FAST-Action Blog

math-strategies 2026-02-28T06:00:01.517848 by Maria Santos

When Mid-Year Data Makes You Want to Hide Under Your Desk (But You Don't Have To)

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I got my mid-year FAST data back and my first thought was, "Ay, dios mio, what am I going to do with all these

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math-strategies 2026-02-23T06:00:01.679965 by Maria Santos

Making Mid-Year Data Work for You (Instead of Against You)

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I walked into the copy room and found Jessica practically hyperventilating over a stack of FAST reports. "Maria

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math-strategies 2026-02-21T06:00:02.122357 by Maria Santos

When Your FAST Data Makes You Want to Cry (And What to Do Instead)

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I opened my FAST data report and immediately wanted to crawl back into bed. You know that feeling, right? When you

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math-strategies 2026-02-16T06:00:01.865084 by Maria Santos

When Your FAST Scores Come Back and You Think "Now What?"

Math teaching strategy: Last week I got my mid-year FAST scores back, and honestly? My first reaction was to shove them in my desk drawer and pretend they

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math-strategies 2026-02-13T06:00:01.904211 by Maria Santos

Mid-Year Data Doesn't Have to Make You Want to Hide Under Your Desk

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I was sitting in my classroom at 6 PM, staring at a spreadsheet that looked like it had been attacked by a

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math-strategies 2026-01-31T05:55:00 by Maria Santos

5 Math Games My Kids Actually Beg to Play (Yes, You Read That Right)

Math teaching strategy: Last Friday, little Sofia ran up to me during dismissal and asked, "Ms. Santos, can we play Number War again on Monday?" I nearly

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math-strategies 2026-01-26T06:32:00 by Maria Santos

Confession: I Used to Hate Teaching Fractions

Math teaching strategy: I need to get something off my chest. For the first eight years of my teaching career, I absolutely dreaded fraction units. Every

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math-strategies 2026-01-15T05:21:00 by Maria Santos

Teaching Multiplication Facts Without Killing the Joy

Math teaching strategy: Last week, I watched little Sofia's face crumple as she stared at yet another timed multiplication worksheet. "I'm just stupid at

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math-strategies 2026-01-05T06:32:00 by Maria Santos

When a Student Says "I'm Just Not a Math Person"

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, little Sophia looked up at me with tears in her eyes during our fractions lesson and said, "Mrs. Santos, I'm just

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math-strategies 2025-11-11T05:05:00 by Maria Santos

Making Word Problems Less Terrifying

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I watched little Sofia physically recoil when she saw the word problem on page 47. Her shoulders tensed up, she

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math-strategies 2025-10-26T06:14:00 by Maria Santos

Why My Students Used to Hide When I Said "Word Problem" (And How I Fixed It)

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I watched little Sofia physically duck behind her desk when I announced we were doing word problems. Ay, dios mio,

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math-strategies 2025-10-20T05:27:00 by Maria Santos

The Manipulative That Changed Everything for Me

Math teaching strategy: I still remember the exact moment I realized I was doing everything wrong. It was my third year teaching, and I was standing in

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math-strategies 2025-10-02T06:43:00 by Maria Santos

5 Math Games My Kids Actually Beg to Play

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I heard something that made me stop dead in my tracks while walking down the hallway. "Mrs. Santos, are we playing

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math-strategies 2025-09-17T08:49:00 by Maria Santos

When "Word Problem" Becomes a Four-Letter Word in Your Classroom

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I watched little Sofia's face go completely white when I announced we were starting word problems. This sweet kid

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math-strategies 2025-09-07T06:05:00 by Maria Santos

Why I Start Every Math Class Wrong on Purpose

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I walked into my classroom and wrote "47 x 23" on the board. Then I proceeded to solve it completely wrong. I

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math-strategies 2025-08-21T05:20:00 by Maria Santos

5 Math Games My Kids Actually Beg to Play (And How They Secretly Build Skills)

Math teaching strategy: Last Tuesday, I heard something that made me stop dead in my tracks. Little Sofia was tugging on her mom's sleeve at pickup time

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