I agree. When I go to someone to learn something, I try to seek out the best in my area. I am currently taking taekwondo. There are many schools in my area, but the one I am at is led by the former team captain of the Korean Tigers. The other instructors there are either Korean Tigers or mixed martial arts champions. It's definitely easier for me to to trust my teachers. I don't know much about taekwondo, so I put my trust and learning experience in their hands. It is often a waste of time to sort out the information and misinformation of people who are inexperienced.
I believe this question came about through a recent forum post where someone stated that they didn't know how to even start teaching a student and then asked if they should. Well, I think they basically answered their own question.
But to answer this question as posted by blade, I have stated before that I feel a student should almost be apprenticed to a teacher. It is invaluable experience to study with a good teacher. Once you find one, model yourself after them. Ask them questions about their methods. Ask them how they approach teaching beginners. Ask about tricky situations. Then go to some other notable teachers and take a few lessons from them. Build a database of information about how people teach. Then sort it out, personalize it and develop your own style.
As Ken said, research the method books, DVDs, anything that could help you to become a better teacher. You might need to spend hundreds just checking out beginning to intermediate level books, but in the end you'll have found the materials that work best for you.