Freedom Writers' Diary

I believe this to be a very inspirational book, not only for teachers or students, but for each and every citizen in this globalized world. It teaches about tolerance and about trying to understand that every little thing that happens to a person in his or her environment can influence them greatly in their decisions and in what they end up doing. I think we often overlook the importance of a loving home...reading about broken families and these teens' pain just confirms my opinion about how essential a family is. It's the basic unit of society and we live in times where this needs real work. Even though the book is a huge advocate of tolerance, other important messages are present throughout as well. For instance, how we should have the courage to stand up for what is right, or for what we believe is right. A lot of people are afraid to do so nowadays because they will be laughed at, or dismissed, or called ignorant or naive. Just because the world is doing something doesn't make it acceptable, and just because people are acting in selfish ways doesn't make it acceptable for us to do so as well. A lot of things going on in their lives weren't good and weren't right, and seeing things clearly, reading about reality and writing about reality made them understand that. I think that's amazing.Sometimes I complain about a lot of stuff I think is crazy in the world. For instance, the educational system in Taiwan (as well as the public one in Brasil!). I hate being told to be "realistic", or that "it would be great if..." because I live in reality, it's what I am 24/7, and I think the way I do and act the way I do for real. There are no "ifs" when we can change the rules. I'm not sure if I am called to be a teacher, but I do know that reading this book has shown me how influential teachers can be on their students, and how motivating kids can allow them to spread their wings. I hope that no matter what kind of work I do in the future, it will also be something that uplifts others and that helps in some small way to change the world for the better.