"I’m not sure how to understand what consciousness is supposed to be if it doesn’t think or feel."

Consciousness ("I") is what you are (at all times and beyond). But as an eye that cannot see itself directly, neither can you see yourself directly as a thing (whether some-thing or no-thing). Everything you perceive is not the real nature of you.

Thus, the very moment you ask what is consciousness in the way you do, you conjure a mind representation which you (that is, "I" that you are) then cognize. And then you are just chasing your own tail in an infinite loop.

You sort of cannot understand or find consciousness, only know it (hence, know thyself).

The fastest way is the "Who am I?" inquiry. You ask the question and observe the thoughts, emotions, feelings, etc. and develop a kind of gap between the observer and observed ("I am neither this nor that because it's I who sees that thus I cannot be that" -- neti-neti search). Eventually, the realization jumps at you (you won’t miss it).

Well, but this is just one half of the whole deal -- second half is then realization that observer and observed are actually one and the same. But that's (for now) beyond the scope of your question, I guess.