I, too, decided that if I wasn't getting "whatever" - the odds were fairly good that someone else was not getting it, either.

Sometimes I did get (and still sometimes do get) that "gee, how dumb can one person be" snicker from the classmates - Oh, well.

I,like Terry enjoy classes for different reasons. Usually just to see what tips a teacher cans give. They usually have some handy tips to offer. I may or may not use her techniques after
the class. There are more than one way to skin a cat. I tend to be one of those faster sewers but try to hold back so the teacher can tell us her way to accomplish the next step. If others around me seem confused I will offer help until the teacher comes around. Just trying to help the others enjoy the process. And I do not own top of the line anything. Nor do I find the need for it. I would rather spend my $ on fabrics.
I would also rather have an instructor that can tell me what I am doing wrong if I get stuck. You don't get that with YouTube

I like to take a class where I can learn a new technique. I just am not into video classes, though I do have some Crafty ones. I like to see the demonstration and the have someone critique (politely) my efforts. I don’t get that feed back from a video. That being said, classes are a mixed bag. One of my local shops has a group that seem to take every class offered together. They and the teacher keep,chatting about their common church activities, and it is irritating. I won’t take any more classes there. I have had better luck at quilt shows that draw from a region so there aren’t as many cliques.

"I am incapable of doing the exact same thing as everyone else."

This is pretty much me. I was in one class taught by a friend of mine. The lady sitting next to me evidently stopped and was watching me. Then she said "that's not the way she said to do it". Before I could answer my friend's voice over my shoulder said "She never does what others do. Her thinking is so far out of the box that mostly she says "What box?" but her results are always amazing". It made me laugh and feel proud all at the same time.

Anyone who would snicker at someone in class is Way immature. I tend to grasp new ideas fairly quickly but I also understand how it feels to not get it when everyone else seems to be getting it. Snickering at someone is So rude.

I have never taken a class. Just doesn't appeal to me. I can sew a fairly straight line, have plenty of quilting books and have watched a lot of youtube videos. I just keep making quilts. I know enough to make quilts, good enough for me.

I had the audacity to take a 1956 Singer 301 to a FMQ class at the LQS that sold Janomes. The instructor was quite rude about my machine. Well, guess which machine did not jam, sewed exactly as intended, needed no instructor time, etc. The shop owners were not in attendance. I know they would have been unhappy with the way AnnieRose and I were treated because they were both vintage machine enthusiasts as well as being nice people. In fact, I gave her a pre 1900 Ruby that I didn't want to clean up.
My budget doesn't allow for classes in anything that I can learn on my own. Youtube and QB teach what I need to know. Coming from an apparel background, I did appreciate the help with FMQ, though one evening was enough. I think of that instructor when I make loops, which I like. She was adamant that you never cross a stitching line. Only stippling is FMQ. :p

I guess I am left feeling bad for people who are so limited in their outlook that they really believe there's only one way to do something and anybody doing anything else is somehow wrong. These "quilt police" type people all sound like they're probably struggling with a lot of insecurity.

I agree that - in many cases - there is more than one way to accomplish a given task.

However, I do think that - while in a class - it does make it easier for all the participants if they are all - more or less - going in the same direction - and reading from the same book - and the same edition - and the same page.

It might be appropriate for the instructor to say something like - 'I know there are other ways to do such and such - but for this class - let's do it this way."

cashs_mom, you have a good and true friend there.