Completely new and learning

[van_arn]

Learn by tanking.

First, read your tooltips. Second, stay out of the fire. You've made a solid start and seem to have the right mindset going into this, with plenty of self-criticism and study.

Don't get sidetracked by what some might consider "easy" leveling systems, like POTD or HOH-- save those for your alts, if you absolutely must.

Get at least one solid clear on each dungeon and (non-extreme) trial, required and optional, on your way to 70. If you aren't happy with how you did in a run, then just rerun that one dungeon again. You don't need perfection, but you do need to have confidence with the mechanics.

Get through the main storyline as your second priority, but your class quests are you highest priority. Avoid sidequests, unless they unlock a dungeon. You don't need to do sidequests for experience, since you can just run a dungeon if you need to level to unlock more of the main storyline. An exception can be made for sidequests that unlock flying in expansion areas.

If you hit level 70 and haven't completed the main storyline, that 70 just doesn't count-- keep pushing that main storyline so you see everything you can unlock, and as a result have an opportunity to learn the basic mechanics the dungeons and trials will teach you.

Listen to your parties, and if you ever don't know what to do just ask them. By and large people are more than willing to share strategies and give you hints, they just need to know you're fresh. The flipside is if you ask for advice, follow it-- there's no point asking if you won't follow through.

Your ultimate goal is to clear the storyline to the point where you're ready for Shadowbringers, have a set of 380-390 gear, and have the confidence to handle the mechanics of every dungeon and trial (non-extreme/savage) on the way. That will put you ahead of a solid half of the playerbase.

If you do all of this, it's trivial to double back and level alts through a method of your choice. You'll have enough experience with the game and mechanics to be able to handle just about anything, on any role you decide to play next. Alternatively, you could progress to extreme/savage.

*the above applies for content past level 28 or so. Below that, the dungeons are so weak the healer can tank them, so there's not too much to learn as a tank. Just be a facsimile of a tank until then. Shield Oath is your "I'm an actual tank" signal.