[1][5] The video clip "goes from a female student longing for her teacher to her taking direct action by kissing him as he leans over her in class.
[2] Robert Hilburn of the Malaysian Star said "My nomination for the best ABBA track that wasn't a hit in the U.S.: "When I Kissed the Teacher", a zestful number that recalls the teen passion of such Phil Spector productions as the Ronettes' 'Be My Baby'".
[14] In a Voulez-Vous review, "When I Kissed the Teacher" is listed alongside "Dancing Queen" as an example of the group's "soaring female harmonies, uplifting melodies, and festive instrumental touches" in their earlier hits.
"[16] The Los Angeles Times said "'When I Kissed the Teacher' is the most convincing thing Abba has done because it injects some sly, mocking humor and passion that offsets the group seriousness".
[18] Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies and Celia Imrie recorded When I Kissed the Teacher, with a slightly changed lyric, as the first single from the soundtrack of Mamma Mia!