What does a caring teacher look like?

Recently a college professor from the southeast asked me the following question:

"Can you describe a caring teacher? How does this person talk and act towards adolescents?"

A caring teacher looks beyond and through the layers of external performance, behavior, attitude, dress, or anything else that would shield a child from being vulnerable and known. They are then able to appeal to the inner sanctuary of the student who is attempting to find their place in a generally hostile and unforgiving world. A caring teacher sees gifts and talents standard measures deny; a caring teacher expects creativity and talent where society evaluates conformity; and, a caring teacher believes that every child is a product of themselves and an important resource to be nurtured, and should therefore be treated with the utmost respect and gentle care so as to draw out the innate best from the student.