"What should an advisor to that newb focus on teaching first?"

for a proper bitcoin education session:

• rest well, take a shower, clip fingernails, rinse the nose, dress as if for a private seminar, etc.
• come prepared to learn and take notes; have intelligent questions ready
• take a deep breath and meditate before receiving the firehose of information

if the student has no questions or good feedback after one-two thorough sessions, perhaps move on; the best newB will have the desire to keep coming back and to do the reading;