learning to teach...

the more i teach, the more i am struck by the importance of backing off and doing "less" - create opportunities for students to learn, then get out of the way. recently i had some activities planned, but the students were engaged doing something else - in this psrticular case, had i compelled them to do what i had planned, i don't think their education would have been served as well - they were engaged in meaningful work, answering the questions that were meaningful to them - who am i to stop it...granted there are times when an instructor should assert himself and his aims- but not just to show who's boss