Dave Wirth
I am aware of how incredibly cliche this will sound, but I'm going to say it none-the-less: The most satisfying ingredient to use as a teacher is an open heart.
Think back for a moment to all the teachers you have had in your life. I bet you can name the ones that really took an interest in you. What did they do to inspire you? What kind of persons were they? How did act around you? Did they have a complete mastery over the subject matter? What convinced you that they really wanted to see you do well?
I've had tons of teachers over the years, just like most of us. Somehow, I had only two teachers in grade school who really truly inspired me to learn and explore music. I remember these two teachers so well not just because of their breadth of knowledge, which was incredibly staggering. I remembered them simply because of their kindness. To be kind to others it takes a good and open heart.
As cliche as it sounds, having an open heart is the key to teaching.
The teachers who inspired us figured out how to teach with such a good heart that we couldn't help but give ours back. Simply, good teachers know how to give their heart away and inspire the student, and they know how to do that in a professional way. Being around teachers of this caliber who have been willing to share what they know is inspiring to say the least. It's not just what people know (which again, can be absolutely staggering), but it's the kind and open hearted way that they share it.
The act of sharing what you know with another person is one of the most incredibly beautiful things you can do. All a person really has to give is their time and energy. Both of these resources are so precious that truly giving them to another, with sincerity, can be problematic at times. However, the journey of learning to teach with an open heart is worth it, no matter the difficulties.
