Good teachers VS good students

I graduated from the university just 2 years ago. When I was a student, I was very selective in classes I attended. In our system of education all subjects are obligatory and you can’t choose a teacher. But the attendance of many courses was not required so I was attending the classes of the people I liked and showed up to the exams of the rest. I’ve always been aware of my selectiveness; I knew that if I don’t like the person it didn’t mean that s/he was a bad teacher. It’s all about personalities and preferences.
I’ve always had favorite teachers. They could be different: strict or lenient, with a sense of humor or serious, but they were always motivating. I’ve never expected them to come and put a piece of knowledge in my head, but I was always expecting them to show me the ways of getting the knowledge myself. Good teachers challenged my point of view and opened new horizons.
Now I’m a teacher myself and it made me understand that a teacher is just a part of the success. Student’s attitude plays a great role in the class’s success. I have many groups and even when I teach the same book, use the same jokes and anecdotes, my classes are different. They can be interesting and boring, useless and slow, fruitful and fast.
I think that higher education – this is a personal choice and responsibility. The Rector of my university was right when in his speech to us, freshmen, he said: “When you enter university, you have the opportunity to get 100% of knowledge, but a teacher can give you only 10% of it. The rest 90% depends on you. It’s up to you to decide what you get in the end.”
So, what are good students and good teachers for you? Share your experience and ideas.