Just a thought or two about seminary teaching and seminary teachers.
1. Highly effective seminary professors stay focused on what is essential. At my school, you could reduce it to a motto: "Every classroom a Great Commission classroom." The goal isn't to study Hebrew and Greek. The goal is to do something -- fulfill the Great Commission.
2. Highly effective seminary professors exist for the students, not the other way around. Our availability is equally important as our scholarship. We exist for the sake of our students. We wouldn't have a job without them. Something I've noticed over my 5 decades of teaching is that people can't learn from teachers who don't like them. The most effective teachers I know enjoy being around their students. Studies show that the soft skills a teacher possesses can have just as much impact as subject expertise. Compassion is essential. Students need someone who cares about them and is willing to go the extra mile on their behalf. Be that caring professor, and you can teach your students more than you ever thought possible.
The teaching profession is not just a job. It's a personal commitment to shaping future generations. Every Monday I get up and can't wait to teach my classes and to be involved in the training of my students. It was because of my own professors that I discovered the joy of learning. And now I love watching my own students discover that same joy. What a privilege that is.