Dan,
I have also experienced these situations, with certain groups of students. In these cases I tend to supplement that allotted course time, with "outside of class" assignments that may assist the students in further comprehending the material. It is important that instructors are patient with students that are not able to "grasp" the material, however sometimes it is important to provide them with further practice, so that you can move on with the planned lesson.
Tremayne Simpson