A teacher looking back on an exciting and learning-packed year (in which she and her class participated in a research project on how students learn and think about literature) saw permanent change in herself and her students. The notions of "stances" and "scaffolding" forever changed the way the teacher planned her literature units. Watching and listening to her students changed the way the teacher led discussions. The students learned to ask questions that were important for developing their understanding of a piece of writing, and the teacher believed they learned to use the techniques applied in discussions as a way of approaching other issues in their lives. Studying literature provided the students with an appreciation of how thinking, discussing, and reshaping ideas gave them a better understanding of, and put them in control of, their thoughts. (RS)