I actually once made a joke about Thicknose having taught Hyp before (given that LBT8 claims he's been in the valley as teacher for a long time) in my Thicknose fanfic, so it's refreshing to see that Thicknose isn't relegated to just being the gang's mentor. As someone who wanted to be a teacher at one point of his life, this scene perfectly encapsulates my hesitation in pursuing that career.
Fitting that Cera is the one most bemused by Thicknose's plight, and I do like all the secondary characters showing up, gives the valley some life to it.