The vast majority of students that I teach come from impoverished areas and thus are disadvantaged monetarily, educationally, but socially as well. To be blunt about it the social skills of their home environment are often the exact opposite of what brings success in an academic or professional setting. I try to aid in their transition by attempting to model professional behaviors.
I have also found success with adult learners when they have opportunities to demonstrate previous work knowledge and relate that to topics I am teaching in class.
