There is a teacher walking around this planet who never knew how much she inspired me to inspire others, until last Thursday, that is.
I can't believe it, but I met her at a conference I attended with a few colleagues of mine.
The minute I spoke with her I knew I had met someone very special, full of charisma and honesty. Her name is Erin Gruwell. Some of you may remember her as the teacher portrayed by Hillary Swank in the movie "Freedom Writers."
We made quite the connection Erin and I. She was telling her story and there I was sitting smack in the center, front table, with tears trickling down my face whenever she would get emotional, or as I watched her students talk about their lives, before and after they had "Ms. G." At one point she actually shielded her eyes with her hands and said she couldn't look at me. Was I the only one with the tissues and tears? Noooo...but, I was the one in the front center seat. I was the one face she somehow looked at when my eyes were swelling up or my head was moving up and down as I put my hand on my heart in support of what she was saying. At the end of it all I got a few hugs, kisses and a photograph with a woman who inspired me even more on Thursday than she had when I watched the movie.
It was hard for me to watch that movie for I had a class the year that movie came out that turned my life upside-down and all-around, not in a good way. The only thing missing were the knives and guns. Everything else was right out there, and believe me...nothing was held back, I was not spared any form of indecency. I cried almost everyday when I got home. If it wasn't for the support of my director and the other teachers in my department, I would have been long gone. And that my friends would have been a shame.
I truly love my work and enjoy my students now. I have become a better teacher, and I think, a better person. I learned a lot on Thursday from someone who put her life on hold so others could start fresh and new lives. If that isn't an inspiration, I don't know what is.
In Erin's own words, let's all try and "teach one to teach another."
