>I think it's a good idea to use an ordinary word processor or Notepad and type out the HTML by hand. Doing it this way, gives you a better understanding of HTML and makes the transition to scripting and DHTML easier when the time comes when you want to make your pages do things.
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It may be a good teaching methodology (I learned the PDP instruction set by having to toggle things on a front panel, and I still remember it) but it's excruciating, especailly with large/lots of pages. I'd rather use a tool to generate the HTML and look at it afterwards.

For people just starting in with HTML, a good starting book (which advocates working the examples in the book using Notepad or a similar text editor rather than an HTML editor) is Instant HTML Programmer's Reference from WROX Press (ISBN 1-861001-56-8). This is the first of a whole nest of books on HTML, scripting, DHTML and ASP with a comprehensive guide to HTML 4.0, including the complete list of obnoxious colors available...