but a competently trained instructor would recognize what the student is doing to compensate for the particular “rough edge,” and would explain what was happening, why it was happening that way, and instruct the student on the proper, airplane generated, in-put cues and what that student needs to do to respond correctly
I must be dumb because I cannot visualise what you mean. There are some professional simulator instructors who have never flown the real aeroplane they are instructing for in the simulator. After all not all simulator instructors have flown the A380 or a Boeing 787 yet have passed the interviews and a type rating course on the simulator and certified competent to test and instruct.
In fact there are many airline retired simulator instructors who may only "fly" their specific simulator twice a year for a couple of hours each time to maintain the minimum currency required by the regulator. I bet the majority of that is on automatic pilot as well.
In my experience it is rare to see a simulator instructor whether he is a current check pilot or simply a retired pilot, actually take a control seat and demonstrate to a candidate how to conduct a high speed rejected take off with all its after stopping SOP's. Or demonstrate to a candidate that is having problems with an engine failure, manual reversion, low level circling approach, or all flaps up landing. Most of the time the simulator instructor has a rigid set of SOP to stick to during a type rating sequence or recurrent training sequence. He sits back in the instructor panel and reads the syllabus and presses the required buttons on the IOS. The syllabus is usually approved by the local regulator and due to limitations of time available and cost of simulator time, there is rarely time for extra handling training that may be needed. Certainly he won't have the time to change seats with the candidate and show him how it should be done.
I find it difficult to get my head around the points that some contributors to the debate say, when they mention instructors need to be familiar with the perceived differences between the real aircraft and what is experienced in the simulator. This is especially so when the same instructors could have conceivably not flown the real aircraft for ten years or more.