I'm too distractible. I prefer Craftsy and Youtube if I really want to learn something. I would go to an in person class expecting to have fun and to get inspired, but hope I can pick up enough that I can follow through on my own later.
It seems your classmate wasn't very considerate. I see nothing wrong with saying to her nicely that you need to focus on what you're doing. As long as you express something in terms of your needs rather than making it seem like she's bothering you, it shouldn't cause any hard feelings.