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Who didn't know when reading the title that this would be an AJ-and-Dashie episode?

Fluttershy being Teacher of the Month at a friendship school all the time is well-deserved. I keep emphasizing how her big heart and thus great capacity for loving and compassion makes her predestined for it, as she showed by authentically being a friend to Discord during his troubled phase.

What is worth pointing out and being puzzled about though is that this is the ninth win. That means nine months have passed since the founding of the school. Why would the writers want to do such a large jump? That could become inconvenient in the future. ... Continuity and consistency were never strong points of the writing. (Noticed how during the canoe adventure Silverstream and Ocellus threw away their helmets and their safety vests vanished and when they shapeshifted back they were wearing both? OK, that's a minor, borderline thing, but it's one thing that just came to my attention.)

Fluttershy suggesting AJ and Dashie do the field trip together was so along the lines of her teacher expertise. She observed quietly and then pointed out the obvious solution. It came across as an almost trolling-level idea, but was actually quite like a Salomonic judgment. She's totally pwning her colleagues. Again, deservedly Teacher of the Month. She's got it figured out.

I had some tiny hope though that Twilight Sparkle expected it to go wrong when she sends AJ and Dashie on a non-competitive, teamwork-oriented mission. - Nope. "I can't believe this. You're not teaching teamwork. You're competing with each other." - She thought they were past that? What made her think that? How much time to they actually spend together off-camera? I would assume enough, considering Pinkie even pointed out to everybody that a potted plant would be better at it than those two.
Let me take a jab a Twilight here and exclaim how I can't believe she lied to Celestia in the theater episode. Heh.

Since they got so many different species around now, they're not saying "everypony" anymore, but "everycreature". This seems odd to me, since there are our "everybody" and "everyone". But I could assume this is with the idea that "everycreature" emerged from THEIR world and need to find a new word, and that is also maybe wants to be in-your-face about how they made a move of racial inclusion. I'm just wondering whether that's also the word that everybody used in their world when not referring to ponies. For example, what do yaks say among themselves? Everyyak?

Now, the issue with AJ an Dashie was one of those things I like to briefly bring to philosophical attention, a case of a rigid mind trying to twist even the opposite of something into the same, basically showing the infinite power of self-deception.

That they would eventually teach by bad example was, too, kinda announcing itself as early as reading the episode title, haha. I am just glad Twilight scheduled another test right away instead of giving them the award anyway. And after all, they have a whole month left to work on internalizing the experience and lesson.
I'm just worried that month might pass like nothing. Considering how quickly the previous nine went by, hah.

P.S.: Seeing the friendship school architecture from so many internal angles makes me wish I had been able to learn in such an environment. It is an amazing building. Never underestimate the impact such beautiful art can have on the heart, which lays the groundwork for the teachings.