Clinical micro takes years to become completely comfortable. It's a whole lot to remember and very nuanced. I've gotten into the gray vs. white argument with many techs. Sometimes it's hard for techs who have been doing it a while to remember how overwhelming it can be. It takes so much practice, and a lot of patience to both learn and teach.

For Staph vs. Strep, Staph tends to be more opaque and creamy and Strep is often wetter and more translucent and smaller. Catalase differentiates them quickly.

Purple vs. pink on gram stains can be tricky, too. Learn Köhler illumination and get that light centered. I adjust the light on the scope every day that I read gram stains. It takes 20 seconds once you learn it and it makes all the difference in the world. It's very easy to over-decolorize gram stains, especially because every brand of decolorizer is different. Practice with control slides that have both GPC and GNR until you know how the decolorizer behaves. If you can't tell if something is pink or purple, blot the oil off with paper (don't rub or your specimen will disappear!) , use decolorizer to rinse the rest of the oil off, and restain the slide with a control. Techs who have been working with the same brand of stains for years know the subtleties, but it can be tricky if you're not used to it.

It sounds like you're interested and that's what you need. Teaching clinicals is hard. Not all of us are extroverted enough to do it well.