Kindergarten: is this normal?!

I'm really trying to not be THAT mother. You know, the one that complains because her kid didn't get the same amount of playing time as another kid, or the mother that thinks the teachers are working the kids too hard. I'm trying...I'm really trying... BUT I'm also really concerned that my daughter isn't in a good fostering a love for school and learning type environment.

I'm really conflicted. One one hand you will deal with people your entire life that you don't always necessarily get along with, and i recognize that its a good life lesson to encounter all different types of people and personalities. However; shouldn't a teacher, ya know...umm...LIKE KIDS?!

Trying to be open and not emotional about this here, but I'm really considering taking her out of kindergarten before finishing the year. Please tell me if I'm crazy and irrational....

So, just a few examples:

1) This teacher is wayyyy different than me and i feel at times like she almost bullies the kids and is negatively influencing my child. A few weeks ago i came to pick her up and she showed me all the bunnies that they decorated hanging on the wall. The first thing she pointed out was "Look at this one mommy...Lucas did a SLOPPY job!" ummm.....WOAHHHHHH! Those arent my words, THAT is not being taught at home. I feel like a good part of my day i spend un-doing what she is learning at school. We talk about how everyone is different and how art is different to every person, and that its important to try hard and do your best but we NEVER put down someone else's work.

2) Munchkin has said that the teacher has "grabbed her arm," "thrown her notebook on the ground" and told some of the other kids that her "M's look like birds" because she wasn't writing them correctly. I've spoken to the teacher about several of these things and i keep getting a spin on it, like munchkin didn't interpret it correctly, or that the teacher was joking and has a funny sense of humor. hmmm...

3) (out comes the obnoxious mother). The teachers has gold coins for the kids. They have a reward system solely based on doing work correctly. When they reach 10 check marks they get a gold coin. Its the end of March and muchkin has never gotten a gold coin. About a month ago she had 7, but didn't pick up after herself when she was playing with some toys and all her check marks were taken away. It makes me really sad, and i dont want her to feel bad about herself as she is seeing all these other kids getting coins. I mean for the love of god, give her a fucking coin at least once in the school year!

I don't know, am i crazy? Is there a positive spin on these things that I'm just not seeing?

Lastly, out of the 12 kids in her class munchkin is at the very bottom. I know this, she knows this, the other kids know this. Her teacher actually told her last week (TOLD HER, NOT ME) that she was afraid that she was going to "drown in first grade." She is the youngest in the class and will just turn 6 at the end of June, but not only that....THIS is an example of her weekly spelling words:

bump
camp
cap
clap
crop
cup
damp
drip
drop
dump
flip
flop
help
hop
lamp
lap
lip
lollipop
lump
map
nap
pan
pants
pat
pen
peg
pest
pet
picnic
pig
pin
plan
planet
plant
plastic
plug
plum
plus
pond
pot
pop
puff
pump
pup
puppet
rip
ramp
scraps
sip
slip
snap
spend
spin
spot
stamp
stop
stump
tap
tip
top
problem

Am i the only one that thinks this is absolutely ridiculous?! 61 freakin words every single week for a 5 year old?!

Damn, i mean i want my kids to reach their full potential, but more than that i want them to be HAPPY and feel good about themselves and enjoy the things they are doing. I see a little girl that is stressed all the time, never wants to go to school, and feels bad about herself because she sits and does remedial work while the other kids get to play outside. I dont know what to do.

So help! Either talk me down or tell me that my mommy instincts are right.