I want everyone to look at the man in the picture on the left. For my entire sophomore year, I've fallen completely and platonically in love with that man. He was my Honors English II teacher, and he is quite possibly my favorite English teacher, period (no offense, Mr. Thurtle). He spoke like a former mogul with the husky voice of age, but the adamant strength of a monarch. I never truly appreciated Shakespeare's Julius Caesar until he brought it to life in vivid detail. He had a cane reminiscent of Dr. House, and he dressed as if he didn't know whether to be sophisticated or casual. He loved Marilyn Monroe. At the end of every class on Fridays, he'd make us stand on top of our desks. It seemed a nonsensical and idiotic thing to suggest at first, but I soon warmed up to the idea as I gazed upon everything at a new level of elevation and interpretation.
In my yearbook, he wrote:
Eric-One of my fondest memories was your presentation of The White City. I've enjoyed your sense of humor all year. Your participation in class has made the year extraordinary. Your off-the-wall comments are refreshing. My best wishes to you always,
Mr. Z
And now, he's been arrested.
I don't know how many of you have truly experienced what I felt when I witnessed this article. To find out in plain black and white, like it was just another story, about my teacher's illicit and apparently illegal behavior is traumatizing to the part of me that loved him so very much. It's like finding out Santa Claus is not all that he's cracked up to be. But this Santa Claus has been very naughty this year.
My teacher, Michael Zellner, was accused of "having an improper relationship with a student and indecency with a child." Last summer, his wife found out that Mr. Zellner was having a romantic communication with a former student. However, after the couple talked, Mr. Zellner agreed to drop the relationship. However, on December 22nd, 2010, Mr. Zellner mistakenly sent his wife a text message that was clearly meant for the girl student.
I guess, for an English teacher, he wasn't very good at proofreading who he sent his texts to.
His wife called school officials, and Mr. Zellner was arrested. Mr. Zellner admitted he had not dropped the relationship, and instead, had furthered the relationship into sexual territory.
I am aware that this type of thing happens, but it gives my suffering a new dimension when I have actually known and enjoyed the influence of one of the parties involved. Mr. Zellner was a great teacher, but I guess he just wasn't as great of a person.
5 comments:
Oh... I'm really sorry. It really hurts when someone you admire and respect lets you down like this.
People aren't perfect, and pedestals can easily be broken. Don't be too bitter about this. I'm sorry I don't have anything more useful to say.
Honestly, I don't have much more to say than Jack, but I'm really sorry, Eric. Such is the nature of our world, but when we realize that someone we admire really isn't all that worthy of our admiration--it's generally quite hard to bear. I'm sure that all of us have had role models who have not been as righteous and immaculate as we first perceived.
However, beyond the effect that this revelation has on you, I find it quite harrowing that a married and seemingly dignified teacher would have a sexual relationship with one of his students. I have heard many stories like this throughout the years, and although the penalties for engaging in such actions are severe, such relationships always manage to prop up, and I'm sure that many such relationships are never even heard of. Is there any way to successfully stymie these socially unacceptable and relatively pedophilic acts?
Aww Eric..like Jack and Amrit, I don't know what to say except that I'm sorry. It must be very shocking to find out that one of the people that you highly admired and looked up to ends up being someone that you had never imagined..it's unfortunate that our role models are never as amazing as we thought..
Not to sound like a jerk, but despite what he's done it seems like he's often given you an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. Bringing Shakespeare's Julus Caesar to life, making you stand on top of your desk, and now this. I'm sure he was a great teacher, and I'm sorry if this event hurt you.
Wow,in the same week something very similar happened to me. I won't go into details because the issue is still unresolved but its just interesting that we found out at the same time that some one we cared about made some poor decisions that got them into trouble. I know how hard it can be and just because he loved a student passed the acceptable social limit does not make any less of a teacher. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to say what he did was right but my only advice to you is don't let his actions taint your memories of him. You have to remember that the people who wrote this article didn't spend a whole year with him and don't really care about his well being. They want to paint him as an evil perverted old man and from what you said he seemed to be much more then that to many people.
Just because he isn't perfect does not mean you can't look up to him. He was a great teacher and no matter what happens you should admire his teaching style and take what you learned from him and leave it at that. No ones perfect and some of us make bigger mistakes then others but that doesnt mean that they have nothing to teach us.
Best of wishes.
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