The stories my pupils told me were astonishing. One told how he had witnessed his cousin being shot in the back five times; another how his parents had died of AIDS. Another said that he'd probably been to more funerals than parties in his young life. For me - someone who had had an idyllic, happy childhood - this was staggering.
More Quotes by Erin Gruwell
I realized if you can change a classroom, you can change a community, and if you change enough communities you can change the world.
I believe that everyone has a story, and it is important that we encourage all students to tell theirs.
I believe that all students, when asked to be accountable for their actions and to be socially aware citizens, will become agents for change!
Writing really evokes empathy in a way very few things can do.
I was going to show my kids that no matter what happened with their parents, parole officers and other teachers, I wouldn't give up on them. I let them know it matters to me that you come to class, it matters to me that you try, it matters to me when you succeed.
Some teachers feel that if they ask for emotional help, they're a failure. But teaching is a team sport.