Quote 1
"They have all learnt their three-times table. But I see no point in teaching it to them backwards. There is little point in teaching anything backwards. The whole object of life, Headmistress, is to go forwards. I venture to ask whether even you, for example, can spell a simple word like wrong backwards straight away. I very much doubt it." (20.24)
Let's be fair: the Trunchbull has a point. In business and everyday life, people can enjoy great success when they think outside of the box. So when the Trunchbull has the kids spell things backwards, it might be a way for her to help them expand their minds. But of course that's giving her far too much credit. Really, she's just trying to trap them into messing up, so Miss Honey has to come to their defense.
Quote 2
"Because we are playing with mysterious forces, my child, that we know nothing about. I do not think they are evil. They may be good. They may even be divine. But whether they are or not, let us handle them carefully." (16.7)
Wise words, Miss Honey. While Matilda is too excited to stop to think about the hows and whys of her power, where it came from or why she got it, Miss Honey is taking a bit more of a cautious approach. When you're dealing with the supernatural, it's better to be safe than sorry. Or so they say.
Quote 3
"You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck.
"Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful."
Miss Honey was still gazing at the child in absolute wonderment, as though she were The Creation, The Beginning Of The World, The First Morning. (15.43-5)
Matilda has just done something amazing, something that Miss Honey has never seen before and something that we readers will probably never see at all. But Matilda isn't as awestruck as Miss Honey is by the experience, even though she's the one who really lived it. It's a wonderful thing for Matilda, but Miss Honey is the one who sees the real wonderment of it. In fact, this passage compares Miss Honey's reaction to Matilda to the reaction someone might have to watching the world be created.