[JeffC_]

I''m sure you''ve already tried this, but:

Steering by chasing the compass is difficult for a beginner because it removes so much useful information from the helmsman. Better to teach them to steer by a landmark. When I have new crew I get them on the tiller right away as we''re motoring out. I coach them into getting the boat head-to-wind, then pick out a landmark in the distance that can be steered toward (in my case it''s usually a set of condos on the far shore of the bay). Beginners seem to be able to do this reasonably well. Later, developing a feel for the wind direction on their faces (like we all did) well let them add even more info to their helmsmanship.
The point here is that the whole scene changing in front of them gives them much more visual information to steer by than the compass card (a magnetic compass has a lagtime by its very nature, & only shows what has <em>already happened</em> to the boat''s bearing): they can see waves/wakes, they can even aniticpate needed corrections on-the-fly as they see immediately that they are pointing off from their landmark.
Though everyone has a different inborn instinct, I''ve enjoyed very good results with this method.
A quick comment about the dynamic of male/female crewing: it can be an issue. A practice run upwind motoring under bare poles with a landmark lined-up beyond the forestay could be a real confidence-booster for her.
Good Luck.