Nice post, I have been retired from teaching for two years now. I worked with special needs children for over 30 years and loved every minute of it. I taught Middle School children that were classified Emotionally Disturbed. Almost every student I taught came from a household where there was only one parent. Being a father of four children I know first hand the work that was required by both my wife and me to raise them.
These children were starting life out behind he 8 ball. Their social skills were very often diminished. This was an area that had to be concentrated on before any formal educating could ensue. On trait that I believe is most important for all teachers to possess is that of being compassionate. There was a quote that I always had hung in my class and on our Bulliten board out side of our class. " Kids don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." This quote was not displayed for the students, but rather for my collegues!!
Good quote! and it's true. Sometimes we've seen how the teacher figure is perceived as a distance presence, where students only have to strive to match the teacher's intellect. It requires much more to establish a fruitful connection.