I took a class and the instructor spent a lot of time on threads, needles and other things. She could have covered the basics and then given a handout. When it came time to actually FMQ I found that my machine, that had all the right elements to FMQ, just couldn't do it well. She kept telling me that I must have my machine (which I've owned for over 30 years) threaded incorrectly! She also spent time with people who dropped into the class to say hello or show her their latest project. It was a waste of time.
I took another class at a different shop and the instructor had a few machines for students whose machines just couldn't FMQ. She had us spend the bulk of class time practicing various techniques and I learned that, given enough practice, I can FMQ. She had us do many of the things mentioned here such as write your name. We filled a 4 inch square area with little circles, which I think helped the most in getting control. We also copied patterns that she just showed us (no tracing) and then we used two patterns to get the feel of that. She was with us the whole time and made sure that she got to everyone. Very worthwhile class