Hermeneutics tries to answer the question, what does it mean to "understand"? Once an arcane sub-specialty of Biblical studies and philology, hermeneutics in the last 30 years has quietly influenced theories and practice~ in history, sociology, anthropology, literary studies, science, politics, and even business. Hermeneutics has both descriptive and prescriptive dimensions. For teachers, hermeneutics usefully · describes processes of learning. As a prescriptive model, hermeneutics can be used to guide students' encounters with texts and other objects of study, and to orchestrate a critical dialogue which exposes and tests prejudices, ideology, and misunderstanding. Out of these encounters, students come to greater self knowledge and realize possibilities for choice and change. The paper illustrates hermeneutic concepts and processes with classroom examples and student testimony.