Time to Complain

Everytime I meet with my principal I feel like crying. I don't think she really understands my program and therefore she is constantly spouting out crap. She seems to forget that my classroom is not a regular ed. classroom. It does these kids no good to leave their regular classrooms and come sit in mine while I teach another group. Yet, she always compares my room to regular classrooms. "Well, regular classes have 30 kids and they are not getting an aide." "Regular classrooms do small groups too and they don't need an aide." Blah, blah, blah. How I would love to be those other classrooms but I'm not. She also doesn't understand how I don't have enough time to do the paperwork on 22 kids plus monitor those 10 kids who passed out of the program. "You have a prep. time don't you?" Yes, I do but surprisingly I use that time to plan lessons for my students. Imagine that! The real kicker is when she said I should ask the special ed. teachers for advice on what to do- special ed. teachers have aides. I brought that up and she said well your case load is nothing compared to theres. Interesting enough. they only do 4 grade levels (with the help of a what? an aide!). I do 7. By myself. Then at the end of our meetings she always has to say how amazed she is at how well I am handling this challeging program. That statement seems to contradict everything else she said. Urgh! OK. Now I am done complaining. Maybe I'll read this and realize I am just being too demanding to ask for an aide for the last 3 hours of the day but that's doubtful.
-Jenny