Have you ever been in a class where you really had to think?

As I read about social constructivist model of teaching I realize that throughout my public education teachers stressed rote learning.  There were situations when  teachers made us think on our own and develop understanding for ourselves.  It looks like that , simply by growing up and being educated in the 80's and 90's in ex Yugoslavia I could not have had different experience. I am not that certain about it. Perhaps students that attended Grammer School  ( German traditional high school, gymnasium) with mathematics emphasis were taught better.  Yes we did experiments in chemistry and biology classes.  I would say that it was mathematics class where one really had to understand principles and theories fully in order to solve problems.