Teachers are important figures in society, molding their pupils’ lives for the better or the worse. Teachers like Miss Wilson, though allowing them to have fun, nudge their students down the path of ignorance and delinquency. On the other hand, stricter teachers like Miss Awful often have their students’ best interests in mind and truly wish the best for their pupils. It can seem like going through hell and back to study under a strict teacher, but they should still be respected.
Miss Wilson has the love of her entire class, but she’d be better off as a babysitter than a teacher. Under her tutelage, her students have learned to fool around all day, neglecting all their work from spelling to chores. Despite already being in third grade, Roger still spells “floor” as “f-l-o-r” and “castle” as “k-a-z-l.” He “wishes to remain a child at play.” As Elizabeth says, school isn’t supposed to be a “fun fest,” but it is a place to learn.
Under Miss Orville, termed by her students as Miss Awful, the previously rowdy group form perfectly straight lines, marching with “military precision.” But, the third grade class doesn’t appreciate her at all. They aren’t at all used to their substitute teacher’s strict teaching, and they curse at the loathsome figure behind her back. As a goodbye gift, the students even rip off all the “dopey leaves” of the “dopey old plant” Miss Orville dotes on.
No matter how much her students detest her, Miss Orville still works hard to improve them, in her own way. Perhaps she doesn’t know any other way to keep charge of such a boisterous class. But she wants her students to be civilized, and only “to be educated is to be civilized.” Miss Orville truly wants her pupils to mature, and hopes that she helps at least one of them to grow even just a “fraction of an inch.” In fact, under Miss Orville’s tutelage, Roger has grown more than a fraction of an inch. Rather than watching television or playing with toys, he’d rather hole himself in his room to do over his homework “for the ninety-eighth time.” But more than merely improving on spelling, Roger has learned how to be more compassionate. He objects to hurting Miss Orville when the rest of his class were racking their brains to think of ways to “get even” with her. And he’s the only one who stays behind after the school bell rings, hoping to show Miss Orville that she had helped him and made a difference.
All teachers teach in different ways. Miss Wilson isn’t a terrible teacher, perhaps some might learn better under her than Miss Orville. Nevertheless, no matter how much a teacher is abhorred, they should still be held in esteem, as it is hard work to educate others. Unlike the students who “ran out” at the close of class, Roger shows Miss Orville he cares by staying behind.