What does it means? please Explain.?

Question

Ultimately, what distinguishes the great teachers is what I can only call their unsparing gift of self, their capacity for caring about students. Not pseudo-care via maudlin gestures or gushy words. Perhaps even a bracing care, laced with stern affection or bolstered by an impersonal rigor. But their aim is always to awaken students to an awareness of their greater potential.

Answer 1

It means the best teachers are the ones who make a connection with their students, not always in a Disneyland, Hallmark card sort of way. In fact some of the best teachers help students reach their potential by demanding the best, holding students accountable and being consistent and fair, but not necessarily "nice"

Answer 2

It means what makes a teacher a teacher is the willingness to care and to teach and make students aware of their potential