‘Master of his craft’: Jim DePalma tells the story of history at Durham Tech

Jim DePalma is one of the most beloved instructors at Durham Tech. He receives top marks in anonymous online instructor rankings and his classes almost always have waitlists.

But what is the secret recipe for this 45-year-old history teacher?

DePalma said it’s the combination of his lifelong love of storytelling, his own personal experiences in the classroom, and his passion for his students.

DePalma was just 10 years old when he knew he wanted to be a history teacher.

His interest stemmed from his father, who loved history, and made him see it as more than a dry textbook of events, but rather – a story.

“I liked learning stories, and I would pick up on what my dad was watching and reading, and ask him questions. We would watch historical movies and documentaries together,” he said. “My interest in history was always encouraged by my parents who instilled a love for learning. They made me feel like this is cool, and I’m able to explore this avenue.”

DePalma saw his childhood dream through when he became a full-time history instructor at Durham Tech in 2010.

Originally from New Jersey, DePalma is the son of a microbiologist and elementary school teacher. His parents encouraged him to pursue the path to teaching although male teachers were less common at that time.

“During my formative years, male teachers were few and far between so I didn’t see my career path modeled, and at one point I questioned if it was something I could even do,” he said. “But my parents said, ‘If it’s what you want to do, then you can do it.”

Family vacations often involved history – visiting museums and battlefields, before catching Phillies baseball games. He combined the two for a deep passion for sports history.

“I love baseball and our vacations made me realize early on that history could be a lot of things, like sports or social events. Everything falls into history,” he said.

‘Story time’

After graduating high school, DePalma began his journey as a self-described “professional student.” He started at the University of Delaware for his bachelors, then attended Youngstown State University in Ohio for graduate school, and ended his journey at West Virginia University where he earned a Ph.D. in History.

After briefly teaching at the University of Central Florida, DePalma realized four-year universities were not for him.

“I really enjoyed that experience, but it confirmed to me that I wanted a teaching intensive. The job market wasn’t great for historians at the time and research wasn’t what I wanted to focus on so that’s what encouraged me to pursue community college positions, and led me to Durham Tech.”

DePalma has now been teaching at the College for 11 years.

“I like the community college environment better because of the diversity within the classroom, especially the range in ages and experiences,” he said. “It makes for really engaging discussions.”

One of his former students described his class as ‘story time,’ DePalma said, echoing the sentiment of his father.

“I do like that aspect of telling the story, but I also like to see that they are starting to make connections and how certain events connect together, and when they ask awesome questions that I’ve never thought of before,” he said. “That’s how I know they’re paying attention.”

When DePalma started teaching, it was important for him remember his own experience as a student.

“I try to remember what made me feel comfortable and uncomfortable in class. I will very rarely just call on a student because I never liked feeling like I was in the spotlight like that. While I want my students to pay attention and ask questions, I won’t force them to because I don’t want that to be the reason they disengage or stop coming to class,” he said.

“I also want them to know that communication is really important. If something is going on outside of class that’s going to interfere with them coming to class or completing an assignment, they need to advocate for themselves and tell me. I’m approachable and I want them to know that I recognize they have other responsibilities and classes.”

‘Master of his craft’

Former student, Will Arrington, said DePalma is one of the brightest and most gifted teachers he’s ever met.

“He is a master of his craft and has that rare ability to connect a class with the subject in a way that makes it seem positively alive, rather than an abstract concept,” he said. “He is also one of the kindest people I've ever met, a man that cares as much about you and your life as he does about the living tapestry of history.”

— Will Arrington

Arrington transferred to UNC, graduated, and joined the Peace Corps.

If a student wants to take one of DePalma’s classes, they need to register early because there is always a waitlist.

Khallori Cosmey, a graduate of Middle College High School, is a testament to students’ eagerness to grab a spot. Cosmey said she begrudgingly took History 131 with DePalma, but it quickly became her favorite class.

“He genuinely cares about the success and well-being of his students, which fosters a culture of honest and indelible education,” she said. “After taking 131, I registered for classes the next semester as soon as possible to secure my spot with him in History 132. I couldn’t imagine taking it from anyone else. DePalma completely changed my attitude towards school.”

Steve Kerrigan, Chair of Humanities and Fine Arts at Durham Tech, describes DePalma as affable and thoughtful, with both colleagues and students.

“He is gifted in his ability to communicate with students, academically and personally, as evidenced by the frequency with which students were seen in his office, pre-pandemic. He truly has his students' success at heart, which, I think, is recognized by students,” Kerrigan said. “Combined with his effectiveness as an instructor, this ensures his classes are always full, or even over-enrolled.”

In 2017, DePalma was recognized with the College’s Excellence in Teaching Award, an award that honors faculty.

“Receiving the award made me want to be more intentional in my teaching,” he said. “Not just giving my students busy work, but explaining to them why they’re doing it.”

Family ties

Another catalyst for DePalma to pursue teaching was his paternal grandmother. She wanted to be a teacher, but grew up during the Great Depression and could not afford to go to college.

“From a young age this was always on my mind. It made an impact on me that she didn’t get to pursue that avenue. Since I had the opportunity – though she passed away before she saw me become a teacher – it feels like I was able to do this for her,” he said.

Today, DePalma still has in-depth conversations about history with his dad and owns a baseball card collection in the thousands, with cards dating back to the 1950s.

He lives in Wake Forest with his wife, Natasha; rabbit, Olive; and dog, Tucker.
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Contact Marcy Gardner, Content and Social Media Coordinator, at gardnerm@durhamtech.edu