students' mental blocks

But what happens or any ideas to help a student who is experiencing a mental block akin to writers block snap out of it and begin to think more critically and begin uncovering the realities?

Mark, you wrote this in response to some of Brookfield's thoughts, but I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. In the situation you are thinking about, when does this mental block appear? Or how does it manifest? Could you clarify a bit more?