Needless to say we did all kinds of things up to my limit, the aircraft and instructor had none that were applicable to our limited scope, and that included a lot of slow flight, a lot of stalls, a lot of irresponsible
falling leafs (give me a break), and a some junior spin entries and recoveries, intentional and unintentional. It was part of learning to fly, done by common sense with a good instructor without following some paint by numbers nanny system that assumes everybody involved is an unskilled idiot needing protection from themselves. IMHO that's what it takes to learn to fly.
This statement has a lot more value than people realize. It describes conditions where the student learns for themselves, rather than so much being "taught". Though an instructor's role is to teach, it is to every bit as much keep the student safe while they learn for them self.
I re state that I am not an instructor, and defer to the wisdom and experience of pilots like Big Pistons when it comes to proper instructing techniques. However, I opine that a "good" instructor, while assuring that the required curriculum is properly covered, will also allow the student to try anything they want within the limits of the aircraft, and push closer to those limits as the student's improving skill shows to be appropriate. The problem comes when the instructor is not comfortable being near those limits them self. The student looses. Big Pistons has previously asserted that instructors should have received aerobatic training - I certainly agree! While I was being "checked out" on a flying club 172, so I could there after go and test fly it, the instructor asked me is I would demonstrate a roll. No, I would not. During the brief discussion which followed, I realized he was not trying to set me up, he really just wanted to see a roll, and never had, and on his present career path never would. That's a problem. EVERY instructor should have the self confidence to recover from a roll in at least a safe way.
As for stalls, the certified plane can do it - all can. With proper loading, and stable air, a stall within 30 degrees of wings level will be benign in all cases. I think a part of the problem is "hanger talk" by pilots who have scared themselves in the past, now creating unfair reputations about things. I had heard many not so good things about Piper Navajo's flying characteristics over the years. What a shame that my eager ears listened. I had two to test fly, each with different external mods. I went for a half hour check out, having never flown one before. I expect longer, but he said I was fine. So an hour later there I am stalling with the left engine stopped and feathered, not only wings level, but 15 degrees bank in each direction. The Navajo was a delight, and not at all deserving the bad things I had heard. I entered these maneuvers with great caution and "build up", but reminded myself that the plane had demonstrated this before - it could do it. I had to do it - and I did....
I bet that 95% of the instructors I could ever have learned with would have forbade my even thinking about doing that, what a shame.... It just takes the right amount of training and caution, and the right conditions.