NAME: ___Christy Hanson______________________

DATE: ____3/18/15___________

FREEDOM WRITERS PAGES ______108-190___________________

DIRECTIONS:
As you read the assigned pages, jot down important notes or quotes in one column. Be sure to document the
page numbers quotes are taken. In the other column, in opposite cell, jot down thoughts, connections,
comments, AHA moments, and/or any other form of meta-cognition. You may insert clip art as long as there is
some caption to communicate the connection to the text.

MY NOTES:
Include page or diary #
108-116

117-120

125-136

MY REFLECTION:
Every individual even an ordinary one can make a difference
was Mieps wish. Its a crushing thing to read-this book is
really good, but every time I read it I cry. The good things
that happen are so touching and the bad so extreme. Diary
#55 is such a heartbreaking event; I cant even imagine what
that poor kid was feeling or how he dealt with life after. I
dont know how someone heals after something like that.
#54 Made me think about generalizations and how offensive
it can be. I try not to do it myself with people I dont know
much about. As an educator and in life I think I will in the
future ask a person if they feel comfortable speaking on a
topic or question from their racial perspective, before I just
assume or generalize that they are all the same. I think
Asians have a hard time with that because they might look
alike, but they have their individual customs, religions, food,
language etc.
a truly self-reliant person takes action, leaving nothing to
chance and everything to themselves. She showed me that
excuses will not bring about success and that adversity is not
something you walk with, but something you leap over. The
only obstacles are the ones you allow. A chain is only as
strong as its weakest link. A truly self-reliant person finds his
weak link and strengthens it. I wonder what they were
reading to make them value self-reliance. Thats awesome
they can apply it to their situations.
I hate this book; these things are terrible, and so sad. Why is
it good for people to be exposed to the worst saddest events
in the world? I dont like thinking about these horrible
things. I wonder if I would have the same compassion if I
didnt know about them. I wonder if others are affected by
reading these things the way I am. This Sunday I am
teaching a unit on being pure, sin, and forgiveness. The kids
I see come from shelters and poverty situations similar to

Diary 67

Diary 70
Diary 69

74

Diary 77
160-170
Diary 92

kids in this book. Some live next door to crack houses and
most have no parents. I have no idea what their life is really
like, but I can guess and I know its bad. I guess that is all the
more reason I should be teaching them about purity, and
forgiveness, but it is frustrating. I feel like Im never going to
get used to it. There is a breakfast room the kids go to in the
morning after the vans pick them up. I cant go in there,
because it is so upsetting. When the kids get there they are so
hungry, the way they eat the cereal and ask for more is too
painful to watch, so I cant go in that room. Their hunger is
too much, and so is reading this book.
I have experienced similar feelings from being silent when I
should have spoken up. I can relate to this diary because I
also felt disappointment as a consequence of not speaking
up. Im not that way anymore. I think I had to feel the
negative consequence in order to change. I had to embrace
failure and realize that we (humans) are all here figuring
things out on this earth together. When I became unafraid to
be vulnerable I found that others embraced me.
This story is awesome I love how little things can make such
a big difference in a persons life.
I can understand why this person doesnt want to write about
his life. Its because he thinks that it is not good, and the
experiences are painful, but the good thing about a bad story
is when it changes others. A story is a powerful thing, it can
be painful to get out, but I think those painful things are the
most usable things.
I want to give my students something to imagine about and
dream of one day. I like that the content these kids get is
relevant and so meaningful to them.

Get out the tissues! Pg.159-60 I like this poem.

Im glad they got to go on the trip to D.C. and see things
they will remember the rest of their lives. I love how they all
took something away from it, and gained compassion.
When I read this story I think of think of the kids that come
to church in the vans. They wait on the streets
Lancaster/Rosedale at 7:00am by themselves, some are only
4years old. I made a commitment to do this for a year,
sometimes I think only 9 months left. Now I question if I
will stop doing it.

184

It is a shame how the media sensationalizes terrible things,

and rarely gives things that are truly news worthy a chance.
Its disgusting when society values a show like the one
where they show clips of celebrities and then trash talk about
them. I dont even know the name of it, but its on Fox and
its popular. Anyway things that are worthless and mean
nothing are the talk and focus of media. There is crisis in
America and people are talking about a photo or a dress of
some over paid actor.

170-190
Im trying to read this life changing powerful book that
makes me cry like a baby. All the while my three year old
has play-doh all over the dining room table, crayons and
paper spread around my feet. She found opened a cabinet
that has seasonal decorations in it, and decided to get the
witch hat. She runs around the table Im sitting at and slams
her hand on the piano keys, as she makes her laps saying
Im a witch hat Her life is amazing and why us? Why do
we get life this good, while others suffer? I know that is a
mystery and will remain one in this life. I think why is the
wrong question, and I am going to stop asking why. It
doesnt matter why. The question is what. What can I do
about it? When I look at my daughters sweet face, I imagine
the sweet innocent faces of those kids. I guess I am glad that
I was made to read this book even though it makes me cry. I
guess it will give me more passion this Sunday. I am also
doing a Missions conference where I will have a table and
promote my group to people that are interested in missions,
so there is that.