This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix

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Based off the works I have read and the definition provided in my coursework I understand the term “other” to mean a person who for whatever reason is considered an outcast or someone who is not what the norm group would perceive to be correct. “Others” are often opposite of what is widely agreed to be normal. There tends to be something different in a negative way about “others” whether it is physical, emotional, mentally or so on. For my analyses I chose “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie. Otherness is represented in this short story through the character of Thomas Buildsthe-Fire. He is a reservation Indian who is known for story-telling “that nobody wants to listen to.” (Alexie, p. 2, 1994). He is either picked…show more content…
11, 1994). Victor agrees because “It was a fair trade” (Alexie, p. 11, 1994). It makes me feel as if the author does believe, though subpar, Thomas even as an “other” at least deserves to be treated fairly as he demonstrates through the actions of Victor. I had very little problem imagining a situation where “otherness” might exist in a classroom setting. Children with learning disabilities or difficulties in social settings can often experience “otherness” in a classroom. As a teacher it would be my responsibility to notice if a student was being “othered”, to identify who is participating in the “othering” of the child, and assisting the child and classmates in recognizing the changes that might need to be made to overcome whatever the reasons are behind “othering”. Paying attention to the student’s social interactions during class and at recess time would allow me to be able to notice if a child is being “othered”. In the classroom, how do the majority of students react to each child as they actively participate in classroom discussions? If most of the students scoff, eye roll, or additionally demonstrate disrespectful behaviors it would be worthwhile to monitor other classroom interactions between students. Is there an audible disagreement when certain children are assigned to different tables or classroom groups? Noticing reactions during these exercises would also help to identify a child who may be an “other”. Observe recess interactions. Is there a child who seems to always be left out of group play? This would also be an indicator of a child possibly being “othered”. After the initial observations of a child being “othered” it would be important to identify exactly how or why the situation is occurring before entirely deciding on a course of action. Is is occurring because the child has difficulties reading aloud? If yes, several reactions need to occur. It may be necessary to remediate the child to bring their skill
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