If my first quilting teacher had been like that I doubt that I would be quilting today. Instead she showed me how to salvage the quilt after I made a mess of it. I value that lesson, since I still make a mess of it on a semi-regular basis. That being said, it is good to learn at the start how to make 1/4" seams, but not at the expense of feeling like a failure because your seams aren't perfect to begin with.