Planning a photography course...

Hi everyone, I need some help. What would you have liked to know when you got your first SLR camera?

I'm seriously considering starting a business teaching the basics of photography to people who are moving in to an SLR camera, digital or film, for the first time. There is so much to learn and I've found in the course that I'm doing that if you can get the basics bedded down then working on the creative side is so much easier.

The problem is that anyone can take a good photo once. The new wizz bang, super duper, gigapixel camera does all of the work and the photographer really has no idea what just happened. The first step, I believe, is to go back to the basics, understand what happened and be able to repeat the process when that type of situation arises again. The follow on step is to be creative with the "rules" and make up some of your own rules to develop your individual style.

So I would like some help. I need to know what you wish you knew when you first got your camera. What fundamental thing about your camera would have made it easier to use it creatively? I want to go back to the basics of ISO/ASA, shutterspeed, aperture and work up from there.

Thanks in advance for any constructive input...