Most people that I've taught (sometimes fairly advanced) computer skills to have been held back up to that point almost entirely by their own fears. First acti

Most people that I've taught (sometimes fairly advanced) computer skills to have been held back up to that point almost entirely by their own fears. First actions I've always taken is whatever I gotta do or say to get them past those fears so that the actual learning can begin. Once they're no longer scared of the subject matter at hand, they almost always have no troubles actually grasping the concepts (as long as they're explained in terms that make sense to them). Lotta folks are a lot smarter'n they give themselves credit for, even about things they think they can't understand, but their fears create a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.