A Wonderful Teacher

— Narration

Illustrated by Tim Heitz

"**A Wonderful Teacher**" is the second part of the nineteenth chapter of *Wayside School Is Falling Down*.

## Synopsis

Allison is stuck on the nineteenth story.

## Plot

This chapter opens by stating Allison is still on the nineteenth story. She sits in a cluster with three other kids named Nick, Virginia, and Ray. However, Virginia seems to be a grown woman, Nick looks like a teenage boy who should be in high school, and Ray looks slightly younger than Allison. Virginia states Miss Zarves is a wonderful teacher, and the best she has ever had, though Nick remarks Miss Zarves is the only teacher she's ever had. However, Virginia notes Miss Zarves is still nice, and that she's always gotten all A's. Allison questions if Virginia is a little too old to be going to school, but Virginia states she's never too old to learn. Nick takes note that no one leaves Miss Zarves's class. Virginia has been in class for thirty-two years, while Nick had been there for nine. Nick notes that they always get good grades, every student in her class always gets A's, even if they intentionally answer problems wrong.

Allison asks her classmates where they were before they joined Miss Zarves's class, but none of them remember where they originally came from. Allison forgets her origins for a moment as well, but she quickly remembers Mrs. Jewls's class and names every other student in it, including the three Erics. Ray takes note of a student named Bebe Gunn, and wonders if they could be related as they both have the same last name. Miss Zarves quiets Ray down, and requests everyone in her class sort every number alphabetically from zero to one million. Allison is astounded by this extremely difficult assignment, though Virginia takes a fairly calm response, stating that if she runs out of paper there will be more in the closet. Allison worries it'll take forever to complete, but Virginia asks what her hurry is. Allison gets to work, figuring out which number would come first, and eventually considers asking Louis for help during recess. Allison asks Virginia when recess would be, but Ray states they've never been allowed out of the classroom. Allison questions what happens if someone had to use the bathroom, but Virginia has no clue what that even is. Nick remarks they don't ever eat either, just stay in class and work all the time, aside from a two minute long rest break every eleven hours. Virginia tells Allison not to worry, because Miss Zarves will give her a good grade anyway.

Miss Zarves comes over to the table to congratulate her students on their work, Allison decides that the students at her table are far too gone to help her. She asks if anyone else is new, and Nick points to a kid named Ben, who appears to be about Allison's age. During a two-minute long break, Allison asks Ben for help, but the student remarks that's not his name. Allison asks where Ben is, and the kid remarks that it's him; his name is Mark Miller but everyone believes his name is Benjamin Nushmutt. Allison remarks there's a Mark Miller in her class, and Mark claims that that is him, but Allison tries to state it's her other class. Mark questions what other class the other Mark would be in, but Allison isn't able to remember after putting numbers in alphabetical order for eleven hours. Miss Zarves claims time is up, and has everyone get back to work.

## Characters

* Allison
* Virginia (debut)
* Nick (debut)
* Ray Gunn
* Miss Zarves
* Mrs. Jewls (mentioned)
* Rondi (mentioned)
* Dana (mentioned)
* Jason (mentioned)
* Todd (mentioned)
* Eric Fry (mentioned)
* Eric Bacon (mentioned)
* Eric Ovens (mentioned)
* Bebe Gunn (mentioned)
* Louis (mentioned)
* Mark Miller (debut)
* Benjamin Nushmutt (mentioned, as Mark Miller)

## Trivia

* A pun is involved in the chapter numbers for this chapter, "A Bad Case of the Sillies," and "Forever Is Never." All three are chapter nineteen, as the plot involves a student getting stuck on the nineteenth story. So similarly, the reader is stuck on the nineteenth story when reading these three chapters.
* Ray Gunn from "Bebe's Baby Brother" returns as one of the students on the nineteenth story.
* While technically the twentieth chapter of *Wayside School Is Falling Down*, it is labelled as the nineteenth, as is true for "A Bad Case of the Sillies," the actual nineteenth chapter, and "Forever Is Never," which is actually the twenty-first. The twenty-second chapter, "Eric, Eric, and Eric," is labelled as chapter twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two simultaneously.
* The three chapters of Allison stuck on the nineteenth story are similar to the 1865 novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Both Allison and Alice end up in "some strange world" and return to their own thinking it was all just a dream. Conveniently, Alice is short for Allison, they also both have blonde hair and wear blue.
* Strangely, Virginia claims she's been on the nineteenth story for thirty-two years in this chapter, while in "Time Out," Miss Zarves notes she's been teaching for thirty years.

## Gallery

Joel Schick illustrationAdam McCauley illustration
### Foreign editions

Peter Allen illustration (UK)Satoshi Kitamura illustration (Japan)