Math Standards and Benchmarks- Friends or Foes?

     As a parent and a future teacher, I have had moments of frustration over all the standards and mandates that have been placed on education in Minnesota.  When I was younger, I always wanted to become a teacher.  I would pretend with the neighbor kids, I had a chalkboard and made up worksheets and field trips. I loved the thought of one day having my own classroom.  I imagined how I would use my creativity to teach my students and all the different ways I could go about doing so in my own classroom. Of course I thought I would be the best teacher ever and everyone would want to request me. I was drawn to the freedom that teachers had in their classroom to use their own specific talents to make a difference in a child's life.  Well, as years passed and times changed, so did education, and so did teaching.

    As with many things in life, I had to look beyond my own opinions and try to let go of my ideals especially if I was going to become a teacher.  I was looking over the Minnesota Math Standards and Benchmarks trying to gain an understanding of them. Very simply put, they are the what and the how behind academic knowledge, and the accountability behind teaching.   The state has determined the requirements and the timeline and the teachers have to make it happen for every student.  This seems a little daunting considering class sizes, diverse learners, and time restraints, especially in math.

     To get a grasp on this I tried to relate it to when I trained for a marathon.  The requirement was to finish all 26.2 miles and cross the finish line.  In order for me to be successful, I had to have a plan, make goals, use a timeline to prepare for the next phase of training which would prepare me for the next, etc.  I mapped out a calendar to follow to be sure I was ready for the day of the race, each day adding to the previous day.  I had standards, benchmarks, and assessments in place to ensure success.  This gave me some perspective on the purpose of standards and benchmarks in education, especially in math.  Math concepts build off of each other and students will not be successful in math if they do not master each concept along the way.  So, friend or foe? I guess its all how you look at it.