Book excerpt: 'The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled' (Plutarch). The trouble is that, as much as we believe those words, we're sometimes under such pressure to 'deliver' that we're tricked into the spoon-feeding shortcut. We then become trapped, with our pupils, in an unhealthy cycle where we do more and more of the work and they rely on us more and more heavily. The Independent Learning Pocketbook is about breaking that cycle and creating ambitious learners who are self-regulated, self-motivated, resourceful and resilient - learners with clear goals and direction and who use their initiative to achieve success. Peter Anstee draws on a variety of research, as well as first-hand classroom experience and observation, in this clear-sighted look at how to inspire and nurture the people you teach to become lifelong learners.