[1][2][3] Allmusic critic Donald A. Guarisco notes that the "witty, insightful" lyrics maintain the listener's interest by "packing it with details that vividly bring the boy’s hormonal crush to life," such as the lines:[1] Guarisco also praises the way the lyrics portray the boy's "believable frustration" over his predicament.
[5][6] Elton John has stated that his vocal performance on the song was inspired by Bobby Vee, a teen idol in the 1950s and 1960s.
[2][6][7] John biographer Elizabeth J. Rosenthal describes the song as "a merry uptempo number" and praises its "gleaming harmonies.
[8] Rolling Stone critic Stephen Holden noted that the song has "the same off-the-cuff buoyancy as "Crocodile Rock" and the same playful attitude toward a semi-mythic past.
"[9] Allmusic's Guarisco described "Teacher I Need You" as "one of the undisputable highlights of Don’t Shoot Me I’m The Piano Player thanks to its tidy marriage of clever lyrics and melodic craftsmanship.".