the teacher to be any person of influence in the teenager’s life. In the movie Freedom Writers, Ms. Gruwell alters her level of professionalism when she is peaking with other teachers, versus when she is speaking with her students. She understands that in order to earn her students’ trust, she must tear down that wall of professionalism and at times, treat them as friends and not students. The language of the teacher towards the students is the main factor and foundation to their relationship. The more the teacher keeps it professional, the less the students will safe to open up. The more personal the teacher becomes, she or he will have the ability to help and inspire the students. For example, Ms. Gruwell replies to the class after they rebel against her arguing that living is a gangster and dying as one is an honor, “You know what's gonna happen when you die? You're gonna rot in the ground…and when you rot, do you think it's gonna matter whether you were an original gangster?” It is the teacher’s responsibility to know when to say what. Based