The Hallmark of a Good Teacher

Years back, a colleague interested in weight training told me about a particular website.  Seeing as the entire site is not entirely kosher, I will not post it here.  Needless to say, I checked it out and continue to do so because the training information on the site is intensely amazing.  Contributors include up-to-date research, and when discussing training methods, there are always scientific data to back up their claims.  One contributor, CT, is a strength and conditioning coach.  Being an in-the-trenches coach, he is constantly providing insight on training technique, exercise science, and such to the readers (who mostly want to get big and strong).  Here is what a reader commented concerning CT:

"" It's my pleasure and I really mean that" Your passion for this stuff is contagious. Some years back I did a couple of triathlons because my wife challenged me to one. I joined a beginner triathlete forum and I've since been promoted to a moderator on the strength training sub-forum. I always want to answer everyone's questions, which are usually pretty basic so even a stupid guy like me can handle them. And it's all your fault! The knowledge you have shared so freely has made me feel like I need to pay it forward."

What the commenter mentions is THE hallmark of a good teacher.  Trust me when I say this, but CT puts his passion into everything he rights or produces.  He practices what he preaches.  This is contagious.  When I read his stuff, I can't wait to try it out.  Why?  Because of the passion he has for his subject.  This is what a good teacher/mentor MUST have: a passion for what they teach.  When I was let go from my previous assignment for no apparent reason whatsoever, some of my students, when I saw them, would tell that they missed me tremendously.  Why?, I'd ask.  "Well," they'd say, "she's nice, and she kinda knows what she's doing, but you LOVED what you did. You brought passion to the class, you challenged us."  One student even wrote me a thank-you card: "I never knew what a treasure my Faith was.  Thank you."

When I was in college, one of my teachers made it a point to say that the best teachers are those whose students surpass them.  Why is this true?  Because those teachers brought passion, which encouraged the students to go above and beyond.  The best teachers are anonymous, while their students shine.  It would be wonderful if it were the parents that were these anonymous teachers.  Alas, we have decided that parents can't do their job.  Rather, we must have our kids raised in state schools, learning state-approved things.  Is there any reason why youth today lack a passion for knowledge?