Just about everyone has heard of the best-selling nonfiction book The Freedom Writers Diary, written by former high school English teacher Erin Gruwell and her class of inner-city students. This collection of student experiences, which will tug at any teacher’s heart strings, was also depicted in a highly-acclaimed movie starring Hollywood celeb Hilary Swank. When I think about the movie, I am reminded of the great importance a teacher plays in the lives of his or her students, whether they are low-income or at-risk or not.

The setting of the story is an inner-city school, Woodrow Wilson High, located in Long Beach, California. The volume was published in 1999, and it was an instant success. The story line still has relevance for those who are in the teaching profession today. This book really zeroes in on some of the challenges our kids face when they are not in school, and how much a caring and dedicated teacher can help them overcome those challenges. The movie delves a little more into the personal life of this particular educator, and aside from the suggestion that you have to work three jobs and give up your marriage to be a good teacher, it’s pretty inspiring. (Nobody could be more hardworking and persevering than teachers who have wrestled with the pandemic, in my opinion.)

What I think is truly amazing is that many high school students love this book just as much as teachers do! The Freedom Writers Diary is easy to find on amazon and at just about any brick-and-mortar bookstore. Erin has also published a book about her professional experiences entitled Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the Freedom Writers. Any teacher who can find a few spare hours (I know, that’s impossible, right?) could find one of these books helpful for inspiration and rejuvenation.

Perhaps you know someone who would welcome these books as a Christmas gift! Give it some thought!