Yeh you sound like a good teacher. I 100% agree with this approach. As someone who loves literature and critical theory but is not a teacher, I think the whole point of good lit (or art even) is the connections the reader makes, you don't learn or grow from obvious things, you have to go through a process of developing critical thinking and a perceptive eye, and I think a good teacher guides a student through that experience and building the skills to practice it themselves.