ListerNoble: well done for doing some spin training but if the entry was violent it sounds like it wasn't terribly well demo'd.
Some FIs get a few knots above the stall, yank the stick back and apply rudder - the result is a violent pitch-up, roll inverted and after a few gyrations it may or may not end-up in a full spin. This is totally unrealistic because you're unlikely to do this accidentally.
Aerobatic FIs will usually show you what happens if you mishandle a stall in an over-ruddered turn, or in a sideslip. This is much more realistic and in these cases the aircraft will usually slide straight into a spin (or maybe a spiral in some types); you may go inverted but it's not usually violent.
The important bit is the demo during the lead-up that if you take the power off and centralise the controls during the entry, the aircraft will be back in control and all you have to do is level the wings and then sort out the pitch attitude.
I used to be strongly in the "spinning should be back in the PPL syllabus" lobby, but the syllabus is too long as it is. I now believe that the basic PPL syllabus should be relatively simple, but that pilots should be encouraged to do post-PPL advanced training (including spinning) with specialists
, in suitable aircraft. Ideally this would be recognised by reduced premiums or hire rates, but if it might save your life it's fairly good value.
HFD