What was Mr. Larson's reputation as a teacher?

Mr. Larson is known for being lazy and not caring about his job at the beginning of The Landry News. By the end of the book, he is involved with his students again.
At the beginning of the book, Clara writes a paper and puts it up for everyone to read. In it, she says that Mr. Larson doesn't actually teach. He just has the kids teach themselves because he's lazy and doesn't care about actually instructing them. Mr. Larson is also seen as troublesome and unmotivated by the principal, who wants to fire him.
Mr. Larson is very upset by the article and tells his wife what was written. She consoles him and says that it seems like his students just want a teacher. So he decides to change his ways. Years ago, Mr. Larson was an excellent teacher who was well regarded by his students and peers.
As Mr. Larson works with his students to start and publish a paper, he regains his spark for teaching. He defends his students when a controversial story causes them to have to attend a hearing about their activities. By the end of the year, he is an active and involved teacher who is respected and cared for by his students.