Hi Carol, It is obvious by your forum response that you have had a lot of experience in working with non-traditional learners. Your points about how to encourage them are right on. Sometimes the personal aspects of instruction become more important than content. If the student is so discouraged or burdened down by life outside of the classroom that he or she cannot see a future for themselves in your classroom then the best content in the world will not make a difference. A key part of experience is knowing just when to intervene and when to step back and give the student some space. This skill seems to be an ongoing one that requires observation and good common sense. Gary