First, welcome to the club!

You have the right idea with the tiller. I usually toss it behind the boat into the water, grab the tiller crossbar, and as I move to the other side of the boat I switch hands and pick the tiller extension back up.

Some will dispute how to handle the tiller extension, but it ends up being whatever you are comfortable with. It just takes some getting used to. After a while it will become second nature.