I rarely take classes, but one I did take was hand quilting. This was a long time ago, but things I remember and liked --
the teacher had a wide assortment of needle sizes and types in a little needle book with info on each (part of the class fee). This gave us the chance to find which needles were our favorites without having to buy a whole pack of each. And to know the name and size info for buying more. I still have and use my sampler needle book.
She let us try on thimbles from her collection, in addition to offering suggestions for other ways to protect your finger (tape, finger cotts, etc).
She brought in her own very first hand quilted project, along with projects done over the years -- it was encouraging to see that her work had not always been perfect, and that her current skill level was developed over time and with lots of practice.
She was prepared to help lefties.
We worked in brightly colored thread on a white muslin practice piece so that we could easily see our stitches. While I understand the point of that, I would prefer to invest the time on an actual project that can be used.
RST