Assignment for class

Think back on your favorite teachers and what common qualities do they all possess?  What was it that made them stand out above all the rest?  Why do you remember their names and not necessarily the name of you 4th period science teacher from sophomore year?  Unfortunately, there is no formula for the perfect teacher.  Since we are all different people, it stands to reason that our teaching styles are going to be different, therefore potentially different learning experiences for our students.  So what makes one teacher more successful than others? 
In my experience, a great teacher is one that is relateable and therefore approachable.  One cannot have a rewarding learning experience if they don't feel like they can approach the teacher with or without classroom assignments. As a student, I need to know that I can come to my teacher with any questions regarding assignments and especially with questions as to why I got an answer wrong, or a certain grade on an assignment.  I need to feel that I'm not going to be talked down and that I will be treated with a certain amount of fairness and respect. 
Similarly, a teacher needs to have some compassion.  Where would be if all teachers talked down to us, and made us feel stupid for getting the wrong answers, or maybe not learning as quickly as some of the other students?  I know I had a particularly difficult time with algebra, but I also had an excellent teacher, who helped me after class and patiently answered all my questions until I mastered the theories.  Without his compassion, I probably would have given up altogether and not done so well in his class.  We all make mistakes and we are all at different levels, and the compassionate teacher knows this and uses it to help, not hinder.
Lastly, a teacher needs to have a certain passion for their subject.  I remember the teachers who obviously didn't't care, and the ones who seemed bitter and angry to be in the classroom in the first place.  Whether it was dance, history, music, or English, my best teachers were once who seemed to live and breath their subject.  These types of teachers make learning fun, or at the very least, interesting, even if it wasn't't your strongest or best subject.  I decided to major in history because of some wonderful history teachers who made the subject seem more like storytime than an actual class.  And that passion is something that will never go away.  I get lost in the historical section of the bookstore every time, because there's still so much more to learn.
A great teacher must be many things, but hopefully we all find our best qualities and use them to the advantage of the student. 
"The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires."  ~William Arthur Ward