Actually the explaination posted by chaika makes sense to me now. And in my teacher's defense, she was giving me the basic rules of the first and second conjugation...but as always with any language...there are exceptions...so she had me learn a few of them.
I have been working off and on learning Russian for about three years now, with very little help except a VERY patient friend in Tomsk and a couple Bulgarian friends from when I was in college. I finally got in contact with the woman who is currently my teacher through the University of New Hampshire (as I am unable to formally study Russian through the University due to my work schedule and I am currently refusing to study a language for class credit). I was previously familiar with the first and second conjugations, so she felt the exceptions were apropriate. I don't mind that she may have "pushed" me a little bit.
By the way, is anyone familiar with Ovsiyenko's "Russian for Beginners"? So far I have had success with the book.