Thank you sir; always nice to start the day with a laugh.

Do give "the toddler" some slack, though, as he's quite busy maintaining his status as Mr. Popularity.

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
Mark Twain

On a more serious note, I do believe that this statement by linguisticus,
"You may wonder what a degree does for the teacher. I think a relevant degree is proof that you have the academic wherewithal to keep an intellectual discussion with your learners on matters of importance to your learners, such as phonetics, grammar, orthography etc."

and your response,
"And assures a bit of professionalism which includes but is not limited to keeping up with the changes and advances in their chosen field of endeavor."

are both right on the money and pivotal to my belief that the EFL scene in China is suffering more by the lack of excellence on the part of FT's than it is by the lack of a motivational consciousness on the part of students. His statement at least acknowledges that students do have the capability to interact intellectually, and would do so in the right atmosphere, while your statement addresses the serious lack of interest shown by FT's to improve their skills.