Barbara's refusal to ask for help with the school's new technology program lands her in hot water. Jacob unintentionally offends Melissa which leads to her interfering with his lesson on unions.
Tropes:
- Apology Gift: Jacob presents a tray of lasagna to Ms. Schemmenti to apologize for his rude and dismissive behavior.
- Blatant Lies: Mrs. Howard tries to get Janine to leave her class by saying she's disrupting her students. It shows all of them taking a nap with no one paying attention to Ms. Teagues.
- Comically Missing the Point: During her rant, Melissa claims that Jacob is too scared to take a (metaphorical) punch to the face. He then asserts that he's brave enough to take one and to do his job.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Janine playfully comments on how her parents weren't around very much to watch over her. She even mentions how she had to potty train herself.
- Everyone Has Standards: Normally Ava doesn't mind people cheating but she's offended that Barbara didn't ask for her help with cheating the new program.
- Failed a Spot Check: Ava signed Abbot Elementary for a new program that gives tablets for the teachers to use. It isn't until the end does she realize that the program is directly related with the prison systems that correlates prisoners with low reading levels. Meaning that their participation in the program is completely illegal and controversial.
- Friendship Denial: Jacob tries to be buddy-buddy with the new guy Greg. But Greg has zero interest and is more focused on finding creamer for his coffee.
- Hopeless with Tech: The episode's conflict revolves around Barbara's difficulty with understanding the new tech program and how to incorporate it in her curriculum.
- Inappropriate Role Model: Jacob thinks of Melissa's colleague Vinny as this given his uncouth retellings of his union striker days and how he constantly butted heads with the pigs. Melissa thinks he's doing great and the students embrace his union-based strategies.Jacob's Student (to Jacob): We've decided to go on strike until pop quizzes have been removed.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Barbara tries to cheat the system by giving all her students high scores on the app. This gets noticed by Principal Ava who openly congratulates her in front of her peers while coming up with the idea of having one of her students read in front of the school.
- Now, Let Me Carry You: Janine hopes for this as she wants to repay Mrs. Howard for everything she's done for her. It eventually happens in the end when Barbara confesses to her mistakes and insecurities.
- Status Quo Is God: Abbott has to surrender the new tablets after it's discovered that the program works directly with prison systems.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: While warning Greg about Melissa being a "shady lady", Jacob turns his head to find that his new friend already left the teacher's lounge.
- Stereotype Reaction Gag: After Jacob presents his Apology Gift, Melissa chews him out for believing that just because she's Italian she only eats Italian. When he tries to throw it away, she tells him to bring it back saying that she'll enjoy it.
