Erin Gruwell: Ruining is a gift .. it's the way of changing.

Don't let the actions of a few determine the way you feel about an entire group. Remember, not all German's were Nazis.

Erin Gruwell

germany groups way

No matter what race we are, what ethnic background, sexual orientation, or what views we may have, we are all human. Unfortunately, not all humans see it that way.

Erin Gruwell

race views may

It would be easy to become a victim of our circumstances and continue feeling sad, scared or angry; or instead, we could choose to deal with injustice humanely and break the chains of negative thoughts and energies, and not let ourselves sink into it.

Erin Gruwell

feeling-sad energy feelings

I realized if you can change a classroom, you can change a community, and if you change enough communities you can change the world.

Erin Gruwell

classroom community world

Silence ensures that history repeats itself.

Erin Gruwell

repeating-history history-repeats-itself silence

I have always been taught to be proud of being Latina, proud of being Mexican, and I was. I was probably more proud of being a "label" than of being a human being, that's the way most of us were taught.

Erin Gruwell

mexican labels proud

It sounds strange, somewhat on the line between irony and absurdity, to think that people would rather label and judge something as significant as each other but completely bypass a peanut. ... World peace is only a dream because people won't allow themselves and others around them to simply be peanuts. We won't allow the color of a man's heart to be the color of his skin, the premise of his beliefs, and his self-worth. We won't allow him to be a peanut, therefore we won't allow ourselves to come to live in harmony. (Diary 18)

Erin Gruwell

self-worth dream heart

I am a teacher born and bred, and I believe in the advocacy of teachers. It's a calling. We want our students to feel impassioned and empowered.

Erin Gruwell

want teacher believe

I have learned that, although I am a good teacher, I am a much better student, and I was blessed to learn valuable lessons from my students on a daily basis. They taught me the importance of teaching to a student - and not to a test.

Erin Gruwell

teaching blessed teacher

I believe that education is the greatest equalizer; thus, I will continue to fight to equalize the playing field in an educational atmosphere that is not always level!

Erin Gruwell

educational fighting believe

I grew up in a very progressive family and with a great educational system, and I asked myself, 'Why doesn't everybody have these opportunities for a good education? So why not give back to these kids who didn't grow up with the same privileges I had?

Erin Gruwell

growing-up educational kids

It's not enough to be tolerant...now we're finally moving towards the idea of acceptance.

Erin Gruwell

acceptance ideas moving

Evil prevails when good people do nothing.

Erin Gruwell

good-people evil people

Remember not all Germans were Nazis.

Erin Gruwell

nazi remember

Society just doesn't care about young people anymore, even if we are the future.

Erin Gruwell

care young people

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you tell kids they're stupid--directly or indirectly--sooner or later they start to believe it.

Erin Gruwell

stupid believe kids

Education is such a noble profession, its a wonderful way to serve.

Erin Gruwell

noble wonderful way

Writing really evokes empathy in a way very few things can do.

Erin Gruwell

empathy writing way

Fights don't solve matters, they just make things worse. (Diary 19)

Erin Gruwell

fighting matter diaries

The stories my pupils told me were astonishing. One told how he had witnessed his cousin being shot in the back five times; another how his parents had died of AIDS. Another said that he'd probably been to more funerals than parties in his young life. For me - someone who had had an idyllic, happy childhood - this was staggering.

Erin Gruwell

me childhood happy life