Nah, I think you're right. Most professors seem to take the attitude of "I teach a subject matter, I don't teach students." But we all should know that the ages of 18-24 or so are some of the hardest years in a person's life--that transition out of childhood and the family home into life on your own, etc.--and this is when they need good mentors so much!! So I try to be as holistic of a teacher as I can. So yes, I deeply care about the young humans I teach, rather than academic research interests. So many profs complain about how students waste their precious research time. I say, lock them in their ivory tower and don't let them out.
Besides, my primary research interest right now is cannabis--for real. this is my research passion.