No love for keeping it simple with nano?

Most outlines I expect will need a second pass to fill in more detail before starting on code... although it does depend on how much spoon-feeding is going on in the homework assignment.

I suggest something connecting the outline to the getting started part.
For example, after writing that outline in comments, keep it active, and fill in code between the outline lines. As you fill things in, you end up with commented code, and keep a local reminder of what you meant to do next.