The Wisdom of Tom Hanks

This past Wednesday morning I awoke earlier than usual due to a restless night of what we call in my family “musical beds”--the “music” provided by the periodic shuffling of feet across hardwood floors. It was 4 am, and I was defeated.  So I resigned myself to a pot of coffee and some valuable peaceful reading time.  After a quick email and Facebook check, I visited The New York Times where an op-ed piece by Tom Hanks immediately caught my eye. In it, he praises his own community college experience because it offered him an affordable (free) and authentic post-secondary education option. As I read it, I felt  that the sleepless night had been redeemed: it was an article I could use in my classroom, and as an added bonus I happened to be right in the middle of the Career and College Planning Project with my English 12 class.

Hanks’ article provides a practical perspective on this valuable alternative.  His reminiscing immediately reminded me of Ms. Yeager’s memorable wake-up call to all of us at our most recent faculty meeting: it doesn’t have to be a choice between 4-year college or work after high-school. There are many different paths, and community college is one that is always there and can lead to countless other avenues whether students decide to pursue an associate’s degree and enter the workforce, take classes here and there as they work or raise a family, or use it--as Hanks originally intended--as a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree.

The article also details the realities that Hanks shares with many of our high-school students:  low college aptitude test scores and limited financial resources.  A self-proclaimed “underachieving student,” community college gave him a little extra time to find his niche, and once he found it,  the rest (including Bosom Buddies) is history.  His is a remarkable story and while all students can’t expect to achieve Oscar-winning status, they can expect to improve their chances of success in their chosen field if they face the realities of their situation and make reasonable decisions based on those realities.  If it passes legislation, the two free years of community college will be a welcome relief for students like more than half of those in my English 12 class who don’t yet know what they’re going to do.   It could buoy them through until they discover where their true “aptitude” lies.

In English 12, we began this term and the Career and College Planning Project with a prompt to respond to this (admittedly overused) Albert Einstein quotation: “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I elaborate on this quotation by explaining how it pertains to me:  I struggled in math.  I wasn’t the most motivated high school student, but I did well enough excepting math and math-related subjects.  I entered Auburn University expecting to pursue a career in nursing because as a child I was inspired by Clara Barton books.  In my initial career planning, I managed to overlook my squeamishness at the sight of blood and chemistry books while I entertained lofty thoughts that I could overcome both.  My grades were mediocre my first year of college, but I eventually changed my major and my grades improved accordingly. And here I am:  a former nursing student who wound up teaching English and German because she loves literature and language, not nursing.  

After listening to my anecdote, students jot down their own insights into the Einstein quotation, and we talk about aptitude in relation to interests instead of in relation to standardized tests. The following day this activity leads into the personal narrative.  This is the first writing assessment for the course: it’s a diagnostic essay, really, and it has the added benefit of informing me not only about their writing but also about their lives. As prewriting, they respond to several questions about experiences that have affected them in some profound way. They are then required to focus on one or two of the experiences that proved most pivotal for them.  We list examples and discuss how those events and their reactions to them can show (not tell) the reader about their values. Students then draft their essays. During revision, some tweak it further to meet college entrance essay requirements if that is the route they choose to pursue.

Hanks’ essay provides two things for me as a I teach the College and Career Planning Project: first, it is an excellent example of a personal narrative, and second, it is a planning tool for students considering (or re-considering) their post-secondary plans.  I came upon the op-ed piece after students had already written and revised their narratives. In spite of this, we will read it this week before students begin presenting their project presentations.  Because Hanks specifically mentions public speaking in his essay, it will provide some insight into how and why such presentations are relevant. We will also use it to evaluate how the prospect of two years of free community college could affect their current plans and budgets.  Students will read the article, highlight anecdotes that stand out, and respond to related questions in small groups before convening for whole class discussion.

While Hanks’ essay happened to appear at an opportune time for my English 12 class, it is equally useful in other subjects.  It’s highly appropriate for journalism, debate, and government classes, for instance. The “comments” section of the article provides a wealth of opposing viewpoints on the benefits and drawbacks of government subsidies in higher education.  These comments can be limited to “Reader’s Picks” or “NYT Picks” in order to eliminate potentially irrelevant remarks, or students can view all comments and decide for themselves which are productive or counterproductive.  The possibilities are endless.

Here’s the Op-Ed piece: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/opinion/tom-hanks-on-his-two-years-at-chabot-college.html?_r=0

Susie Weigel