[2] On the first day of school, Arthur and his classmates are given homework by the teacher Mr. Ratburn, leaving them distraught.

One day, Mr. Ratburn tells the class to study hard for a test to see who will qualify as representatives for the Spellathon.

The judges praised the program's "good-natured sense of humor" and said that "[e]very page bursts with images that come to life"[10] The editors of Electronic Entertainment presented Arthur's Teacher Trouble with their 1993 "Best Edutainment Title" award.

They wrote, "The most captivating thing about Arthur's Teacher Trouble—the best installment in Broderbund's excellent Living Books series—is how kids immediately identify with the characters and the story.

[13] Ann Trousdale also criticized the stereotyping of Ratburn, writing that he "dominates and oppresses his students" and is almost a caricature.