Book excerpt: This 3rd edition of 12 Characteristics of an Effective Teacher includes 25 new essays written by college students about their favorite K-12 teacher. These heartwarming essays are additional true stores of outstanding teachers who helped students deal with a variety of personal, emotional, social, and academic concerns such as: sexual identity, bullying, ADHD, dyslexia, hearing impairment, losing a parent due to cancer, and helping students with physical appearance needs such as; arranging for a student to get her hair done in order to sing at Carnegie Hall. This 3rd edition also includes additional stories of great teachers who used unique teaching techniques in order to educate the children in their classroom. After years of listening to students speak about their favorite and most memorable teacher, and after years of reading students' essays of teachers who made the most significant impact on their lives, the author's qualitative research has discovered 12 characteristics of an effective teacher.