FAST-Action Blog

budget-teaching 2026-07-02T06:00:01.958467 by Maria Santos

The Broke Teacher's Guide to Back to School Shopping (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Wallet)

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Let me tell you about August 2019. I walked into Walmart with a list, a coupon app I barely knew how to use, and entirely

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florida-teacher 2026-07-01T06:00:02.272490 by Maria Santos

Hurricane Days Are Coming: What Every Florida Teacher Needs to Do Before and After the Storm

Florida teacher tip: I still think about Hurricane Irma. It was 2017, and I had just finished setting up my classroom for the new school year. New anchor

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florida-teacher 2026-06-30T06:00:01.887283 by Maria Santos

Dear First-Year Florida Teacher, Nobody Warned You About This

Florida teacher tip: I remember standing in my classroom in late August, sweating through my cardigan before 7:30 AM, watching a gecko run across my

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teacher-life 2026-06-29T06:00:01.841035 by Maria Santos

How I Finally Stopped Taking Work Home Every Night (And You Can Too)

Teacher advice: Last Tuesday, Carlos looked at me across the dinner table and said, "Mija, is that a stack of math journals next to the salt shaker?" And

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teacher-life 2026-06-28T06:00:02.386129 by Maria Santos

The End-of-Year Honest Look in the Mirror Every Teacher Needs to Take

Teacher advice: Last June, I was cleaning out my desk and found a sticky note I had written to myself back in September. It said, "This year, no more

teacher life math classroom

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florida-teacher 2026-06-27T06:00:01.676732 by Maria Santos

B.E.S.T. Standards: What Actually Changed (And What It Means for Your Classroom Tomorrow)

Florida teacher tip: I still remember sitting in a professional development session back when Common Core rolled out, staring at a slide deck that was

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testing-season 2026-06-26T06:00:02.557503 by Maria Santos

How I Actually Recover After Testing Season (And Help My Kids Do the Same)

FAST test prep tip: Last April, about three days after our final round of FAST testing wrapped up, I found myself sitting at my desk staring at a blank

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florida-teacher 2026-06-25T06:00:01.801619 by Maria Santos

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About FAST Testing Before I Learned It the Hard Way

Florida teacher tip: It was my third year teaching, and I had spent two weeks drilling my students on test prep worksheets. We're talking stacks of paper,

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teacher-life 2026-06-24T06:00:01.782064 by Maria Santos

The Honest End-of-Year Reflection Every Teacher Needs (But Nobody Wants to Do)

Teacher advice: Last June, I sat in my classroom at 4:30 in the afternoon, surrounded by 24 years worth of accumulated stuff, and I made a list. Not a

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teacher-life 2026-06-23T06:00:02.766708 by Maria Santos

The First Week of Summer: What I Actually Do (Hint: It's Not What You Think)

Teacher advice: Last June, my husband Carlos looked at me on the first official day of summer break and said, "So what are you going to do today? Relax?"

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