Teach towards the first turn, not the last exception
A short teaching outline can give new players enough context to act while keeping the rulebook close.
THE GAME SHELF / ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGEREAD THE STORY ↗
BEFORE EVERYONE ARRIVES
Make room for the evening.
Teaching, setup and breaks take time too. Build a simple schedule around your own estimates.
Use the table planner ↗THE LAST WORD
Keep a play log that helps the next session
Record the teach, the setup and the questions worth checking, rather than reducing every evening to a winner.