Jason,
Being a new Beek, I would suggest that you wear a bee suit or at minimum a veil. You want to bee comfortable with your bees. I do not recommend using gloves. As you found out, you cannot feel the bees through the gloves and you end up crushing them and then they sting the gloves. The sting pheromones stay on the gloves and the next time you put the gloves in the hive they become very aggressive. Take your smoker and smoke up your hands and any exposed skin and this will greatly reduce stings. Move slowly while in the hive. They react to fast movements.
Good luck.
Jim