I took my wife out on a snowy January night, on a steep downhill grade, at 3 AM, and put her in the driver's seat of my 87 Escort GT. She had been "taught" over and over again through the years, but never got the hang of it. After that night, she never looked back. Started driving a stick like she was a natural. Most people don't think to teach someone by facing downhill, but the natural tendency of a car to roll down the hill will give her confidence as she learns to engage the clutch. Learning a stick is all about confidence.
