1. Why are the students so unwilling to associate with anyone outside their ethnic/racial groups? Where does this intolerance come from?
- I think it’s because of the students' childhood. They have been through so much, they have seen people get shot in their own town. They have seen people from another racial group doing things to someone in their own group. I think this is one reason why the students have problems with communicating with their classmates.
2. Ms. Gruwell is the first teacher to show trust and respect for the “at risk” students at Wilson High. How does Erin Gruwell demonstrate this? Why are some students more resistant to trusting each other?
- Ms. Gruwell is a teacher who doesn't give up on the students, because she believes them. The other teachers always quit the job, because of the students. But if a teacher doesn’t show the students respect, they never give respect to the teacher either. And then comes Ms. Gruwell to the class, she has a goal with this students, and she wants the students to succeed. Erin makes the students realise that they almost have been through the same things. An example for this is the line-exercise, when Erin said a question and the students should step on the line if they had been through this. Erin never gives up on them, she would like to make them feel special. I think some students are more resistant, because they have been through something the last time.
5. How do the classmates learn to trust one another? How does reading and writing initiate this change?
- The students have realised that they have so much in common. And when Erin buys them new books, they were shocked, because they never get new books. Erin choose a book about a gang member, and the students really like this book, because they can see themselves in this book. Then they get a writebook that they should write in everyday. If they would like to, Erin could read the things they have written in it. When Erin read this, she couldn’t believe what she read. She didn’t realised that the students have been trough this. She also understood that they couldn’t talk with anyone about their feelings. And when Ms. Gruwell give them this book they could write off themselves, and process their feelings somewhere.
7. Describe the transition in Mrs. Gruwell’s classroom from the first day of freshman year through the end of the year – how have the students changed? How has Ms. Gruwell changed?
- At the beginning it was very messy in the classroom, the students did what they would like to do. When they step into the classroom the students started to talk to each other instead for giving respect for the teacher. A year after they are like a big family in the ending. They have been through hard times together, and they have made things together that they get to know each other. They have also been through much together and they have really fun together to. Ms. Gruwell has changed much this year, in the beginning she was withdrawn, but now she is much more comfortable in the classroom. She showed the student respect, and she got respect back. Erin made the classroom much more comfortable and better then before. The students can finally relax in the classroom.
10. Do you think it’s more important to “protect your own” or do what’s right?
- I think it’s hard to do the right thing sometimes, but you should always do what your feeling say. I know it’s hard sometimes but it’s the choice that is the best to do, because that’s the right thing for both you and the people who is involved.
14. What similarities are there between Woodrow Wilson High School and Apelskolan? How are they different?
- I think it’s many different things between our school and Woodrow Wilson High School. In Woodrow Wilson High School they have many gangs, and also many students with different origin. But in our school that is Apelskolan, we have many groups with students, but we can also associate with other students in our school. But the students in Woodrow Wilson High school can’t, because they only associate whit the people in their own gang.
