Gruwell is an effective teacher as shown by her students’ success. We see effectiveness by the students’ attitude change; they start to ask and respond to questions. Eventually, they make suggestions, go to the library and become invested in their education. The toast for change scene where the student reads from his journal and says he is “home” shows that she has created a safe place for these students and has thus satisfied the need for safety and belonging. Both Erikson and Maslow state that these are needs must be met before learning can take place.
Gruwell uses good teaching practices. She is an authoritative teacher who