Topher's Teacher Ranking System

Topher’s teacher ranking symbolizes students’ study of teachers. Topher ranks all the teachers in the school according to this system, and this is how students are able to deal with them. Topher explains very early on that there are six kinds of teachers: Zombies, who are very old and boring; Caff-Adds, who drink lots of coffee and speak too fast; Dungeon Masters, who are very strict and demand quiet all the time; Spielbergs, who constantly show movies; Noobs, who are new teachers who are always hopeful and optimistic, but who burn out after a year or two; and the Good Ones, who make school enjoyable and who students do not want to disappoint. Ms. Bixby is a Good One.

Affirmations/Bixbyisms

Affirmations, called Bixbyisms, symbolize the wisdom of Ms. Bixby. Ms. Bixby’s affirmations – sayings she has either created or collected – are...