The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

How might stress and anxiety from students' home lives impact students in the classroom? What factors can contribute to student stress? What strategies might teachers use in the classroom to alleviate anxiety that is caused outside of the classroom?

Teaching Suggestion: The Freedom Writers is a nonfiction book about a group of at-risk students who write diary entries with the help of their teacher, Ms. Gruwell. The students have diverse backgrounds and learn to confront difficult problems at home and at school under Ms. Gruwell’s guidance. Consider discussing the effects of stress in the classroom, stress associated with socioeconomic status and racial issues, and how teachers might strive to create a community that alleviates stress.

• The first few sections of this scholarly article explore the impact of student, academic, and familial stress on education; the graphic might be used to spur discussion in the classroom.
• This article describes the rise of stress among children and teens and provides strategies for adults to help children cope with stress.