Special assignment (GE15 week)

Course subject/course code:

Testing and assessment in Education (EDEP 3501)

Section: 1

Lecturer’s name:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Joharry Bin Othman

Student’s name:

Aishah An Nur Fitri binti Parman (2012190)

Submission date: 5 December 2022

1.A paragraph of summary of the main theme(s) of the movie

There are several moral values presented in the movie. However, I am more interested to touch on
the persistence of the teacher. As we know, the movie "Freedom Writers" was about Erin Gruwell,
a young teacher who accepted a position teaching freshman and sophomore English at Woodrow
Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Mrs. Gruwell dramatically transformed a chaotic
class of hardened inner city youths. This class consisted of African Americans, Latinos, Asians,
Juvenile Delinquents, gang members, one Caucasian, and underprivileged students from poor
neighbourhoods. At first, it was difficult for Mrs. Gruwell to relate to her class. However, because
of her persistence, the class finally changed.

Next, the movie shows a persistence theme when the teacher decides to take on two jobs.
Mrs. Gruwell angrily started telling them about the Holocaust. However, only one student knew
about the Holocaust. The teacher decided to take on two jobs, one as a lingerie salesperson and the
other as a concierge at the local Marriott, in order to purchase supplies to reach the students in a
different way. Her husband began to worry; she told him it was only temporary. She moved the
students around, out of their racial divisions. She attempted to show the students that they were
united by playing the "Line Game" with them.

Last but not least, the persistence is shown through so much effort has been done by the
teacher such as black and white notebook. This sparked a transformation in the classroom,
compelling them to listen to each other and force her to take off her idealistic blinders and take in
the kids' survival stories of their undeclared war on the streets. Mrs.Gruwell began to connect with
them. She brought in music from the 'Hood, literature from another kind of ghetto, and The Diary
of Anne Frank. With these simple tools, she opened her students' eyes to the experiences of those
suffering intolerance throughout the world and the struggles of those outside their own
communities.
2.If you were the teacher (assuming you in her place), what different strategy or method will
you use in your classroom?

If I was a teacher, first thing first, I would keep the most effective form of teaching aid in the form
of a black and white composition notebook. If we can see in the movie, she gave each student a
notebook and asked them to write in it every day. They could write in any form they wished, as
long as it was continuous. She told them that it was completely private and she would not read
their journals unless they put them into the locked cabinet in the back of the classroom. She
decided to rebuke their hatred of one another by having them read The Diary of Anne Frank and
write about their own experiences in a daily journal.

However, for improvement, I think as a teacher, our job is to coach the students and teach
them how to act responsibly. This is a big task and there is no ‘one’ thing you need to do. Every
child is different and will require individual attention and support. Let the students know that their
emotions are important and valid. Help them learn how to talk about and describe their emotions
using clear and direct language, and in a calm manner. Understand that a teacher will need to get to
the underlying cause of your students’ misbehaviour to really address or extinguish negative
behaviours, such as bullying, defiance, or aggression.

Explicitly teach and model conflict resolution skills to the students. Examples include
teaching students to take deep breaths or count to 10 before responding, modelling showing
respect and empathy when sharing a problem or concern, and repeating what the other person
you’re speaking with said. Focus a lot of our attention on rewarding the students who are doing the
right things. Giving them positive attention can help behaviour problem students see that they can
still get the attention they’re seeking when they too listen and follow the expectations. Set clear
expectations for the students and stick to them.

Make sure students know what the rules are and be consistent with enforcing them. Make
sure that the directions we are giving the students for independent work time are clear and easy to
understand. We should also make sure that all the students in the room are able to hear us clearly
so they understand what they are doing. A voice amplifier can help us save our voice while also
ensuring it travels through the room for all to hear clearly. Make sure that consequences are
immediate (or as close to immediate as you can get). This will help ensure that our students
associate the consequences with the behaviour that we are trying to eliminate. Without a clear
connection, it is less likely that their behaviour will change.