Teachers transform lives, and the ripple effect goes on for years. Three pertinent questions are asked in this paper: Where does this power come from? What is its source? and What makes teachers so special? Two aspects of these questions are the multiplicity of identities that coexist within each teacher and the passion inside teachers that springs from a core set of values or ethical principles. First, multiple identities are found in teachers. The teacher as circus performer uses the language of circus performance to highlight how adept and versatile teachers are. The teacher as synthesizer refers to those split-second decisions he/she needs to make in any one teaching moment. The teacher as conductor or choreographer relates to the ability to generate discussion that includes and stretches everyone, to create a healthy group life, to recognize and foster a group rhythm, to best sequence activities, and to make all the decisions anyone responsible for a live drama makes continuously. Second, teachers are fiercely passionate about living their beliefs. They draw from a deep well of values, ideals, and principles. From their teachers, students learn not only subject matter, but also what their teachers value about life. (YLB)