Characteristics of an Effective Educator

In this author's opinion, effective educators possess, among other things, a deep and broad knowledge of the material in their curriculum. They communicate effectively and engagingly - it does not suffice to merely stand at the front of the room and talk; I do not believe one is an effective teacher, nor do I believe one is having a positive impact on student learning, if one's students are bored and not paying attention. Similarly, I do not believe an educator is effective if he or she is not mindful of students' circumstances, experiences, and unique needs. I say mindful, meaning that the teacher must actively seek awareness without prying, and must accommodate individuals with challenges, be they psychological, personal, or otherwise.
To accomplish this, an effective educator's disposition must be friendly, approachable, helpful, non-judging, and enthusiastic. They must be a person students want to talk to and feel comfortable talking to - if they cannot do this, students will not communicate their difficulties, and the teacher will be unaware and therefore less effective.
I do not think an educator must always present a "professional" disposition in terms of dress. I have seen teachers be effective as effective in shorts and a unicorn tee shirt as others are in suits. Not that I advocate the former on a daily basis - but I doubt students find the latter very approachable. I feel that, especially for younger teachers, this formal dress can sometimes be part of a strange need to create separation between oneself and one's students, because the closeness in ages between student and teacher can be uncomfortable for the educator. I believe this does not lend itself to having a disposition that indicates friendliness or approachability, and that young teachers should capitalize on their closeness in age to get to know their students, and their students' challenges, so as to better help their students succeed and view education as a positive part of their lives.