Challenge: “As a teacher, I do not leave my home and family experiences behind me when I drive to campus or when I enter the classroom” (Vasconcelos, 8). I chose this piece of information from the text because I challenge whether this teaching style works or not. I wonder would it be better as a teacher to leave your home and family experiences behind when you arrive to campus so that your main focus/priority is on the students.

Concepts: “By framing my memories and experiences with the use of present tense verb forms and careful word choice, my verbal snapshots seek to create a photographic effect of capturing tones and shades that mirror the mental images I hold of those experiences” (Vasconcelos, 6). I chose this piece of information as one that I find important and worth holding onto because it can be used to help writers write their own autoethnography. Writing in this way can allow for your readers to see the mental images that you are trying to paint. 

Changes: “As I have “zoomed backward and forward, inward and outward” (Ellis, 1999, p. 673) between myself and other participants evoked in my teaching and learning memories, I concurrently have discovered Freire and other Freirean scholars, and found in them the theoretical language to help me make sense of my lived experiences” (Vasconcelos, 7). I think this piece of information was used to change how people think about their personal autoethnography. I believe that the author is trying to shift its readers attitude to make them realize how with the help of others, you can learn a lot about your live experiences that shapes your overall story.

The way the author wrote this autoethnography will inspire the way I write mines is by remembering to include my personal experiences. In this autoethnography, the author reflected back on prior situations, and I believe that this is a good example of a way to write autoethnography.

Challenge: “The students ‘reaction was shocking, as they did not expect their teacher to wear that kind of dress, which is usually associated with terrorism, fear, and third world” (Elbelazi & lharbi, 4). I chose this piece of information from the text because I challenge others to break away from this negative stereotype. We must bury the stigma that hijabs and other clothing related to Muslim people associates with terrorism and fear.

Concepts: “How are our individual biographies differently shaped by the status characteristics and the structure of inequality they produce?” (Elbelazi & lharbi, 2). I chose this piece of information as one that I find important and worth holding onto because I feel that it is a question that we must think of. In my opinion, this statement is referring to how we as individuals can be looked at differently based on our characteristics and the inequality that comes with it. This to me is mind blowing.

Changes: “Coming to the class as usual. This time I wear my Abaya. The students were whispering. It was not comfortable” (Elbelazi & lharbi, 3). I think this piece of information was used to change the attitude of the readers. I believe that the author is trying to get the readers to feel the pain/hurt she had felt when she received nothing but cold stares in the classroom once she wore her Abaya. This is based on the usage of the phrase “not comfortable” from the text. 

This form of an autoethnography is one that I would not mind trying. I liked the poems that was included here because they allowed for the readers to understand the story on a deeper level.