The challenge here is to ensure that students learn as much as possible while they are doing. It is critically important that students take lessons that transcend a particular problem or procedure from their research experiences. The method can be highly individualized, but it includes a commitment to posing questions and assigning tasks that help students to become scientists. It also includes a commitment to supporting students as they encounter practical and logistical hurdles while helping them to develop the discipline and problem-solving skills necessary to see a research project through to completion. Thus, I start thesis students with a structured assignment: Prepare a timeline. Students are surprised by how challenging this task is; their first drafts are almost always too sketchy and ambitious. As I help students flesh out and refine the timeline (often as part of a group of students each working on their own project), they learn about the details--conceptual, methodological, and practical--involved. Then, I help them develop the skills and the plan to accomplish each step and meet each goal on that timeline. I find that my activities while helping students develop research skills often follows a progression from explaining, to demonstrating, to assisting, and finally to watching while providing feedback. This progression allows me to provide the amount of support each individual needs as s/he meets each challenge.