"When you ask people about what it is like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of the experience. People talk about being part of something larger than themselves, of being connected, of being generative. It become quite clear that, for many, their experiences as part of truly great teams stand out as singular periods of life lived to the fullest. Some spend the rest of their lives looking for ways to recapture that spirit (Senge, 1990)."
Erin Gruwell captured that spirit and influenced the most unlikely group of students. You may recognize her story from the 2007 film, Freedom Writers, which tells the story of a young teacher who inspires her class of at-risk youth to believe in themselves and pursue a life of purpose and fulfillment.
She currently works as a Distinguished Teacher in Residence at California State University. Erin Gruwell empowers her students to reach for their potential despite the impending obstacles that lie in their way. She started the Freedom Writers Foundation which focuses on training and developing professional educators. Through her unique approach to professional development, many individuals gain useful strategies for dealing with all kinds of students, and most importantly, relearning what it is like to be a student.
She has expressed her passion for being a teacher and for the power that teachers hold in each and every classroom they lead. She stresses the importance of connecting with the needs of the students and utilizing emotional healing to help students move forward during the harsh realities of life. Emotional healing is insuring that the leader creates an environment conducive to pursuing the hopes and dreams of their followers (Wheeler, 2012). This means that leaders dedicate their work to fulfilling follower expectations and teaching coping skills when expectations are not met.
Erin Gruwell spoke at Utah Valley University two different times while I was a student leader. She spoke about the struggles of young students and the importance of accepting people for who they are, not what you think they should be. In her speech, she captured the audience and influenced each audience member to be a change agent in the lives of others.
As she spoke about acceptance and trust, I could not write in my notebook quick enough. I took a copious amount of notes that day and have looked back on her words many times. Nearing the end of her speech in 2011, as she spoke of her life's purpose, she said the following statement:
"I am a teacher born and bred, and I believe in the advocacy of teachers. It's a calling and I want my students to feel impassioned and empowered."
I know that this is what Senge (1990) means when he says that people's team experiences stand out as singular periods of life lived to the very fullest. These experiences provide many people with the most meaningful purposes of life. Erin believes it is the leader's responsibility to act as a catalyst for the spirit of change and to create an environment where each person feels important. She aligns her teaching philosophy with facilitating emotional healing, and invigorating those who capture the spirit to move forward and create that experience for someone else (Wheeler, 2012).
She has such passion and determination. I could literally feel her enthusiasm through the tone and description of each obstacle and triumph she had fought through. I respect her unfailing resilience and ability to see people for who they truly are. It is this kind of sight that enables followers to reach their potential and become the best version of themselves.
