Recently at work, we were able to take a cooking class at the Viking Store at Legacy Village that had been graciously sponsored by a wholesaler.
I had a ton of fun, and got to learn (which, besides getting hammered on complimentary wine, was the point). Specifically: knife skills. I got to use a Shun knife, and let me tell you (what every experienced cook knows) – holy crap, what a difference a sharp knife makes! At home, it takes me an eternity to get through chopping a single vegetable; but during this class, I was actually disappointed as I was nearing the end of the vegetables I had been assigned to cut.
I asked the instructor what he thought some of the best knives were, and he said Wusthoff and Henckels are great brands from Germany, and any knvives made in Japan are great. So, I put three Henckels knives on my Amazon wishlist, with the hopes that I will be able to get them for myself. It makes a huge difference.
I cannot wait to enroll in some of their other cooking classes. They are not inexpensive, but they are definitely worth it.
The Blog of JulZ 
So I love that you are taking a cooking class. I actually want to do the same but really only to learn how to slice and chop. Alton Brown was teaching me about that on Good Eats the other night…