The Freedom Writers

Students in 7th period Writer's Workshop have been working diligently on their Freedom Writers projects, based on the book we finished reading with the same name and compiled by teacher Erin Gruwell. As the California-based students derived their name on the Freedom Riders, a group of activists from diverse backgrounds who rode a bus around the country to spread the message of equality and compassion during a time of great oppression and segregation in the United States. 7th period explored their own personal and unique experiences and wrote about them in order to initiate communication about our society today and to become better acquainted with the common struggles of all peoples. Their diaries, after much work drafting, peer editing, revising, and publishing were beautiful, moving, and reflected students who were deeply aware. 7th period, through writing, reached an understanding with not only themselves, but also with one another to overcome stereotypes and judgement we so often face in society. Well done writers!!

Welcome to our first essay assignment 3rd & 7th period!

Excellence in Leadership: Strong Men and Women Essay Contest.

Step 1: You're Here! click on Strong Men and Women Essay Contest
Step 2: Click Biography Directory on the left hand side.
Step 3: Read a few biographies of strong leaders.
Step 4: Choose a person that you’d like to base your essay on.
Step 5: Research: Take notes on the key parts of their life.
Step 6: Think about how you can relate to that person or how they’ve inspired you or the community.
Step 7: Organize: Figure out how you want to your essay to be- how will you start it? How will you tie your life into the essay about a great leader?
Step 8: Write Write Write your essay.
Step 9: Revise: Reread it, change it, fix it, get Schlaffer to help you, ask your teachers and your friends to read it, share it, rework it, reword it, and make it great.
Step 10: Submit: When it’s perfect, fill out the submission form and enter it!

We've had a great start in room 212 at J.M. I'm very excited to have such wonderful students in my class this year. I can sense a great deal of enthusiasm, determination, talent, potential, and positivism.
So far we have spent time getting to know each other by communicating not only orally, but also in poetry (biopoems). We have explored some of the facets of the Work Keys test and have already begun practicing our listening, note-taking, and writing skills. We have figured out the usages of commas, and we will never again write sentence fragments. Nothing can stop us now. We know how to create a persuasive 5 paragraph essay (what three items did you choose to survive the pickup truck breakdown?) with a no-fail formula for the introductory paragraph. We are on our way. We aren't looking back. Onward.

Welcome back students, families and friends! I hope your summer was excellent. Get ready for an exciting new year at John Marshall High School! I'm very pleased to be a part of your education, and I look forward to getting to know you. Great things are planned for our class, and we will work hard to become good writers together. I invite all of you to be involved our classroom community, to be creative, to ask questions, and to walk the path toward success. Onward!