FAST-Action Blog

budget-teaching 2026-03-22T06:00:01.814894 by Maria Santos

Dollar Store Gold: Building Your Math Manipulative Collection Without Breaking the Bank

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Last month, my principal walked into my classroom during math centers and stopped dead in her tracks. "Maria Elena, where

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classroom-management 2026-03-19T06:00:02.738417 by Maria Santos

My Transition Trick That Actually Works (And Why I Wish I'd Figured It Out 15 Years Ago)

Classroom management tip: Last Tuesday, I watched a first-year teacher practically melt down in the hallway. Her class was transitioning from math centers

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budget-teaching 2026-03-13T06:00:01.924230 by Maria Santos

My $20 Math Manipulative Haul That Changed Everything

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Last Saturday, I dragged my husband Carlos to the Dollar Tree with me. He thought we were picking up cleaning supplies. An

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parent-tips 2026-03-08T06:00:02.334687 by Maria Santos

When Parents Are More Stressed Than Kids About School (And What We Can Do About It)

Parent communication tip: Last week, I watched a mom literally shake during our parent conference. Her daughter Sofia was doing fine in math, maybe a B

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classroom-management 2026-03-07T06:00:02.214980 by Maria Santos

Why I Stopped Taking Behavior Personally (And You Should Too)

Classroom management tip: Last Tuesday, little Antonio looked me straight in the eye and said, "I hate math and I hate you too." Then he swept his

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classroom-management 2026-02-26T06:00:01.679425 by Maria Santos

Why I Stopped Taking Behavior Personally (And How It Changed Everything)

Classroom management tip: Last Tuesday, Diego threw his pencil across the room during math and declared that fractions were "stupid and pointless." Three

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testing-season 2026-02-17T06:00:01.427710 by Maria Santos

My Post-Testing Recovery Plan: How to Get Our Kids (and Ourselves) Back on Track

FAST test prep tip: Last Tuesday, I watched Sophia stare at her math worksheet for ten minutes without writing a single number. This is the same kid who

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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 2026-01-15T05:21:00 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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parent-tips 2025-12-21T05:48:00 by Maria Santos

The Gift That Keeps on Giving... Stress: Why Holiday Presents Make Parents Panic

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched Carmen's mom fidget with her purse strap during our parent conference. Carmen is doing great in math,

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classroom-management 2025-12-10T05:11:00 by Maria Santos

The Week Before Break: When Your Kids Are Basically Vibrating with Excitement

Classroom management tip: It's 9:47 AM on the Tuesday before winter break, and little Sofia just asked me for the fifteenth time if we can watch a movie

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budget-teaching 2025-11-18T06:23:00 by Maria Santos

My Dollar Store Math Makeover: How $20 Transformed My Classroom

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Last Tuesday, I watched my student Jamal stare at 47 + 29 like it was written in ancient hieroglyphics. I could practically

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budget-teaching 2025-11-16T06:47:00 by Maria Santos

My Dollar Store Math Arsenal: How $20 Can Transform Your Classroom

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Last Tuesday, little Sofia looked at me with those big brown eyes and said, "Mrs. Santos, I still don't get fractions." We'd

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parent-tips 2025-11-13T05:38:00 by Maria Santos

When Parents Say "My Child Would Never" (Spoiler Alert: They Did)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had to call Mrs. Rodriguez about her son Miguel throwing pencils at classmates during math. Her immediate

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testing-season 2025-11-10T08:15:00 by Maria Santos

When Your Stress is Showing and FAST Testing is Tomorrow

FAST test prep tip: Last Tuesday, I caught myself snapping at little Sofia for sharpening her pencil during math. The poor kid just wanted a sharp point

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testing-season 2025-10-31T05:43:00 by Maria Santos

Breathing Again: My Post-Testing Recovery Plan (And How We All Survive the Aftermath)

FAST test prep tip: Last Tuesday, I watched little Sofia put her head down on her desk and just deflate. Testing was finally over, but instead of relief,

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teacher-life 2025-10-25T08:22:00 by Maria Santos

Finding Your Teacher Tribe: Why You Need Friends Who Get the Struggle

Teacher advice: Last week, my college roommate Jessica called me while I was sitting at my kitchen table, surrounded by a mountain of math journals and my

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parent-tips 2025-10-22T08:05:00 by Maria Santos

The Conference Prep That Actually Gets Parents to Show Up (And Stay Engaged)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched Mrs. Patterson's face crumble as she realized her daughter Sofia wasn't just "having a rough patch" in

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testing-season 2025-10-08T06:41:00 by Maria Santos

How I Help My Kids (and Myself) Bounce Back After FAST Testing

FAST test prep tip: Last week, little Sofia looked up at me during our first real math lesson post-FAST and said, "Mrs. Santos, are we allowed to talk

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testing-season 2025-10-05T06:51:00 by Maria Santos

When Your Stress is Louder Than Your Teaching Voice

FAST test prep tip: Last Tuesday, I caught myself snapping at little Sofia for sharpening her pencil during math. Not because she was being disruptive,

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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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parent-tips 2025-09-19T06:55:00 by Maria Santos

Building Trust Before You Need It: Why I Start Calling Parents in August (And You Should Too)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had to call Mrs. Rodriguez about her son Miguel's behavior during math. But instead of the defensive

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budget-teaching 2025-09-18T07:00:00 by Maria Santos

My Dollar Store Math Classroom Makeover (And Why I Wish I'd Done This Years Ago)

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Picture this: It's my third year teaching, and I'm standing in the school supply catalog section of our faculty meeting,

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parent-tips 2025-09-15T08:17:00 by Maria Santos

Building Trust Before You Need It

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had to call Mrs. Rodriguez about her son Miguel's behavior during math. Before I could even explain what

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budget-teaching 2025-09-13T08:52:00 by Maria Santos

My Dollar Tree Math Manipulative Haul That Actually Works

Budget-friendly teaching tip: Last week I walked into Dollar Tree with a $20 bill and walked out with enough math manipulatives to last me the entire

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florida-teacher 2025-09-10T05:33:00 by Maria Santos

B.E.S.T. Standards: What Actually Changed (And What Just Got a New Name)

Florida teacher tip: Last Tuesday, I was helping my neighbor's daughter with her 5th grade math homework when she looked up at me and asked, "Mrs. Santos,

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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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parent-tips 2025-09-01T06:55:00 by Maria Santos

Building Trust Before You Need It: Why Parent Relationships Matter More Than You Think

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had to call Sofia's mom about a behavior issue that happened during math. Before I could even explain what

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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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classroom-management 2025-08-19T08:12:00 by Maria Santos

The First Week: Setting Up for Success

Classroom management tip: Last week, I watched a brand new teacher across the hall trying to teach a math lesson on day two while half her class was still

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parent-tips 2025-08-16T05:20:00 by Maria Santos

When Parents Say "My Child Would Never" (And What We Do Next)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had that phone call. You know the one. Mrs. Rodriguez was calling about her son Miguel's latest math assessment

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classroom-management 2025-08-13T06:29:00 by Maria Santos

The First Week Magic: How to Set Your Classroom Up for Success (Without Losing Your Mind)

Classroom management tip: Last week, I watched a brand-new teacher down the hall trying to jump straight into her math curriculum on day two. Bless her

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classroom-management 2025-08-04T08:45:00 by Maria Santos

The First Week Isn't About Curriculum (And Other Hard-Won Truths)

Classroom management tip: Last Monday, I watched a brand new teacher next door frantically laminating math centers at 7:45 AM while her students lined up

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