Let the Shape of the Shaving Be Your Guide

Keep the Plane Mouth Clear

Certainly keeping the mouth of the plane clear will prevent it from clogging.  But it also allows you to observe the shape of the shaving.  The location of the shaving in the mouth as well as it's shape tells you a lot about the pass you just took.  It tell you about the topography of the board and how to adjust your plane strokes when flattening.  It tells you where the plane just cut which can be super useful when squaring the edge of a board.  Mostly it is just observing the feedback the plane gives you so that you get to flatter boards and smoother surface faster without just planing away blindly.  Hand plane work is only slow when we don't pay attention and take too many passes then have to take more passes to fix what we just over planed.  Let the shape of the shaving be your guide!