The rhythms are rarely that complicated. They're just clear and have a logical progression.
What makes things sound "professional" is a bit of oramentation added to those rhtythms.
If often expose students to these things pretty early. We take like 4 notes and move them around the kit. Then we e.g. make 1 a flam and do a double on 3. Then swith swithch them around. Then we do 2 and 4. Then we have fun with splitting the flam between two drums. When you're confident with that simple rhythms and have some possibilities under your belt you try another one. Eventually mixing it up and just focusing on the flow.
I like your approach
much more about music than drumming
I make students trade 4's with one hand.
I have them park the bead left stick (or right if they are lefty) dead sticked into the head so they can use it for stick on stick if they desire and trade 4's using one hand and their their feet if they want to use them.
I feel this forces you to use Ideas instead of resorting to "drummy" $#!+
I'll call out things like ... "ok, this time only use 'ands' " ... or ... "this time you can't use beat 1" ... etc etc
I'm of the mind that it is far more important to develop ideas and a musical phrase vocabulary based on simple rhythmic figures than relying on or forcing cluttered stickings or rudiments ... especially when first learning to improvise.
I also strongly encourage them to listen closely to who they are trading with and to take the last figure that person plays and start their break quoting it
This is why it is important to play with others ... in this music a good portion of what you play is a direct response or reaction to what someone else plays
Listen to someone like Philly Joe Jones ... you will very often hear him quote the soloist before his' figures within his own 4's and 8's
This strengthens your ears as much as your ability to develop ideas
I think too many drummers forget that the idea is to allow the tune to continue through your break ... whether it's a 4, 8 or chorus ... and not an opportunity to show your "stuff"