Schools
No One is Immune to Durbin Fever
This third-grade teacher tells about the influence James has had on her students, past and present.
James Durbin has made quite an impression on Santa Cruz, but the impact he’s made on elementary school children is truly amazing.
I confess, I didn’t watch American Idol or vote for James, but I’ve been a big fan of his. Years ago, he was the Beast in Beauty and The Beast with my daughter, who was then about 11 years old. When James was singing a solo, you could hear a pin drop in the Louden Nelson Community Theater. We all knew this kid was going far.
What I didn’t know was how “far” far was.
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In Santa Cruz and in my third-grade classroom at De Laveaga Elementary this past week, I’ve learned that “far” is very near.
Like most Santa Cruz residents this past Saturday, I headed down to the Boardwalk to celebrate “Durbin Day” in the beautiful Santa Cruz sunshine. A dear friend saved us a spot on her blanket a few rows back, so we weren’t going to miss a thing.
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Interestingly, though, I kept looking back at the crowd. I knew most of the people there. In every row there were students from De Laveaga Elementary, Branciforte Elementary, Branciforte Middle School and Harbor High. These were all my “peeps,” and they were all coming together to celebrate James Durbin and another Santa Cruz success.
Very cool.
Monday Morning Meeting in third grade shed more light on the subject. Eighteen of my 22 students were in attendance at the concert Saturday. One got an autograph, and they all had huge smiles on their faces. It was like they were floating and flying on James’ success. My students couldn’t stop talking about him at recess. All journal entries were James driven. I even got a sneak-peek at a graduation speech where James Durbin is quoted.
The message James has sent to our youth is so powerful. He’s validated disorders like autism and Asperger's in a way no teacher could ever do. As teachers we try our best to make our classrooms safe havens for discussions about such close-to-home topics. We want our students to be able to share their hopes, dreams and fears in a comfortable setting. Thank you, James, for normalizing disabilities.
Our community has embraced James and his talent, and accepted him as a singer and performer, not as a young man with Asperger's or Tourette syndromes. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to do the same.
