Penny S
I think you hit the nail on the head with mentioning the ability to communicate. This surely is the key to good teaching.
Despite my tongue in cheek jibes at teachers I was lucky that I had teachers that for the most part were good and a couple that were excellent.
Your last statement about the microscope I can relate to. I initially had great problems with optical mineralogy for similar reasons. Now with inbuilt cameras the view can be displayed on a screen and properties can be clearly seen and annotated. It is also very handy when out in the boonies. With a satellite link you can upload images to anywhere and it saves a whole bunch of scribbling and cuts straight to the chase.