The Life of Confucius

Confucius was a philosopher, bureaucrat, and teacher. As a conservative, he considered himself a "transmitter who invented nothing." By the end of his life, he had taught some 3000 students, although the influence of his teaching reverberates through Chinese history to this day, even in education.

Confucius greatly valued education as a means of moral development, as morality itself had great importance to him. He promoted a balance between study and reflection: “He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” Study, for Confucius, meant repetition of elders and recitation of classics.

His own method of instruction was quite informal, and involved casual discussions with his students (who later wrote down his sayings).

Sources:
Stanford Encyclopedia